First Look: Shucks Oyster & Wine Bar, Town Brookhaven


DINING OUT

5-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5 p.m.-midnight Fridays; 4 p.m.-midnight Saturdays; 4-9 p.m. Sundays.

Gulf oysters, $10/$18; baked oysters, $15/half-dozen; specialty oysters, market price; soups and salads, $4-$8; steamed mussels, $12; grilled cheese, $7-$12; desserts, $7.

705 Town Boulevard, Suite 320, Atlanta. 404-846-1777, h2sr.com/shucks.

Shucks Oyster & Wine Bar is the newest addition to the Tom Catherall/ Here to Serve restaurant group’s concepts in Town Brookhaven, joining Noche Tequila & Tapas Bar and Smash Kitchen & Bar in the mixed-use development. Notably, also, Shucks is a family affair, with several of Catherall’s children in the kitchen and front of the house.

The look: Located a few doors down from Noche, the compact space features a raw bar, with rows of iced oysters on display behind a glass shield and a view into the open kitchen. Other seating options include high-top tables and a bar that hugs the front window. When the weather is warmer, there are tables on a sidewalk patio, too.

The scene: One recent evening, most of the seats at the raw bar were occupied with couples sipping wine and slurping freshly shucked oysters. The dining room was filled with the convivial buzz of conversation, as busy servers chatted up customers and kept orders moving at a steady pace.

The food: Trays of Gulf oysters ($10/$18) or specialty oysters (market price) by the half or full dozen come with saltines and a variety of housemade sauces, such as classic cocktail, mignonette and soy ponzu. Baked oysters ($15/half dozen) include Rockefeller, barbecue, and bacon, cheddar and jalapeno. Beyond that, the menu is a mix of soups, salads, and seafood items, like peel-and-eat shrimp ($8/$15) and steamed mussels ($12). An odd twist is the section of panini-pressed grilled cheese sandwiches ($7-$12), including prosciutto and Brie on walnut cranberry bread.

The drinks: The place-mat menu includes concise beer and wine lists. Look for house Here to Serve chardonnay ($5.50/$20), along with mostly American and French whites, a couple of reds, and a bit of bubbly. On draft, there's Guinness and Newcastle, served in proper British 20-ounce "imperial" pints.

The extras: For dessert, there's Key lime pie, plus another ice box pie of the day ($7). From 5-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, Gulf oysters are priced at $6 a dozen.