ISO Boston-area retail oysters

Hi Gang: where do you get your oysters? My dad visited last weekend and shared his recipe for (lightly) grilled oysters on the half-shell (along the lines of Rockefeller). I ponied up for the $1.75 Sandy Necks at the Legal Seafood market in Chestnut Hill and we polished 2 dozen off with a nice Sancerre. Are there cheaper retail places to get reliably fresh, unshucked oysters?

I’ve bought fresh unshucked oysters at the Burlington Wegmans; they had PEI and Blue Points when I was there last, but I don’t recall the price. Bonus (?): half of them had pea crabs.

Tough to beat that price and not sacrifice quality.

Other places I have generally gotten fresh oysters include Jordan Brothers (many local farmers markets http://www.jordanbrothersseafood.com/current-venues/direct-retail/), Alive & Kicking, New Deal and a 2nd for Wegmans. You can order bulk bags online from places such as Island Creek or Mac’s and get the price down to $1.50 or below if you are ordering 50+ oysters.

Sometimes Whole Foods will have a special for $1.50 or less. However I have found WF seafood to be very inconsistent and oysters aren’t something I really want to buy on special. However if you are grilling them I suppose you have a bit more leeway.

Thanks, I’ll certainly check out Wegman’s. And I agree about Whole Foods. There are some seafoods that they turn over frequently enough for me to trust them, but not oysters.

On the Mass Pike today I passed a truck for Copps Island Oysters, from Norwalk CT. Like Island Creek they will deliver; their prices are substantially lower. I think I’ll check them out, too. http://coppsislandoysters.com

I can’t remember the pricing, but we have had good luck with the oysters we got at Fresh Pond Seafood in Arlington.