The Oysterman: A Toast to Hometown
Duxbury, Massachusetts produces some of the best oysters in the world, so you can imagine how many bivalve lovers would visit each year to spend some time exploring the wondrous delights of their waters. But here’s the catch – until The Oysterman, there wasn’t a single local Oyster Bar dedicated to beating heart of the Bay. Island Creek’s established locales in New England provide a great funnel for the local product, and ICO has their own Mecca and outdoor space for summer socials on their farm… but aside from a few restaurants featuring oysters on the menu, there isn’t a lineup of options. Thus, The Oysterman has quite a grasp of hometown regulars and visitors alike, looking for a corner to nestle in for half shell, sports, beers, and an honest menu.
The Raw Bar at The Oysterman.
Graham at The Oysterman
With that said, it’s not surprising that entering this narrow bar feels like a local family gathering, or where you’d come on Sundays to catch up on Football with your neighbors. And that seems to be the point. According to an interview with CBS Boston, owner Dermot Loftus explains, “we wanted to celebrate the local oysters and have a raw bar…. we built a menu out around it. We wanted to have something for everybody, from seafood dishes to burgers and filet mignon.”
Extensive beer, wine and cocktail menu at The Oysterman.
Here`s another thing that makes this experience authentic. We hear that a handful of the shuckers at The Oysterman are the same folks on the water working with the oysters when the winter wanes. That understanding provides an even greater sense of ownership and hometown pride in the place. The economy feels truly intertwined.
Half shell at The Oysterman.
The menu isn’t vast but done incredibly well, and as Dermot envisioned, it invites everyone to the table. That’s an ideal situation if you’re an oyster die-hard but your friends prefer a burger. After a pretty shuck, Warwick and I tried the oyster chowder, the egg rolls, and the fish and chips. We loved the oyster chowder so much, we decided that we’ll attempt our own at home with our next oyster delivery. The egg rolls paired perfectly with a football game and and IPA. Lastly, let me first say that it’s really hard to please a New Zealander (Warwick) with a good fish and chips… so he was thrilled that they nailed the crispy crunch on the outside and fresh, buttery softness on the inside.
The Oysterman’s Oyster Chowder
To the team at The Oysterman: Thank you for making us feel as if we lived right next door…On that note, I see a real estate office just across the road… 🙂
