Flea St. opened the Oysterette in late July, owner Jesse Cool said.
"We thought, 'How about making the deck different than 37-year-old, venerable Flea Street?'" she said.
The new Oysterette outside Flea St. Cafe on Alameda de las Pulgas in Menlo Park. Photo courtesy Flea St. Cafe.
The idea is "light, bright, casual, with the same food core values" as Flea St., where Cool has been espousing farm-to-table cooking since she opened in 1980.
Chef Charlie Parker said he and Cool wanted to offer "something a little bit more fun and inviting," with a more casual, "playful" and completely different menu (plus louder music) than at Flea St.
There is, of course, a changing selection of West and East coast oysters, served on the shell with a cucumber salsa hot sauce and lime, and other raw seafood dishes. There's also avocado toast with smoked trout and giardiniera (a relish of Italian pickled vegetables); Serrano ham served with burrata and melon; and Old Bay potato chips. For dessert, there's an ice cream sandwich — strawberry ice cream between two pistachio and brown butter cookies.
Oysters and other dishes at the Oysterette. Photo courtesy Flea St. Cafe.
Avocado toast served at Flea St.'s new Oysterette. Photo courtesy Flea St. Cafe.
The Oysterette serves wine, beer and cocktails, like a nectarine and basil margarita or blackberries and bourbon with mint shrub.
View the menu here.
The Oysterette is open Wednesday-Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to closing. Flea St. is located at 3607 Alameda de las Pulgas in Menlo Park.
