In Nashville, the World is Your Oyster

Despite the fact that modern refrigeration has pretty much eliminated the old saw about eating oysters only in months with the letter “r” in them, the juicy mollusks definitely do taste better when it’s a little chillier outside. So we are approaching prime slurping season. Concurrent with this development, two restaurants (one's an oldie-but-a-goodie, and one's a not-yet-open-but-should-be-amazing) have rolled out some oyster news to make you want to dig out that shucking knife that you hid away after mangling your fingers last spring.

I don’t know who is doing the math at Table 3, but I’m excited that they seem to be unclear on the concept of a dozen plus a lagniappe. Unlike the traditional “baker’s dozen” of 13, they are now offering what they call a “shucker’s dozen” as their new Thursday special. Starting tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 29, diners will enjoy 14 oysters for the price of a dozen from 11:30 a.m. until they sell out. And this deal extends to all the special oysters that they fly in, not just the big flabby Gulf Coast oysters that many restaurants reserve for their special deals.

Table 3 co-owner and wine expert Elise Loehr even has advice (and offers permission) for wine with your lunch. As expected and appreciated, her suggestions skew toward the French: “Some of my favorite wines to pair with oysters are Sancerres, Muscadets, and of course, Champagne, all of which we offer by the bottle or by the glass. Each wine celebrates the mollusk by cutting the brininess while not competing with it.”

Reservations are not required at Table 3, however they are strongly encouraged. Reservations may be made by calling 615-739- 6900 or by visiting table3nashville.com.

We’re all waiting anxiously for chef Julia Sullivan and her business partner Allie Poindexter to open Henrietta Red, their upcoming Germantown eatery, which they describe as a “convivial restaurant and barroom and oyster bar,” where they promise “honest seasonal cooking.” Currently under construction at The Square at Fourth and Madison development (1200 Fourth Ave. N.) the restaurant is still on track to open sometime this winter.

But until then, they have been hosting some pop-up events to get us even more excited. The next one will be on Oct. 7, right before Oktoberfest, when they will be hosting an oyster roast and supper at 12th Table with Bulls Bay Oyster Roasts out of South Carolina. They promise that attendees will get their first sneak peak at the type of menu offerings coming from Henrietta Red. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience Chef Sullivan cooking on the Bulls Bay setup before, and it is pretty cool. The family that manufactures these stylish cooking devices are old friends of Sullivan’s, so she’s got a lot of comfort working with them.

If you’re interested, here’s a link to where to buy your tickets. The party will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., so you’ll get plenty of oysters and fun; 12th Table’s stylish facility is located at 1307 Sixth Ave. N. in Germantown.