Edible History: Oyster House

2016 marked Oyster House’s 40th birthday—a milestone shared by second-generation Oyster House owner Sam Mink, who was born the year his father opened the restaurant. Through the decades, the fish house has been a place to toast the holiday season for many of its regulars and longtime fans. “Freshly shucked oysters and a few glasses of nice sparkling wine are the perfect way to get in the festive spirit,” says Mink. We couldn’t agree more.

But holidays celebrations aside, the cold-weather months are simply when oysters taste their best. “Oysters sense the weather cooling down and they begin to store polysaccharides or glycogen— sugar. It’s like the oysters are carb-loading for the winter, which in turn makes the oyster plump and sweet,” says Mink. He should know—he has been honing his expertise since around the time of the picture here, where a five-year-old Sam Mink slurps the 1981 crop of bivalves. —JM

Oyster House
1516 Sansom St.
215.567.7683
oysterhousephilly.com