While Gulf appellation oysters aren’t here quite yet, I couldn’t help myself from indulging in some fat Gulf beauties during last week’s cold snap. Drizzly and rainy equals perfect oyster-eating weather, in my opinion, as it’s exactly these two meteorological qualities which are responsible for plumping up the oysters just off our Texas shores.
I headed to Danton’s with a group of friends who simply wanted Cajun food that night, but sneaked in a little ulterior motive of my own by choosing a place which always has some of the most reliably good oysters in Houston. And Danton’s did not disappoint.
Along with the platter of enormous oysters above (including a rarely seen four-bite oyster), I also indulged in a cup of Danton’s creamy oyster stew with tasso. The smoky tasso meat normally does a pretty good job of cutting through all the cream, milk and butter in the stew, but I found that it needed a bit more Tabasco this time than usual. Nevertheless, it was a welcome accompaniment to the cool oysters on that cold night.
Danton’s offers a generous happy hour deal on Mondays — as in, tonight — if you want to enjoy a plate of buttery Gulf oysters for even less than they usually cost. Every other day of the week, Danton’s oysters are $11 a dozen — already cheap. But on Monday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m., a dozen oysters on the half shell are only $5.50.
The happy hour deal only runs in the bar area, but it’s a large and well-appointed bar that’s done up in dark mahogany and leather. Again: perfect oyster-eating environs. It’s also a great place to enjoy some Sauvignon Blanc — an ideal wine pairing — with your oysters; Danton’s has three to choose from by the glass.
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