Happy Valentine’s Day from Your Survival Guy.
When Thomas Keller decided to bring his culinary expertise to New York City, he was asked if it would be like The French Laundry, his world-famous restaurant in Napa Valley. He responded, “per se.”
Today, a signature dish at Keller’s Per Se is Oysters and Pearls sourced from Skip Bennett’s Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Located about 40 minutes northeast of Newport, Rhode Island, Duxbury is where we’ve spent many an afternoon with close family friends cruising the harbor, wakeboarding, fishing, sailing, and, after one memorable afternoon, hitting The Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster Farm.
We sat at a picnic table, slurped oysters, and drank beer from plastic cups.
Founded by Duxbury local Skip Bennett, Island Creek is the gold standard for oysters. If you want to know how perfect oysters are harvested from seed to table, Skip’s are your benchmark. He’s the one who figured out a way to nurture them like free-range chickens.
When Thomas Keller was looking for the perfect oyster for his NYC establishment, his team scoured the Eastern Seaboard searching for an oyster that would reliably deliver the taste and texture they dreamed about and consistently come in the size they required.
That’s how the Per Se oyster was born.
Action Line: You don’t need to be in NYC or Duxbury this Valentine’s Day to enjoy Island Creek Oysters. Chances are Skip’s oysters are served at a dining establishment near you. The chalice is up to you.
P.S. On Saturday night, a client sent me this note: “New Orleans charbroiled oysters on the half shell with garlic butter and cheese on a Klose BBQ grill with lump charcoal–HOT.”
Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.
