THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 r
Page A-19
Batter up at The Grilled Oyster Company in Potomac The signature dish on the menu of a restaurant is the one that most prominently features the name of that restaurant, and should be the go-to dish to order. Therefore, grilled oysters are a must at The Grilled Oyster Company. Here, grilled oysters come in at least four different presentations. Grilled oyster Rockefeller is a large oyster on the half shell smothered in cooked spinach, parmesan cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and finished with Pernod flavored cream sauce. While this may seem like gilding the
DINING REVIEW BRIAN PATTERSON
PHOTOS FROM GRILLED OYSTER COMPANY
Open since September 2012, The Grilled Oyster Company is the concept of Valerie and Rick Dugan.
THE GRILLED OYSTER COMPANY n 7943 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, Md., 20854 n 301-299-9888 n thegrilledoystercompany. com n Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday n Appetizers (for sharing): $9 to $19 n Greens and sandwiches: $8 to $17 n Main Plates: $13 to $29
remoulade on that crisp and tender crustacean. Whoever is working the fryer is masterfully cooking the fries as well as the seafood. And while the oyster stew is good in flavor, the celery and carrots are raw and crunchy. Sweat the hard vegetables before adding the broth! Also, a wedge of iceberg lettuce should be doused in creamy dressing. This iceberg is high and dry, and it’s missing adequate dressing. Open since September 2012, The Grilled Oyster Company is the concept of Valerie and Rick Dugan, veterans of, among other places, O’Donnells Sea Grill, the original Bethesda anchor of seafood eateries in 1970s and ’80s. The 12-square-feet of sidewalk directly in front of the restaurant is transformed into a lounge, defying its suburban strip mall surroundings with a eating-onthe-water atmosphere. The bar proudly squeezes juices fresh for drinks like margaritas, which rock here no matter which shelf the tequila comes from. And The Grilled Oyster Company sup-
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ports the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Bed Restoration Project by donating annually.
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lily, the tasty morsel of oyster is not over shadowed by the garnish. Rick’s special grilled oyster comes with barbecue sauce and a chilled cucumber relish; a finer dice with the chef’s knife would make these more appealing to look at and eat. The grilled southwestern oyster is a shot of gumbo on a shell, with diced andouille sausage, spinach, and butter rich hollandaise dosed with green chilies. And a single oyster piled with lump crab and lemon butter sauce comes in at $4.95 a pop, and is worth every penny. Technically, these oysters are broiled rather than grilled, meaning they are scorched by heat from a gas element above the food, rather than cooked over an open flame grill; but let’s not mince words, the results are delicious. All of these amuse bouches are loaded; they are cumbersome and delicious and messy to eat. The French would blush. Moving on to other shared appetizers, the fried calamari is tender and well made, and drizzled with a flavorful emulsified lemon and butter sauce, I just wish that sauce was served on the side for dipping. Fried oysters themselves are freshly shucked, then breaded and fried at the right temperature so they are greaseless when served. They are finished with a civil amount of salt and served with a dill-spiked tartar sauce. Fried okra served on the side is the sleeper hit of the shared appetizers. Between the broiling and the deep frying, I’m wondering if this place shouldn’t be called the Battered Oyster Company rather than the Grilled Oyster Company. Barbecued shrimp is straightforward, messy and delicious. Some people may be taken aback when the deep fried legs and claws of a soft-shell crab spill out from the perimeter of a big bun stacked with lettuce, tomato and spicy mayonnaise. But a great soft-shell crab sandwich is a unique Maryland delicacy, and The Grilled Oyster Company nails it. The abundance of accoutrements and dressings do not upstage the freshness and delicacy of the soft shell crab. Give me just a little more spicy
603 Edmonston Dr. Rockville, MD 20851
240-314-8690
www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre
Victorian Lyric Opera Company
The Fifth Great Gilbert & Sullivan Sing - Out Aug. 29 - Sept.1
Tickets $16-$24
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