What is a Raw Bar?
Oysters on the half shell, mussels, clams, crab legs, lobsters or shrimp, displayed on a bed of ice. Does this selection of seafood sound appealing? If so, consider yourself a member of the raw bar fan club. Restaurants with raw bar options have gained in popularity over the years, and Northeast Florida boasts several outlets to support this trend. Perhaps it’s the casual nature of eating fresh seafood with one’s hands, or the sense of place that comes from slurping briny oysters or mussels that draws diners to the raw bar. Or maybe it’s the communal aspect, the ability to share a multi-layered seafood tower with dining companions.
If you’re new to the concept, a raw bar is a type of restaurant or bar that specializes in serving raw seafood and shellfish, such as oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and crab, along with a selection of dipping sauces and garnishes. Some raw bars also offer cooked seafood dishes and other types of cuisine, but the focus is always on the fresh and raw seafood offerings.
Chef Sam Efron recently opened Taverna Oceana, a raw bar and restaurant in San Marco, and we asked him what he considered essential to a great raw bar. “It comes down to excellent fresh seafood sourced from reputable purveyors, knowledgeable and skilled chefs and cooks who know how to let those excellent ingredients shine, and of course a great oyster shucker,” he says.
“This food is raw, and it is already good, because it is extremely fresh. Our skills as chefs are highlighted in not messing these ingredients up by trying to do too much with it and mask the delightfulness of what mother nature has already provided, but rather to enhance it by combining simple ingredients and letting them shine.”
While there are standard dishes on a raw bar, there is always room for experimentation. “At Oceana we are going to play with global flavors. Asian and Latin flavors will be heavily represented along with European and American,” says Efron. “As a chef, I equally love the classics as well as getting creative and trying to push new combinations and unique flavors and presentations. Oceana's food will be rooted in the classics but will have modern touches that keeps everyone excited.”
Beverage pairing is an important aspect of raw bar dining. Kiley Efron, Sam’s wife and partner at Taverna Oceana, says that “people often think of pairing champagne with items like oysters, which is a fantastic combination, but we are thinking beyond that to offer unique and interesting pairings for our guests. Our team has worked hard to curate a variety of interesting options to pair with items from our raw bar, everything from champagne to other bubbles and white wines from all over the world. We’ll even have a selection of red wines that harmonize with our cuisine.
