How do you grow oysters?
Growing delicious oysters is a process that takes up to four years. It starts with a few million fresh oyster "seeds." Oyster seed are small oysters about the size of a small fingernail. We place these millions of seed in the Cape Cod Bay for the perfect combination of clean water and sun which makes them grow and this gives them their distinctive delicious Cape Cod Bay flavor. Obviously, not all survive. Crabs like oysters too, also there are other predators that eat them. After 3 or 4 years an oyster reaches harvesting size which is about 3 inches.
Do you harvest oysters in the winter?
We and our neighbor oyster growers do harvest in the winter. Burrr! As you can see from the photos in the restaurant, the winter harvest is the hardest time of year to go out to the flats with the howling wind...
But all the hard work pays off when we hear our customers exclaiming how wonderful the oysters are.
Can you do a raw bar for my party?
Yes. We will set up a raw bar at your party location, shuck and attractively present the items you would like at your raw bar (such as oysters, clams, shrimp etc) Please call the restaurant to get an estimate 508-398-4600.
Can I have a party at your restaurant?
Yes! Please call and speak with Lynn (398-4600) about either a small party for dinner or using the restaurant for your large party (Such as holiday/Christmas parties, birthday parties, corporate dinners, and wine/oyster tastings...)
What kind of oyster do you have at the Oyster Company?
We offer only the freshest most delicious oysters on the market. We not only offer our Quivet Neck Oysters and Dennis Oysters but a variety of wonderful Wellfleets and Prince Edward Island Oysters and many other varieties. Be sure to check the Oyster/wine list for the available oysters.
Is "only eat oysters in 'r' months" a myth?
Yes it is. Folklore says that oysters should be eaten only in months with "r's" in them-September, October, etc. Oysters can be eaten 12 months a year. The notion that oysters should not be eaten in "r"-less months-that is, months that occur during warm weather-may have started in the days when oysters where shipped without adequate refrigeration and could spoil. But today all that has changed and we can enjoy oysters twelve months a year. (And at the Oyster Company many of our oysters come from local waters so there is no shipping required!)
Are Oysters good for you?
Yes! Oysters are not only delicious, but they're also one of the most nutritionally well balanced of foods, containing protein, carbohydrates and lipids. The National Heart and Lung Institute suggest oysters as an ideal food for inclusion in low-cholesterol diets. Oysters are an excellent source of vitamins. Four or five medium size oysters supply the recommended daily allowance of iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese and phosphorus.
How do pearls end up inside of oysters?
An oyster produces a pearl when foreign material becomes trapped inside the shell. The oyster responds to the irritation by producing nacre, a combination of calcium and protein. The nacre coats the foreign material and over time produces a pearl.
