Shuck Around & Find Out: An Oyster Dinner Experience | Toledo, OH

Part geography lesson. Part knife skill. 

But, let’s be honest here. It’s mostly an excellent excuse to eat a lot of  oysters.

Join us at Cork & Knife for a two-hour tour of North American oyster country—no boat shoes required. But, they are absolutely encouraged.  We’ll taste oysters from several growing regions and learn how tides, water temperature, salinity and geography determine whether an oyster tastes briny, buttery, mineral-driven, cucumbery or pleasantly like the ocean remembered to season itself.

Then……..we shuck.

You’ll learn how to safely persuade an oyster to open, release it from the shell and preserve its flavorful liquor. We’ll taste each variety on its own before conducting the only group project anyone enjoys: deciding which sauce belongs on which oyster.

By the end of class, you’ll understand oysters, shuck with confidence and have significantly stronger opinions about mignonette.

Types of oysters COULD include: 

THE SHELL-ABUS

Oyster S’more

Grilled oyster | Smoked brown butter | Bacon-onion jam | Toasted rye marshmallow | Malt-vinegar glaze

Korean Corn Cheese Oyster

Grilled oyster | Gochujang-corn butter | Mozzarella | Scallion | Kimchi cracker crunch

Nashville Hot Oyster

Fried oyster | Nashville hot oil | Dill-pickle mayonnaise | White-bread crumble | Hot-honey lacquer

Cucumber Sandwich Oyster

Raw oyster | Buttermilk-cucumber ice | Dill oil | Rye-bread crumble | Pickled mustard seed

The Bloody MolluskTomato | Horseradish | Worcestershire | Celery salt

No previous shucking experience is needed OR required. We’ll provide the oysters, knives, gloves and enough supervision to prevent this class from becoming an episode of a maritime medical drama.

NOTE: The oyster lineup changes with the season and availability. We can ask the ocean for recommendations, but it refuses to commit to a definite line-up.