Shaw's - Royster with the Oyster

Oyster Fest
Near North - 21 East Hubbard

So, I've been really into oysters lately (mostly due to watching lots of Mad Men) and it's a little difficult to find fresh oysters here that don't cost an arm and a leg. Luckily for me, Shaw's Crabhouse here in Chicago sponsors a yearly oyster-fest called "Royster with the Oyster." I convinced a couple friends of mine to join me for the kick-off event at Goose Island Brewery where we enjoyed fine ales and free oysters all evening. At some point the hostess roped me into joining the oyster slurping contest even though I'd already plowed my way through a few beers and about two dozen oysters. Thankfully they provided a smock of sorts to keep my clothes nice and clean just in case I didn't keep it all down.

The rules of the contest were simple: 1) 12 oysters on the plate. 2) "Season" and arrange them as you like. 3) On "Go" slurp all dozen oysters out of the shell without using your hands. I made sure to loosen all my oysters before the contest started and also added a little lemon and Tabasco for my "seasoning." Others left them Au natural while some added cocktail sauce. Unfortunately, there was any Mignonette Sauce otherwise I would have added a little of that as well.

This pretty much speaks for itself. The woman behind the counter seemed impressed with my speed but the guy who won finished in about 3 seconds (no joke). The oysters here were quite tasty but they had a lot of grit and shell left over with the meat. The guys shucking had a big job for the night so they can't be blamed for a less than perfect shuck, but oysters in a restaurant shouldn't have any big pieces of shell.

I certainly didn't have any expectations for this but I ended up getting third place; not bad, huh? My bounty included a 2006 bottle of Domaines Leflaive White Burgundy and a $50 gift certificate to Shaw's! Be sure to check back for our trip there.