Oysters Here, Oysters There

Oyster in France, oysters in Seattle

Nancy Leson has fine article in Seattle Times today about local oyster bars, with link to her blog, AllYouCanEat . Good roundup, though it doesn't mention Flying Fish (25-cent oyster happy hour nightly, 5 to 6 PM).

Well, talk about oysters! Just got back from France, oyster heaven. Have written before about the covered food market in Lyon, Les Halles de Lyon (now called Les Halles Bocuse), perhaps? Dozens of vendors (cheese, charcuterie, fruit, etc.) not to mention four or five shellfish stands.

Lunch at one of them, Merle (no website), just last week: a dozen absolutely perfect fines de claire, a "pot" of Macon blanc, half a St. Marcelin cheese from La Mère Richard: about $55. Seems kinda high for lunch, perhaps, but wait ...

Lunch at Etta's in Seattle upon return: a dozen assorted oysters (Penn Cove, Hunter Point, Emerald Cove, none quite as plump as the French oysters), $2.50 each, so $30 for oysters, $14 half of a bottle of wine (Rulo's Combine, from Walla Walla), + tax + tip = not really very different in price. So let's stop this moaning about how Old Yurp is just too expensive, shall we? And order another dozen.

Etta's Seafood, 2020 Western Ave, 206-443-6000