The lines at The Edison’s Radio Room revival eventually became insurmountable last night, making $14 Gilda cocktails from Death & Co.’s Brian Miller and Kentucky Bucks from San Francisco’s Erick Castro nearly unattainable without pure ruthlessness or dumb luck. Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner behind the antique boiler, few guests had stumbled across chef Christophe Happillon, L.A.’s “oyster gourmet,” presiding over an battalion of freshly shucked Fanny Bays.
A consultant for Anisette’s raw bar and found regularly at Joe’s and Le Saint Amour, Happillon has joyously joined the Edison for weekly “Oyster Thursdays,” expounding on the flavor profiles of his beloved bi-valves or explaining their origin like a sommelier, which he is quick to compare himself to. The jovial French chef is just as likely to tell you the origins of his own oyster obsession that found him scouring Mediterranean shallows with a screwdriver to pry out oysters as a twelve-year old child.
We asked Edison GM/guru Barbara Jacobs what inspired “Oyster Thursdays” and she said in her usually cool tone, “I decided we’re not the kind of place that shouldn’t have oysters. They need to be here.” Whether complimenting a light libation topped with champagne or cutting into the bitterness of a Porco Rosso made by The Edison’s new bar-star Joe Brooke, Happillon’s carefully curated oysters are another great call made by The Edison.
“A Sense of the Sea” Oyster Thursdays at The Edison, 5:00- 9:00 P.M.
