We’re partnering with St. Petersburg’s Empire Oyster™ to transform the Beer Garden into a veritable bivalve-lover’s paradise on Saturday, April 28th from 5-8:30PM, benefiting Oysters Unlimited™ — plus all of the oyster shells from this event will be recycled for use in local Oyster Reef Restoration Projects under the direction of Tampa Bay Watch!
Awarded the distinction of Best Oyster Bar (Critic’s Pick) in Tampa Bay in Creative Loafing’s 2017 “Best Of The Bay Awards,” Empire Oyster is a vertically integrated, dock-to-dish dining concept that has garnered glowing praise in the Tampa Bay Times, Food & Wine, Edible Manhattan, Maxim and more.
Sure to satisfy any lover of these succulent, shelled delicacies, the Motorworks Oyster Social will showcase ultra-premium, rare & exotic oyster varieties sourced from all over the country with tasty accoutrements and toppings paired with our crisp, refreshing beers served straight from Empire Oyster’s “Shuck Truck”—a badass, sky blue 1967 Chevy Sportsvan.
This 1967 Chevy Sportsvan 108 outfitted with two beer taps is any gastronomic gearhead’s dream ride!
We’ll also be collaborating on a couple small-batch brews especially for the Social, with a portion of the day’s proceeds benefiting Oysters Unlimited, a non-profit dedicated to to marine stewardship and conservation through protecting, preserving & restoring oyster habitat, fisheries, jobs and culture.
The Empire Oyster concept began in NYC in 2014 as part of New York Oyster Week III with self-coined Master “Mermmelier” Kevin Joseph (like a sommelier, but for oysters) at the helm; he’s since relocated to sunny St. Pete, bringing this one-of-a-kind “omakase” oyster experience with him. Empire Oyster is Raising The Raw Bar with its unparalleled dining experience and unique ability to “edu-tain” guests, providing informative insight into these briny mollusks’ widely varied flavor profiles and vital role in marine ecosystems while simultaneously stunning inquiring palates.
Edible Manhattan: “Joseph compares his omakase experience to wine tasting “where you’re watching someone live shucking oysters, tasting them one after the other, in ten or so different varieties from different regions, and end up deciding what your oyster palette preferences are, so you are better informed and educated and discerning on selecting oysters in the future.” Like wine, oysters have their own histories, cuisines, flavor profiles, acidity and texture.”
