Two weeks into our Charleston assimilation, the Oyster Roast became our next mission. With all the wonder of Jane Goodall, we studied the locals as they devoured oysters by the beer bucket full displaying amazing swiftness and speed. The giant vats of rolling water and steam piqued our interest as we passed by many an establishment offering up all you can eat oysters on our nightly strolls. Finally this past Saturday, inspired by observing an Oyster Shucking Contest on James Island, we decided to put our studies to the test.

Our “1000 Places to See Before You Die” book directed us to trust our oyster expedition to a local favorite – Bowens Island Restaurant. Located at the end of a marshy road, we arrived just in time to take in panoramic sunset views and snag our place in line to order. Armed with $2 “Mystery Beers” (Spoiler alert: they were Hamm’s) and our green, laminated ticket good for one bucket of oysters we proceeded downstairs to the roasting hall. We were told that in non-COVID times this space is filled shoulder to shoulder of friends and strangers shucking a never ending supply of the marvelous mollusks dumped into the middle of long community tables. In this modified world, the space was emptier and the tables separated but you could still sense the welcoming and jovial environment.

Once acquiring our overflowing oyster bucket, we still required a bit of tutorial. The art of prying open each shell to reach the meaty middle took some practice. It was slow going, messy work but after a little fine tuning of our techniques we both tasted our first oyster. The consensus: squishy, salty and better than expected! With triumph, we worked our way through the rest of the bucket enjoying the atmosphere and feeling a little more Charlestonian with each bite.

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