Did you know that 11 years ago, Lobster Trap became the first restaurant in North Carolina to sell Island Creek Oysters? At the time, we were excited to discover such a tasty bite and share it with our fellow seafood lovers in Asheville, North Carolina. Little did we know that it would grow to become such a beautiful partnership.
Back in those days, we were still grateful for the bounty of the Apalachicola estuary, and Blue Points ruled the northern markets. Our guests were convinced that you could only eat oysters in months without an R. Soon after, the industry would see a major shift as high-impact practices took their toll. Beds that had kept oyster lovers happy for decades went completely silent.
Soon, Chef Mike McCarty began adapting ‘farm to table’ ideologies to high-quality and sustainable seafood practices; while Island Creek’s Founder, Skip Bennett was charting the course for oyster farming in Duxbury, Massachusetts. The work of these two men living just under 1,000 miles apart helped to establish new standards and expectations for every person on the line-from the farmer, to the chef, to the guest.
Today, Island Creek oysters still hold a place of pride on our raw bar at Lobster Trap. Whether it’s Row 34’s, which are grown in spacious trays in the bay, or the original Island Creeks that kicked off the craze – we still trust Skip Bennett’s hometown farm to provide the best tasting, highest quality oyster on the East Coast.
Recently, a few members of our crew took a trip to Island Creek for a long overdue tour of the farm. Keep scrolling to view photos from our gorgeous day in Duxbury.
