Oysters & Pearls at Rappahannock (Photo by Jay Paul)
1. Oysters & Pearls
$20 at Rappahannock
The OG of fancy raw oyster starters, this appetizer was on the menu well before co-owner Travis Croxton put his family oyster beds on the map. The pearls refer to beads of delicate, American trout caviar, which are dolloped atop voluptuous Rappahannock River oysters. Served chilled, an icy nori granita slaps the tongue after the breezy bivalves’ salty sting.
2. Dozen Half Shells
Market price at Birdie’s
Shucked-to-order beauties await at this downtown oyster bar. Sample shells from Virginia and the East Coast, with White Stone, New Brunswick and Sand Dune as menu regulars. House sauces include a tangy mignonette, a sharp cocktail and Birdie’s herbaceous green sauce. Ask about the oyster punch-card/rewards program.
3. Chesapeake Bay Chicken Fried Oysters
$20 at Shagbark
Encased in buttermilk-chive cornbread batter, Walter Bundy’s signature dish has morphed over the years, traveling from the kitchen of Lemaire to his own dining room at Shagbark. Nuggets of Kite’s country ham are softened with baby spinach, then pooled with Champagne hollandaise sauce.
4. Oysters Corfu
$18 at Stella’s
Mobjack Bay oysters may be one-bite bivalves, but executive chef Russ Williams has maximized the solo nibble. For this Hellenic riff on oysters Rockefeller, spinach, breadcrumbs and crystalline cheeses are scented with ouzo and enriched with a sausage compound butter. Going to Stella’s and not ordering the Corfu is like going to Greece and skipping the Parthenon.
5. Steamed Oysters
$23.95 at Full Kee
Slick black-bean sauce glides across a heavy plate of jumbo steamed oysters, with slivers of garlic and sliced scallions serving as culinary pond skaters. The earthiness of the bean sauce perfectly complements the swollen, meaty oysters, delivering a filling meal alongside a bowl of steamed rice that's the ideal vehicle for soaking up the extra sauce.
