Shaw's Crab House will source oysters from around the nation for its annual Oyster Fest. [Shaw's Crab House]
RIVER NORTH — A bunch of outsiders are coming to Oyster Fest.
Shaw's Crab House is opening its annual event on Sept. 11 for the first time in its 27-year history to restaurant and oyster growers from across the nation.
Attendees will get to acquaint themselves with specialties not seen in these parts, including the signature charbroiled oysters from Drago's Seafood Restaurant, a 46-year-old Louisiana spot, and rare oyster varieties such as the Shibumi from Puget Sound, Washington, and the Olympia from Totten Inlet, Washington.
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Shaw's parent company, also is using the fest to preview Oyster on Halsted, their forthcoming East Coast-inspired oyster bar slated to open in November at 1962 N. Halsted St. in Lincoln Park.
Lettuce partner Bill Nevruz said the new restaurant will be "bustling" and "funky" and similar to Shaw's only in how carefully the seafood is sourced.
At Oyster Fest, "We'll have an area that's recognizable as Oyster on Halsted and probably a seating area," Nevruz said.
The sneak peek offerings will include steamed clams, steamed mussels and what Nevruz said will be one of the restaurant's signature items, crispy one-sided snapper. (That's a whole red snapper, minus one fillet, fried and served with a Thai chile sauce. That fillet, in turn, will go into snapper crudo, another signature item, he said.)
Oyster growers coming to Oyster Fest from both coasts include San Francisco's Hog Island Oyster Co., Hama Hama from Lilliwaup, Washington, and Standish Shore from Duxbury, Maine.
Luke's Lobster, the New York chain that opened its first Chicago store in May, will serve lobster rolls, crab rolls and clam chowder. Milwaukee's Harbor House restaurant, The Optimist in Atlanta and Notkins Oyster Bar in Montreal also will have booths.
Local restaurants in the lineup include The Publican, which is going all out with fried oysters, Cajun sausage and cheese curds, and Bub City, whose non-seafood options will include fried chicken, ribs and cheeseburgers.
Summer House in Lincoln Park will have sweets, and Shake Shack, the New York burger chain with two Chicago locations, is doing a special frozen custard. Pilsen's Moody Tongue brewery is among those providing liquid options.
There's always an oyster slurping contest at Oyster Fest. Participants qualify in mini-contests at Shaw's Crab House, 21 E. Hubbard St., in the days leading up to the fest.
New this year is an oyster shucking contest, to be held at the fest. The prizes for each contest are $1,000.
Oyster Fest will run from 3-10 p.m. at Hubbard and Rush Streets, just down the street from Shaw's. Tickets are $30.
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