Ironside Fish & Oyster Introduces Its Own Species of Oyster | Slurp Down Some Ironside Selects

October 14, 2014

Michelin-Starred Chef Jason McLeod of Ironside Fish & Oyster in Little Italy is working with Minterbrook Oyster Company out of the Puget Sound in Washington state to cultivate his very own oyster, exclusive to his newly opened restaurant. Dubbed the “Ironside Select,” these oysters are created from seed to delicious briny bivalve specifically for Chef McLeod, and made their debut this past weekend with 1,563 Ironside Selects sold within the first six hours of service.
West Coast and East Coast oysters vary drastically in flavor profiles. Chef McLeod’s future plans entail working with an oyster company on the East Coast to create another custom oyster with a different flavor profile from that of the Ironside Select. The production of these custom oysters highlights McLeod’s tight-knit relationship with some of the nation’s leading oyster farmers and, having opened doors just shy of 7 months ago, is a prime example of the quality and innovation the culinary industry can expect from Chef McLeod / Ironside Fish & Oyster.

Ironside Selects are are hand-farmed throughout the harvesting process. The oysters are then sorted, graded and placed in special trays. These trays are placed back in the salt water for a period of time allowing the oysters to regenerate any possible chips in the exterior shell. This reintroduction to natural salt water after sorting and grading minimizes the time out of the water prior to shipment. This careful hand-farmed process helps to ensure that the oysters will arrive fresh and strong. The flavor profile of the Ironside Select features a mild, sweet flavor with a smooth finish and a touch of brine. 



Ironside Fish & Oyster is located at 1654 India Street, opens daily at 11:30am for lunch and dinner, with the cocktail bar and raw bar open late till 2am on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (619) 269.3033 and visit IronsideFishandOyster.com.