- Venue: Desnuda
- Location: 122 E. 7th St., East Village, Manhattan
- Phone: 212-254-3515
- Website: http://desnudany.com/main.php
- Oyster happy hour: Sunday and Monday, $1 oysters all day.
- At their new location at 221 S. First St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, oyster happy hour is the same thing plus $1 oysters 6-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
When I started researching oyster happy hours for this series, it seemed Desnuda turned up on everyone’s list:
- Thrillist’s top 50 oyster happy hours in New York
- CBS Local’s seven best oyster happy hours
- Yelp’s rankings for $1 oyster happy hours in New York
- The Oyster Blog’s best NYC deals
Part of my excitement about this project was a reason to explore new places, so Desnuda was a top priority. They have two locations — one in the East Village and a newer place in Williamsburg — and I opted for the original in Manhattan.
Since I’d never been, I nearly missed the slip of a place, which seats just 18 people. I’m glad I didn’t.
Desnuda is a wine bar and cevicheria, so this is not your typical bistro or fish market oyster bar. Hip dance music, some of it Latin tinged, played while palm fans flapped. Bright lights contrasted the dark walls and bar. Check out this moody photo of their interior.
Dominic Martinez, chef and partner in the business, confidently poured me a bubbly glass of Avinyo Vi d’Agulla Blanc Petillant when I asked what he would pair with oysters. Slightly dry, the Spanish wine worked perfectly.
Barback Luis shucked and served my oysters. In a place this small, everything is on display, so I saw Luis sniff every oyster before he plated it. Dominic said he’d smelled an off oyster in his latest shipment of Martha’s Vineyard bivalves so he said they had to sniff all of them as a precaution. Bad oysters happen, and I appreciated that care.
I also loved the unusual presentation. Each oyster came with a tiny dollop of one of three sauces: Shallot jelly, ginger shallot relish or chipotle mignonette. They were all a delicious change from usual oyster accompaniments, but the chipotle in particular knocked me out. I’ve had plenty of hot sauce with oysters but something about the heat and the smokiness seemed perfect.
Luis said they change oyster varieties frequently. These had big dramatic shells, looping up above the smaller oysters, which thankfully smelled just fine. They were mild, a little chewy, and perfectly complimented by the condiments.
Bonus: Truffle popcorn. This is what movie theater popcorn wants to be when it grows up.
During Month of Oysters, I am eating a half dozen oysters every day at a different oyster happy hour. I’ll share my thoughts on the oysters, the service and the vibe, as well as observations on how I feel. I’ve read so many articles about the physical and emotional benefits of oysters and I’m curious to see if I notice anything in a month.
Desnuda discounted my oysters and beverage, and I tipped on what would have been the full bill. They didn’t have advance notice of what day I was coming, I did not disclose I was doing a review until after we were served and Desnuda did not have prior review of the content of this post.