In my home country Germany, oysters are very high on the list of any food aficionado, but you do not see them often on menus in restaurants nor is there a significant number of oyster bars in Germany. By contrast, in France, oysters are almost a daily staple, at least during the season. Similarly, at both coasts of the US, oysters are part of daily life. In Washington DC, supermarkets tend to have a nice seafood selection, including oysters and there are many oyster bars and restaurants that serve oysters at their bar.
One oyster bar in the Washington DC area that has received quite some attention in recent weeks is the Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market. It is the Washington DC outlet of a Virginia oyster producer - Rappahannock River Oysters - and only serves oysters it produces.
The Chesapeake Bay and Rappahannock River Oysters
The Chesapeake Bay – the largest estuary of the USA - used to be an area, where oysters would flourish. Virginia and Maryland combined to harvest 30 - in some years even 40 - million pounds oysters every year. But since the 1960s, oyster production in the Chesapeake Bay has collapsed to less than 1 percent of what it used to be. Efforts are underway to reverse this dire development. Virginia protects oysters with large sanctuaries in public waters but allows watermen to harvest them on a rotating basis about every two years. The state also strongly encourages private aquaculture, selling plots of riverbed or bay floor to oyster farmers. Maryland is only beginning to develop aquaculture.
For more, see:
Tasting Virginia Chesapeake Bay Oysters with Oyster Producer Travis Craxton at the Rappahannock River, USA
Rappahannock River Oysters – run and owned by Travis Croxton, who I met recently at the Chesapeake Bay and cousin Ryon Croxton - is among those innovative growers, who use aquaculture to produce quality oysters. Currently, their output reaches 4 million oysters per year.
The origins of Rappahannock River Oysters can be traced all the way back to 1899. It was in that year that 24-year-old James Arthur Croxton, Jr., purchased five acres of leased river bottom in the Rappahannock River near Bowlers, Virginia.
Farm Manager Patrick Oliver: “Our oysters are grown from seed (1/8”) to market-size (3” plus) in trays in the water. This method allows us to produce a healthy, clean oyster by growing it up off of the bottom. We're apt to brag that Rappahannock River Oysters grows only Crassostrea virginica, the Chesapeake Bay's native oyster. Our techniques for growing our celebrated bivalve have changed a little since Rappahannock River Oysters's early days. Today our oysters are grown "off bottom," positioned squarely in the water column where food quality and quantity are greatly improved. Not only do the oysters grow faster, they grow richer, plumper, and rounder - and all under our watchful eye. We monitor salt and temperature levels, guard against predators, cull out slow growers and misshapen shells - all to ensure that the customer gets a consistently healthy, attractive, and succulent oyster.”
Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market in Washington DC
Union Market is a new artisanal food market in NE Washington DC with a long history. In 1931, Union Terminal Market opened at 4th Street and Florida Avenue NE, Washington DC. Meats, fish, dairy and produce were sold by approximately 700 vendors. In 1967, a new indoor market was built a few blocks away at 1309 5th Street NE, which is the current site of the revitalized Union Market. During the 1980s, many of the original merchants left the area and moved to modern distribution centers and supermarkets in the suburbs.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market is a 20-seat bar, flanked by a communal table and patio seating. The regular selection of raw oysters comprises the 3 kinds of oysters Rappahannock River Oysters grows: Rappahannocks, Stingrays and Olde Salts. Down the road, Travis Croxton anticipates offering “guest oysters” from elsewhere in the country. In addition, the menu includes steamed Olde Salt clams, oyster chowder with bacon, crab cakes, and grilled tuna loin with local peppers, tomatoes, and mojo de ajo. Travis Croxton says they plan to change the menu seasonally.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar has a good wine selection; I had a nice Tarara Viognier from Virginia. On tap, we found DC Brau's The Corruption, Chocolate City Beer's Cornerstone Copper Ale, and 3 Stars Brewing Company's Southern Belle and Urban Farmhouse. There are also bottles of Flying Dog's Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout, which is brewed with Rappahannock's oysters.
The Oysters we Tasted
We tasted 3 kinds of oysters.
Rappahannock
Location: Topping, Virginia
Salt Range: 13-17 ppt.
Species: Crassostrea virginica (native)
Grow-out Method: Aquaculture
Taste Profile: Deep cupped and mineral rich, with an understated saltiness that lets the oyster's natural flavor come though, our Rappahannocks offer up a sweet, buttery, full-bodied taste with a refreshingly clean, crisp finish. It's the very same oyster we started growing in 1899.
Stingray
Location: Ware Neck, Virginia
Salt Range: 17-22 ppt.
Species: Crassostrea virginica (native)
Grow-out Method: Aquaculture
Taste Profile: Drawn from the pristine waters of Mobjack Bay, Stingrays are the quintessential Chesapeake Bay oyster: sweet and mildly briny with a clean, crisp finish. Named after the Bay oyster's chief predator, these Stingrays bite back!
Olde Salt
Location: Chincoteague Bay, Virginia
Salt Range: 28-33 ppt.
Species: Crassostrea virginica (native)
Grow-out Method: Aquaculture
Taste Profile: The truest taste of the ocean, our Olde Salt oyster brings together a bold sea-side brininess with a smooth, clean follow-through. Grown off the coast of Chincoteague (think Misty), our Olde Salt oyster is more than a classic, it’s a legend.
For more on the different kinds of oysters, see:
Oysters and Wine
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