You know what I love about SeptembeR, OctobeR, NovembeR and DecembeR? It’s oyster season! During these months, oysters are at their peak. For the next few weeks, I’ll be sampling the most memorable and tasty oyster dishes in Houston.
No. 5, Oysters Victoria at The Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen
As a staple of the nineteenth-century diet, oysters seem an especially fitting dish to consume at the Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen. And though you can’t beat the happy hour special ($1 Gulf oysters, Tuesdays through Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.), if slurping and sipping isn’t your thing, I highly recommend shelling out (har) a few extra bucks for the Oysters Victoria.
Crowned with dollops of a vibrant saag paneer gratin, the oysters are baked until the bivalves are warm and juicy and the topping crispy-crumbly. “Fusion” seems too violent a word to describe the convergence of East and West in this dish; I prefer to think of it as a harmonious blend of Anglo and Indian culinary forces. Who says food can’t promote peace?
A four-oyster serving of Oysters Victoria is $12, three times what you would pay for the simple Gulf variety at happy hour. But these are twice as rich and exponentially more interesting, so it all works out. (Trust me, I used a calculator.)
The list so far:
No. 6: Pearly Whites po-boy at BB’s Cafe No. 7: Fried oysters and deviled eggs at BRC Gastropub No. 8: Oyster stew at Danton’s No. 9: Oysters Baton Rouge at Pappadeaux No. 10: Oyster caesar salad at Ragin’ Cajun
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This article appears in Oct 25-31, 2012.