It’s not surprising that the new fried chicken and Gulf seafood joint La Lucha on N. Shepherd that occupies spot of the dearly departed Hunky Dory has a great special on oysters on the half-shell. It’s siblings with State of Grace, which has terrific weekday special on freshly shucked oysters and even a beautiful, separate room dedicated to those.
The oyster program at La Lucha is not quite as robust, there are none of the more flavorful East Coast oysters here, but it does offer $1 freshly and expertly shucked Gulf oysters Monday through Friday from 5:00 when it opens to 6:00 and from noon to 5:00 on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a great deal, as the restaurant group procures top-notch oysters from around the Gulf that are normally priced at $3.25 per bivalve. I sampled a trio of each of the half-dozen oysters that were recently offered: Champagne Bay (Barataria Bay, Louisiana); Shellbank Select (Gasque, Alabama); Navy Cove (Bon Secour Bay, Alabama); Mississippi Sound (Dauphine Island, Alabama); and Murder Point (Portersville Bay, Alabama). All were good, soft but firm, and similar in flavor: mild, even delicate, low salinity and very clean-tasting that were well-complemented by a bit of lemon juice and more so, the racy mignonette sauce. Cocktail sauce and hot, grated horseradish are also provided, but the mignonette worked the best for me with these oysters. I didn’t feel guilty quickly finishing the eighteen oysters, and maybe even invigorated by the time I finished the last oyster’s liquid.
The oysters are just one of the charms at this addition to the Houston dining scene, and one that is worthy of a visit itself, especially during the happy, happy hours.
La Lucha
1801 N. Shepherd (at 18th Street), 77008, (713) 955-4765
laluchatx.com
One of the small Murder Point oysters
The oyster program at La Lucha is not quite as robust, there are none of the more flavorful East Coast oysters here, but it does offer $1 freshly and expertly shucked Gulf oysters Monday through Friday from 5:00 when it opens to 6:00 and from noon to 5:00 on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a great deal, as the restaurant group procures top-notch oysters from around the Gulf that are normally priced at $3.25 per bivalve. I sampled a trio of each of the half-dozen oysters that were recently offered: Champagne Bay (Barataria Bay, Louisiana); Shellbank Select (Gasque, Alabama); Navy Cove (Bon Secour Bay, Alabama); Mississippi Sound (Dauphine Island, Alabama); and Murder Point (Portersville Bay, Alabama). All were good, soft but firm, and similar in flavor: mild, even delicate, low salinity and very clean-tasting that were well-complemented by a bit of lemon juice and more so, the racy mignonette sauce. Cocktail sauce and hot, grated horseradish are also provided, but the mignonette worked the best for me with these oysters. I didn’t feel guilty quickly finishing the eighteen oysters, and maybe even invigorated by the time I finished the last oyster’s liquid.
The oysters are just one of the charms at this addition to the Houston dining scene, and one that is worthy of a visit itself, especially during the happy, happy hours.
La Lucha
1801 N. Shepherd (at 18th Street), 77008, (713) 955-4765
laluchatx.com
One of the small Murder Point oysters
