I’m always a little skeptical to find quality oyster bars in towns that aren’t near the ocean or a major airport, but Max’s Oyster Bar in Hartford, CT has reaffirmed that it’s indeed possible.

As much as I love the bustling urban life in New York City, I enjoy the occasional retreat up to my parents’ place in “rural” Connecticut for some peace, quiet, and mom’s amazing home cooking. I love my mom’s Chinese meals so much that I always insist on staying home to eat rather than dine out. After a little whimpering and wishlisting, my mom graciously obliges. However this past weekend our family had the opportunity to celebrate several big events (new jobs, my birthday, the new year, yadda) so I proposed that we go out for an all-encompassing celebratory meal.

The last time when I visited Max’s Oyster Bar, could barely tell a Beausoleil from a Barnstable. Now that my palette and eye has been sharpened, I figured that Max’s was worth another try. This old-world (read: deep burgundy leather booths and vintage prints) seafood gallery carried about seven or eight East Coast varieties ranging from PEI to Virginia. The ambiance inspired me to stick to a few classics such as the Wellfleets, Onsets and Conways and then I spontaneously topped it off with some Mayflower Points (thanks Shane of Upstate for solving the name/geography mystery for me) and Cape Cods.

By the way, I find oysters that are named after a BIG area — such as Cape Cod or Hood Canal — extremely confusing. WHERE in Cape Cod did you guys come from? Did it even matter to restaurant/seller/farmer? Was it East Cape Cod? South? What merroir am I actually experiencing here?? I actually ordered these ambiguous oysters, because I wanted to compare them to the Wellfleets. Did they taste at all the same? Completely different? Turned out that they were different but beyond that, I have no context as to how to evaluate them. So to the sellers of “Cape Cod Oysters” and (ahem) Max’s Oyster Bar, please try to be a little more specific with your product names. I guess this is coming from someone who knows (and cares) way too much about where her oysters come from. This is also, ironically, coming from someone who orders the house Pino at the wine bars and couldn’t care less about where it’s from.

Secondly — branded oysters vs unbranded. What really are the differences? Are Conways the same as Conway Cups? From my notes, it doesn’t seem like it but apparently they could be. Conway Cups are trademarked, whereas sellers can use the term Conway without problems. They may be indeed from the same waters, but grown by two different entities. There are also Conway Royales which are much larger (must try). Many thanks to Christopher Adams and Brady Hall for the tips!

Eating oysters with my parents is an amusing experience and especially because of my mom. When we were deciding how many oysters to order, she declared that she’d only eat two or three tops. Of course, she ended up stealing away five or six (because they were “so tasty.”) Now if I had known that she’d do this — which I should have — I would’ve ordered more. The oysters were all very much in visibly in their prime. The shells were filled with cool, briny liquor. The meat was firm, plump, and cream-colored. After the first two dozen, I called for another half dozen to cap my dad and I off, after hearing my mom declare that she wouldn’t have anymore. Not that it’s a big deal if she does, but I’d like to know in advance so that I can account for her AND my portion. Then she ate three more of the six. -_-

Wellfleet from Northeastern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts * * * *
Flavor: 8 | Salinity: 9 | Sweetness: 6 | Umami: 5 | Texture: Firm, resilient, mushroomy
These oysters possessed a shockingly salty liquor that complimented the sweet, crisp meat

Onset from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts * * * *
Flavor: 10 | Salinity: 9 | Sweetness: 8 | Umami: 8 | Texture: Pillowy, smooth, thick
Plump, creamy, a punctuation of brininess that trails with sweet, seaweed notes; the shells are splotchy gunmetal and green

Conway from Prince Edward Island, Canada * * *
Flavor: 7 | Salinity: 8 | Sweetness: 5 | Umami: 6 | Texture: Deep, pillowy, soft
These oysters were very briny and had a delicious miso soup savoriness to them

Mayflower Point from Dennisport, Massachusetts * * *
Flavor: 7 | Salinity: 5 | Sweetness: 5 | Umami: 6 | Texture: Gummy, silky
Medium brininess with an unmistakeable metallic undertone that was subtly bitter (like tea leaves), but nonetheless refreshing — quite the palette cleanser!

Cape Cod from Massachusetts * * *
Flavor: 8 | Salinity: 6 | Sweetness: 7 | Umami: 8 | Texture: Firm, elastic, plush
They don’t have the mouth-puckering saltiness of some other Cape Cod oysters like the Wellfleet, but it’s sweet soy flavors are undeniably bold and vibrant

 

Next up… an undercover assignment. Restaurants and kitchen staff beware.