Restaurant Review D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 6 1 diane hudson By Diane Hudson A new restaurant, The Maine Oyster Company, sparkles with the gems of Maine’s waters. Oysters, especially served raw on the half shell, have a concupiscent effect on vo- racious Mainers. And who can blame us? The preferred aphrodisiac of legendary lover Casanova, oysters are found up and down our coast year-round. (It’s a wonder the state population isn’t booming.) As our lust for the bivalve continues to rise, the quest for the best is a boon for oyster farm- ers, particularly in Maine with its favorably cold waters. These growers are well-served by The Maine Oyster Company, a restaurant re- cently opened in West Bayside. Touting it- self as “Farm-to-Slurp Certified,” the eatery specializes in serving only Maine-farmed oysters and is “an event space and distrib- utor with the vision of building an oyster community through experience and story.” A blackboard lists libations, from which we order Prosecco ($9) and East Bayside’s Blue Lobster Chardonnay ($12), both good complements throughout. Print-outs are provided for us to write in our oyster selections. Tonight, we’ll choose from five different mouthwater- ing mollusks, fished from Scarborough to Casco Bay and Damariscot- ta. Craving them all, we ask for 10 rather than a dozen ($29), with plans to follow up on the oys- ter each of us likes most. Adding those two to an- other half dozen ($15) Lucky Shucks gives us four more each. We can’t decide on “the best,” so why not keep indulging? Styled on a tray of ice, the oysters are easy to identify, served clockwise in the or- der they appear on the menu. Accompany- ing mignonettes are subtle enough not to mask the nuances of this delicacy. Reading flavor descriptions of oysters posted at the bar is helpful, especially if you’re only look- ing to try one or two. We can testify that The Wolfe’s Neck, for example, is “briny, with a smooth, milky finish,” though we didn’t notice the “sugar or watermelon” in the Chebeague Island. We did encounter a saltier kiss from the sea than the more sub- dued Birch Island, however, which boasts a firm texture. If we had to pick a favorite, it might be the toothsome Blackstone Point from Damariscotta or the Nonesuch Pearl from Scarborough, with its superb balance of brine and sweetness. The shucker here is top notch. There are no bits of debris, and each shell contains a full portion of the treasured liquor, allow- ing for a downright satisfying slurp. Continuing, we savor the acclaimed Ka- masouptra clam chowder ($6). Rich and creamy without being cloying, it’s generous with clam meat and flavor. We can’t resist the lobster roll ($17), sourced from a lobsterman who shares Maine Oyster Company owner John Her- rigel’s dock in Phippsburg. Served with po- tato chips, the succulent and lightly dressed meat billows out of bread toasted to a gor- geous gold. If you don’t crave a plate loaded with oysters (or even it you do), a good way to experience it all is to order the “Boom Shuck-a-Lucka”: six oysters, lobster roll, and soup ($33). ‘Cause you can always add another dozen, right? On leaving, Herrigel tells us about the photographs gracing the walls. “These are some of the farmers,” he says. He names each and tells his or her stories. It’s like leaving a friend’s home– we’ve shared in our mutu- al bounty and will do so again. We’re grateful, sa- tiated, and maybe just a little bit giddy! n MaineOysterCompany,38Portland Street,Portland.Thurs.4-10p.m.,Fri. 3-10p.m.,Sat.4-10p.m.650-5383, themaineoystercompany.com.