THE OYSTER GARDEN IS OPEN!
You can reserve after June 1, but until then, if the weather is nice just ask at the front door.
Category: Seafood Specials
MARCH 28 Oyster 101
OYSTER 101@ Rodney’s with Eamon Clark the 9 x Canadian Oyster Shucking Champion AND International Oyster Opening Champion. Saturday, March 28th, 1 pm. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Oysters, shuck like a pro, understand how to cook Oysters and enjoy a few drinks while you fill your belly and hang out with us along the West Bar. Just a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
The Red King Crab – at the House of Shells.
KING CRAB ALERT! The Alaskan King Crab is back at the House of Shells for the next 6 weeks or so. But although they are Alaskan in species ( Paralithodes camtschaticus), the crabs today are actually coming from the Barents Sea, which is north of the Norway-Russian border. Didn’t know those two countries touched? Neither did I. But now you do. The region is called ‘Finmark,’ and it’s north of actual Finland, but is part of Norway.
Some history: the Russians introduced King Crab into this body of water in the 1960s (Murmansk Fiord, if you want to get really precise, just to the east of Finmark in Russia), and it first appeared in Norway in 1977 and has been moving west around the northern coast ever since. The Russian and Norwegian governments currently share management of the fishery.
In that ecosystem, it is an invasive (ie non-native) species, eating pretty everything else up there. A portion of the Norwegian Barents Sea king crab fishery (west of 26○ E) is “managed” as an elimination fishery (i.e., no management – kill ‘em all). World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Norway agrees with this approach, as the crab shouldn’t be there in the first place. So morally, it’s a good crab to eat.
Red King Crab are considered the finest of the King crabs that we see (the other being the “Golden,” aka “Brown” crab). Truly the best crab you will eat, and we only see them twice a year.
The crabs right now are running at $79/lb, and we aim to bring them in between 6 and 10 lbs each. Pretty steep. That’s why we encourage the eater to reserve one with us, rather than depend on fate to ensure we have one waiting once the clients are wrangled, the sitter is arranged, etc. Call Julius or Bronwen at 416-363-8105 ext 22 and tell us when you want to come down and how many guests you’ll be bringing, and we’ll make sure we tag a crab for you then next shipment we receive. That way you know it’s here when you arrive. Easier for us; more certain for you. Everyone wins. Except, of course, the crab.
A new year…
Well, we survived another busy December, we survived an ice storm, frigid temperatures, and we’re all still here. Plumbing still working. It’s 2014. A New Year.
We at the House have some big things coming up in the next 12 months – starting with new floors over the next 10 days, and growing from there. We’ll keep other details under our hats for now, until the Official Announcements are ready… Moo.
In the short term, we’ve got confirmation the we WILL see the Golden Alaskan King Crab arriving at the end of February (huzzah!) so get your mining hats on, and join the Boys (and Girls) of PDAC for the feed in early March. As always, we will be reserving Kings for your group to share – expect updates along the usual channels, and if you want to be added to our mailing list, send a message to foh@rodneysoysterhouse.com
Stay warm, and Happy New Year.
The Crew
KING CRABS ARE HERE
The Alaskan “Golden” King Crab has survived its journey from the Bering Sea to the Tanks at the Oyster House, and is now enthusiastically waiting to be eaten. Demand is already very high, and we never know when this fishery will close (the Kings are fished on a ‘quota’ basis, and once the maximum weight is fished, they shut ‘er down), so be sure to call early to reserve yours. Prices are high, at $65/lb, and the ones we’ve seen so far have been sitting between 7 and 10 lbs, so make sure to check with your accountant (or spouse) before getting your Team together for the feed. Generally aim for about 2-3 lbs of crab per person, more if you’re hungry – a party of four can take down an 8 lb crab with relative ease. Call Bronwen or Julius at 416-363-8105 ext 22 and we’ll put one aside with your name on it.
THE ALASKAN KING CRAB…
The Brown King Crab Fishery up in the Bering Sea opened on February 17th. We should see them in the House very soon. We aim for crabs in the 6-10lb range, so bring your boss, your wife, your parents or your expense account, and share one. As always, they won’t be cheap, but they will be the tastiest crab you’ve eaten. Call 416-363-8105 ext 22 to reserve one any time after the 25th.
Rolling into the Fall
Amazingly, the summer is drawing to an end. The Montreal Oyster Festival on Labour Day and the Charlottown International later in September are the last two major Canadian shucking events, before we buckle down and get back to the business of Urban Oystering (not that it ever stops). From Rodney’s, Canadian Shucking champ Eamon Clark heads off to Galway, Ireland for the fifth year (fourth in a row) to compete in the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival, 58th edition, from the 28th to the 30th. We wish him luck! Fifth time is the charm, as they say.
More locally, as the weather cools and the days shorten, we see the oyster perking up. It starts to gain weight, fattening up to get through the winter months when there’s nothing for it to eat. And for local eaters, the Fall and early Winter are Prime Oyster-eating Seasons. Expect to see more range of oyster types on our beds, and bigger, plumper oysters. (The mighty Sand Dune oyster, for example, only makes an appearance in later Fall). Also, the season sees a return of the Smelt, the King Crab, and other delicious cold-water delicacies ready for enthusiastic diners to come down and join us. As always, 416-363-8105 ext 0 for reservations. Thanks you.
A WEEK OF LOBSTER
To celebrate the opening of the St. Lawrence Lobster Fishery, we will be holding our annual ‘Lobster Week’ from May 28 to June 2, 2012. Lobster-themed specials all week, and of course, we have our Gala Lobster Boil and Supper to kick things off on Tuesday the 29th. We’ll be boiling lobsters in the Garden, and starting the evening outside with Oysters, wines from Fielding Estate, beer from Beau’s Brewery and some tasty amuse-bouches (including the newly developed ‘Lobster Dog’). Then we’ll move inside for soup, mussels, and of course, the Main Event. Music for the evening will be supplied by Tim Bradford and his crew. The event kicks off at 7pm sharp – tickets are $70 (not including liquids and gratuities), and they can, as always, be ordered by calling the restaurant at 416-363-8105 extension 0. We hope you join us for Lobster Week at the end of the month!
Valentine’s Day and the Oyster
It’s well and truly the New Year once Valentine’s Day is upon us. A twelfth of the way through 2012 already. Wow. V-Day is on a Tuesday night this year, so plan to call in sick on the 15th, come down with someone you care about, and let us set you up to get lucky. Galley Head Rodrigo De Romana has come up with a beautiful menu this year – details below – and our Spring Wine List will be making its debut, featuring some old favourites and new, exciting additions. (And if you’re alone on the 14th, join us at the bar for some bivalves and beer, and maybe you’ll meet someone nice). The night always fills up quickly, so make sure you call us at 416-363-8105 ext 0 and reserve a table.
Rodrigo’s Valentine’s Day Menu –
The Hopeless Romantic
The Box of Oysters: 6 different oysters with 6 different flavours and toppings
– Lightly smoked
– Jalapeno mango
– Acadian caviar, crème fraîche and chives
– Bacon foam and balsamic caviar,
– Pear ginger vinaigrette,
– Cucumber cilantro salsa
– Parmesan ice cream
Getting Hot and Steamy
Crab bisque topped with fresh avocado and spicy fried corn tortillas
The Foreplay
Scallop Ceviche
Seared Fundy scallops served under a bacon foam and Acadian caviar, and live sea scallops, lightly grilled and topped with a fresh lime herb salsa and pop rocks.
“Charcuterie” Plate
Salmon rillette, shrimp and lobster leek sausage, saffron scallop and Dungeness crab terrine, with grilled baguette, garlic aioli, and fresh herb salad.
The Main Events
Grilled Pacific Salmon
Served with celeriac puree, buttery baby carrots, Brussels sprout and radicchio slaw in a mustard vinaigrette, and topped with winter truffles and olive oil.
Claw-stuffed Lobster
Roasted in the shell with smoked garlic and compound butter, served with roasted herb lemon fingerling potatoes, sautéed wild mushrooms and marinated roasted cherry tomatoes, topped with crispy leeks.
The Sweet Kiss Goodnight
Dessert plate of French macaroons and chocolate truffles
We’ll see you in February!
Fancy an “Oyster Quickie” over Christmas?
Well, King Crab season is winding down – the shipments should cut off any time. But that means it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas Oyster Needs. As you know, every year Rodney’s provides Holiday Oysters to hundreds of our guests for at-home eating, and this year, we’ve got another option to get you your oyster fix on the fly: The Oyster Quickie. 30 Malpeque oysters, unshucked, for $59, all in. Perfect for a last-minute order, or if you want a few to take with you after your dinner with us, you can just grab it and go, in a handy wooden box. Of course, our usual large selection of shucked and unshucked oysters will be available too – just call the Front of House at 416-363-8105 ext 0 and place your order.