Oysters are coming out of their shells this month at two Denver restaurants. Stoic & Genuine just rolled out a new Aww Shucks happy hour at the raw bar in the stylish Union Station space, featuring $2 oysters and $3 granita cocktails and select beers. While it's too late to make it to happy hour today, you can take advantage of the deal every weekday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m on Sundays. Chef Jorel Pierce says the raw bar will be eschewing "commodity oysters like Barcats or Malpeques" in favor of such premium varieties as Navy Point, Martha's Vineyard and Snow Creek. Selections will change regularly based on availability from both coasts. Because the oysters and bar specials will change frequently, you'll want to track the happy hour offerings on the restaurant's website.
The shuckers at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar will be shelling oysters in quantity this month, too; the third annual High West Oyster Fest gets under way at 6 p.m. on March 10 at eTown Hall in Boulder. The celebration will feature oyster shucking and eating competitions, live music and a guest appearance from Louis Psihoyos, the founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society who won an Academy Award for his 2009 documentary, The Cove. Tickets for the High West Oyster Fest can be purchased for $50 (which includes four food and drink tickets) per person at www.etown.org. Proceeds from tickets sales benefit There With Care, an organization that provides support for families of children being treated for critical illnesses at twelve Colorado hospitals and medical facilities. And because an anonymous donor has pledged to match donations up to $250,000, the festival could raise up to $500,000 for the organization. "Having been through a tough battle alongside one of my kids for many years and experiencing the effects it had on our family, I can say first-hand that the last thing you wanna do during those times is ask for help," says Dave Query, founder of Big Red F, the restaurant groups that run all of the Jax locations in Colorado and Kansas City.
And since March is Oyster Month at all of the Jax Fish House locations, you can slurp up many other deals right now. Check out all the specials on the Jax website.