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Oyster Lore Debunked

The array of oysters served at Shuck N Dive is impressive.

There’s an old saying that you shouldn’t eat oysters unless the month has an “R” in it, but that’s not the case, so it’s time to slurp away. Who better to give the lowdown on oysters than founding chef and owner Danny Stasi (Chef Staz) of Shuck N Dive in Fort Lauderdale? His restaurant celebrates Cajun and New Orleans-style cooking and has served five million oysters since its founding in 1999.

Modern refrigeration and transportation are one reason oysters are safe to eat throughout the year. Stasi also notes that farm-raised oysters are seeded and harvested throughout the year. During a purification process, seawater is treated with ultraviolet lights to kill off any bacteria in its natural state.

Most of his oysters come from Louisiana, where a government agency checks the safety levels of about 30 harvesting zones. Harvesting is only allowed when water quality is optimal. His restaurant proudly uses “Louisiana Certified” logos.

The level of salt in the water is the crucial factor in oysters’ taste, Stasi says. Because of its low salinity and colder water, a West Coast oyster will likely have a more mineral, vegetable, or mushroom taste. Gulf oysters tend to be more briny.

Chef Staz especially likes oysters where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf because of the nutrients coming down the river and the perfect mix of fresh and saltwater.

Wednesday is a big day for oysters at Shuck N Dive with a $1.50 oyster special. “My guys, two or three guys, start shucking at two in the afternoon and they don’t stop till 10,” he says. They have hit up to 4,000 oysters in one night.

The trinity of baked oysters near the top of the menu are:

  • Black n Blues is the restaurant’s signature dish, topped with compound butter, a touch of blackening spice, and crumbled blue cheese.
  • Oysters Rockefeller, topped with creamed spinach, onion, and garlic, and simmered in Pernod Liqueur.
  • Oysters Bienville, with shrimp, bacon, onion, and green pepper in a cream reduction, are topped with parmesan cheese.

There are also fried oysters and others that you just need to ask for even if they aren’t on the menu.

“We do a charbroiled oyster that probably is as good a seller as anything,” Chef says. “We also do a Louisiana-style barbecue oyster. It’s not like a traditional barbecue in the sense of a red sauce or something like that. It’s done as a traditional New Orleans barbecue like barbecue shrimp.” There is also a pesto and parmesan oyster.

Chef Staz says to always look at the daily specials, as about 40 percent of the orders come from them.

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.