Sparkling Oyster Goodness

On a whim, after work the other day I headed over to Sam's Oyster House for my first chance to check out their amazing Happy Hour. As far as I'm concerned, buck a shuck oysters beats the hell out of half priced anything at every other bar in the city - except with discounted draft beers as well as cocktails, and a daily oyster shooter designed by the ever so talented (and charming to boot) Katie Loeb, I'm fairly convinced it's THE happiest hour. Ever. And because we're well into "months with an r", I say go to town oyster eaters!
We ordered 24 oysters, a side of brussels sprouts and shoestring fries. The SO ordered a draft Kenzinger, and I a sparkling house wine. Katie asked if she couldn't use me as a guinea pig (of course), and added a dried hibiscus blossom with some hibiscus simple syrup. While I was looking forward to enjoying the sweet sparkle of the wine with the briney-ness of the oysters, the hibiscus was a nice change and offset the flavors well.
I have to say, as much as I love the Oyster House, I'm not super thrilled by the fries. I always go craving something along the lines of what Monk's offers with their mussels - in my opinion some of the best fries in the city - and end up underwhelmed by the very small potato crisps they serve at the O.H. They very much remind me of Andy Capp Hot Fries...hmm. But you know, I don't go to a seafood place for the fries, and I definitely don't think they should be considered a deterrent.
One of the things I like the most about the Oyster House is its roots in Philadelphia's history. In varied representations, the oyster house tradition has been going strong since the beginning of time...or on the books, about 1901. Sam's stays true to tradition with the Snapper Soup, but most noteworthy, Philadelphia's Fish-House Punch. Punches were served for any number of gatherings - Philly's never needed much of an excuse to belly up to the bar. The Fish-House was first documented in 1732, involves peach brandy, cognac and Jamaican rum, and even comes with a little ditty:

There's a little place just out of town,
Where, if you go to lunch,
They'll make you forget your mother-in-law
With a drink called Fish-House Punch.

True story, even the most seasoned punch-drinker will be taken down by this concoction - it's nothing to take lightly (PS thanks to David Wondrich and his Imbibe! for the Fish-House Punch background story)!

All in all, top points all around. The Winter Clam Bake for 2 is AMAZING, as are the Stone Crab claws from the raw bar. Hope that Katie is working her cocktail magic, and ask her to shake you up a traditional style libation. You're good to go.

Cheers.