As a native of the low country, I am not used to oysters being expensive fare. $3 for an oyster seems outrageous to me. At home they are a fraction of that price, I suppose just one more perk to living in the South. Here, however, oysters are nowhere close to cheap so while Dan and Brian each ordered the happy hour special, I decided to get two appetizers in the hopes that I would get more for my money. That plan didn't really work since the appetizers arrived and were miniscule. They were, however, delicious. I ordered the sea urchin with pomegranate and the chilled crab with avocado. My first taste of sea urchin was a delight. I imagined it would be slimy, but the texture was not at all off-putting. It was so light, I could barely feel it sitting on my tongue. It tasted slightly of the ocean with a faint sweet flavor that was nicely accented by the sweet pomegranate. The presentation inside the spiky shell was simple but elegant. The second appetizer was also of cute proportions and served inside a shot glass. A thick layer of avocado mousse was topped by a thin, somewhat spicy layer (cocktail sauce? chile sauce?) and then finished off with the crab. Anyone who has had a california roll has tried this flavor combination, but everything was so fresh that this somehow felt new.
They may have been tiny, but they were perfect bites. The only problem was that after polishing them off, I wanted more. As far as a raw bar goes, The John Dory puts out high quality seafood. If you're used to low country prices, you will not be happy to shell out the high prices they charge. In that case, I suggest going during happy hour for a glass of wine and a small but succulent appetizer. It's hard to hate on the prices when the food is just so good. I don't recommend going crazy, but a little taste before you get real dinner elsewhere is just what you need every once in a while.
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