Girl Nosh July was Standard Oyster Company. We picked it because it is RESTAURANT WEEK and they were close. And I think I’ve found a new favorite place.
The whole place is a bar. But kind of upscale. There are bar stools only! So, if you have issues that might be effected by that, be aware. Still, so cool. The place was a little warm in there, but you know…it’s summer. I admit though I was hot to the point of being miserable and the wait staff was sweating buckets. Hopefully just an HVAC issue and not the way they normally keep it.
We all started with a cocktail, of course. The best of the evening was this Bloody Beast. That’s a kicked up Bloody Mary made with Tito’s Vodka and garnished with a couple of tiger shrimp, some bacon, olives, pickles and pickled okra and a lime. Oh, and there was some light salt on the rim. So so so delish! Maybe the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had.
For my first course, I chose the half dozen oysters on the half shell. These were small and perfect, briny and fresh! My preference for oysters are smaller, and not those huge ones that lop over the cracker. These were served with a tart mignonette, but I still had to have my cocktail sauce. Perfect.
Other second courses that my friends got but I didn’t taste: Kale Salad and Seafood Gumbo. All were pronounced delicious.
We had a limited choice of main dishes, of course, for restaurant week. All were outstanding, though. I chose the Seafood Risotto. It was topped with Tiger Shrimp and Scallops and had spinach studding the risotto. This was the best risotto I’ve ever had…at a raw bar!
This one was the catch of the day, chargrilled. It was swordfish, served with their grit cake and sautéed greens. It was delicious.
The Queen’s feast came with dessert, or I don’t think we’d have indulged. We were so full! I chose the Key Lime Pie. I took one bite at the restaurant and it was so tangy and sweet that my cheeks puckered! I took the rest home, and might have had it for breakfast. The crust was homemade and it was really delicious. The restaurant was warm, as I mentioned, and it was very melty there. Once I had it in the fridge, it firmed right back up and was perfect.
Kathy and Sienna got the Bananas Foster. They both said it was delicious. I could smell the liquor on them, though. Totally didn’t burn off..they didn’t seem to mind.
Wrap up: This new discovery is a game changer for me. I crave fresh seafood, prepared in other ways besides frying. This is a perfect addition to the Hickory restaurant scene. They execute every part of their craft perfectly. Crank that A/C down to 72 and you’ve got a fan for life 😉
barenakedchefsaidso.com 
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