Oysters & Absinthe at Maison Premiere

Bras D’Or from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

These petite bites contained little liquor and were salty upon first taste, but the flavor was ever-so-fleeting.

Salt Aire from Prince Edward Island

Indeed the taste is how the name sounds--light, puffy, salty. The thin membrane that laid delicately in the long, slender shells had a familiar savoriness to it. I think it was like prosciutto.

Pine Island from Oyster Bay, New York

The large, dark belly suggested bold flavors to come and it delivered on that quite nicely. The salty, chewy meat had a rocky aftertaste.

Elkhorn from Willapa Bay, Washington

The gritty and bumpy exterior gave way to smooth, plush, and briny meat. Upon some chewy, I discovered a complex mix of vegetal and mineral flavors. A faint bitterness gave this oyster a new kind of edginess that I haven't come across in many West Coast varieties.

Quilcene from Quilcene Bay, Washington

This large oyster starts off salty, but then bursts into sweet, watermelon rind-tinted flavors. The solid adductor made this piece quite fun to chew.