Best Of Cleveland: Oyster Shucking Service

Thanks to Alley Cat Oyster Bar and Blue Point Grille, we’re infatuated with oysters. But whether we get them pre-shucked or try a little do-it-yourself, the luxurious, briny bivalves never seem as fresh when we serve them at a dinner party or gathering. CLE on the Half Shell, a mobile oyster-shucking service, can up your shell game. For about $125 per bag of 50 oysters, owner Adam Smith helps customers select a variety — maybe it’s buttery, salty East Coast oysters or plump ones with hits of melon from Washington. Then he’ll pick up the oysters from Catanese Classic Seafood in the Flats, make tangy toppings such as a mignonette and cocktail sauce, show up and shuck-to-serve. He’s shucked oysters for everything from public events at Platform Brewing Co. to intimate Christmas parties in a private home. “People think it’s kind of cool to have somebody show up at their house or business and shuck oysters,” Smith jokes. “I have people who will hang out and chat while I’m shucking.” 216-256-6874, clehalfshell.com

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