Aquagrill's available selection of oysters is truly mind-boggling, and the menu of approximately 20 different types of oysters from all over the world changes daily. We're bringing a map the next time we go.

The Secret
Oysters have got to be fresh to be perfect. We like to suck down these live creatures plucked from the sea, within 24 hours of harvest. Who knew that FedEx overnights oysters?! Aquagrill must be one of their best customers, because they recieve daily early morning shipments of these wonders packed in ice for consumption that evening.

No oyster is opened until ordered, to preserve the flavor and texture of the oyster, as well as its briny juice. It's worth the wait, which isn't long given the experience and dextereity of their oyster-opener expert.

Impressions
The selection arrives atop a mound of finely crushed ice, arranged in groups by variety. (Diana inevitably asks for extra cocktail sauce, their own spicy tomato, pepper, and horseradish mixture).

It's impossible to miss the salt-air and seaweed smell. That ice must be doing its job, because the air smells cold.

We like to begin with an appreciation of the unique color and shape characteristic of the shell. The trick is to hold it up high enough to get a glimpse, but not so high as to lose control and spill the juice.

A sip of the juice is a good teaser for what's to come. Then, it's down-the-hatch. It truly is a taste of the cold and mysterious sea.

Our Bias
We love oysters with a briny finish. The creamy ones you can keep. Our favorites at Aquagrill (in order of preference) are:

Cotuit (Massachusetts)
Pemaquid (Maine)
Watch Hill (Rhode Island)
Martha's Vineyard (Massachusetts)
Royal Miyagi (British Columbia)
Prudence (Rhode Island)
Nantucket (Rhode Island)
Fanny Bay (British Columbia)
Pacific Orchard (British Columbia)
Moonstone (Rhode Island)
Malaspina (British Columbia)
Evening Cove (British Columbia)
Coramandle (New Zealand)
Yaquina Bay (Oregon)
Kumomoto (California)
Caraquet (Massachusetts)
Clarion Clove (Chile)
Whaletown (British Columbia)
Summer Ice (British Columbia)