The World Is My Oyster

We went to the Limestone Cafe in Peapack, NJ the other night to celebrate my younger daughter's birthday (again, as Limestone wasn't open on Tuesday night, so our first celebration was at Sammy's in Mendham). The girls shared (and demolished) the rack of lamb "lollipops" and Rex and I each had an oysters bingo appetizer. Amazing flavors! I love Gulf oysters so much that I followed my oysters bingo appetizer with a half portion of the oyster stew entree. Since I couldn't quite finish my absolutely huge "half portion," I can't even imagine what the regular entree looks like. The Limestone Cafe names all of their dinner entrees after streets in the Roxiticus Valley....my oyster stew was called the Dumont, which Rex believes is the left turn off you make off of Peapack Road to get to the Far Hills post office.

I found some oyster recipes online that I may ask Rex to try this summer, in addition to our usual clams. Rex will eat oysters (and clams) raw, but I prefer my clams grilled or steamed, and my oysters cooked....fried, in stew, even in ceviche. Grilled oysters, oysters alfredo, oyster cakes (like crab cakes, I guess), oyster dip, ....so many ways to be oyster aware! While my girls have already established themselves as "Jedi clam eaters," if Rex finds the right recipe, we might have an attractive alternative to our usual 100 clams this summer at the Crab Shack down the beach.

Ah, the world is my oyster! As always, we finished off our birthday dinner at Limestone with Grandma's Chocolate Layer Cake with a candle in the middle, and the birthday girl blew it out to make a wish. Of course, Rex has his own ideas about oysters that have nothing to do with pearls...but what if oysters offered objects beyond pearls - what if oysters gave birthday wishes, charcoal, diamonds, or carrots? Or how about fortunes like Chinese fortune cookies? I'd like to find a winning lottery ticket in an oyster...or maybe the key to a perfect March Madness bracket....back to the basketball, tipoff at 12:15pm!