85 Main's Oyster Shuck-Off Competition
What started out as a lofty idea last April turned into one of the most talked about and highly anticipated restaurant events of the year, contributing to Putnam's recent ranking as one of the top 15 towns in New England ( as voted by Boston Magazine). James Martin of 85 Main in Putnam, CT promises not to disappoint with this years 2nd annual 85 Main Shuck-Off, an oyster shucking competition and shellfish celebration that is expected to rally thousands of people into downtown Putnam.
Main Street will be closed for the event, which kicks off at 12:00 with shrimp, mussels, clams, steamers, and shrimp and $1 oysters. Margaritas, draft beer, wine, sangria will complement the fare. There is also a $100 pass which will entitle purchasers to as much shellfish as one can consume. Music from the local favorite Uncle Rhubarb and the Hokum Hotshots and local band Doors of Deception will be part of the festivities.
At 2:00pm, over 20 of the industry's top contestants will compete in the Shuck-Off competition, but must be prepared to fight for the title against The Oyster Shucking World Champion and last year's Shuck Off winner William 'Chopper' Young. Contenders will be travelling for this event from regional favorites such as the Providence Oyster Bar, Union Oyster House in Boston, Max's Oyster Bar in Hartford, as well as remote locations like Virginia, Baltimore, and New York City .
American Mussel Harvester of North Kingston, RI, will be the major sponsor of this event. Co-sponsors include Mohegan Sun, Dexter Russell Knives, and a multitude of national distributors and many local sponsors.
Since last year's overwhelmingly successful event, Chef/owner James Martin has created a name for the small-town event and his restaurant, which is located over an hour from the nearest shoreline. 85 Main's exclusive raw bar has tantalized local shellfish aficionados since 2005 by offering a variety of ocean-fresh oysters, clams, mussels and shrimp delivered several times a week. It has also been an educational opportunity that highlights the health benefits of shellfish. The Shuck-Off is an opportunity to celebrate the not-so-quiet Quiet Corner of Connecticut and an overall passion for food and fun.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 8:00p at TT the Bear's in Cambridge.
art show, all pieces by boston musicians.
performing bands:
*GENE DANTE and the FUTURE STARLETS 1115p-12a
*bryan mcpherson & band 935p-1010p
*the other girls (andrea gillis, linda khoury, amy griffin, melissa gibbs, michelle paulhus) 1215a-1a
*paul and the strings 1025p-11p
*squallie greenthumb 9p-930p
The Great International Beer Fest's spring event will be held this Sat May 1st with over 50 breweries in attendance. The first session will run from 1-4:30pm and the second will run from 6:30 - 10pm. Regatta will perform during the afternoon and Cadillac Martini will do the honors in the evening. As usual, the Gansett booth (#115) will be in full force with lager, light and porter on tap, so swing by and say hello. The first 20 people at each session who can correctly answer the following Gansett trivia question will win a t-shirt: 'Name the last master brewer from the original brewery that Mark brought back to brew the original lager recipe?' If you're not a trivia buff, or you're too busy to look it up, then just show your loyalty card to someone working the booth and you won't walk away empty handed. Taste & Enjoy the show! Check out the above video with highlights from the Fall Beer Festival.