raw bar

File:Oysters with mignonette sauce and cocktail sauce.jpgs on the half-shell served with cocktail sauce and mignonette sauce]]

A raw bar is a small restaurant or a bar within a restaurant where live shellfish are shucked and served. Raw bars typically offer a variety of raw and cooked seafood and shellfish that is served cold. Seafood-based dishes may also be offered, and additional, non-seafood foods may also be part of the fare. Raw bars may offer alcoholic beverages such as oyster shooters, as well as wine and sake that is paired with various foods. Additional accompaniments may include condiments, sauces and foods such as lemon and lime. Several restaurants in the United States offer raw bars, some of which are seasonal.

Fare

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=Raw seafood=

Raw bars may serve a selection of raw oysters, clams, quahogs (hard clams), scallops and mussels. Varieties of hard clam may include littlenecks, which are less than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in size, and cherrystones, which are up to 2 inches (5 cm).[https://books.google.com/books?id=B0QF0ty4x4QC&pg=PA167 The Naturalist's Guide to the Atlantic Seashore - Scott W. Shumway]. p. 167. Various types of oysters may be served. Some raw bars may offer oyster shooters, a type of cocktail prepared with raw oyster. Some also offer ceviche, a dish prepared with raw seafood that is cured with citrus juices, particularly lime.[http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/08/homemade-ceviche-marinades-recipes/ Ceviche: Citrus juices make fresh fish a tangy flavor sensation | UTSanDiego.com] Thinly sliced octopus (octopus carpaccio) is another raw bar item.

=Cooked seafood=

Raw bars sometimes supplement the menu with cooked versions of the same and additional seafoods and shellfish that are typically served cold, such as clam chowder, oyster stew, poached shrimp, shrimp cocktail, cooked or seared scallops, mussels, crab legs, lobster, cured salmon, sea urchin and steamers (steamed clams).

==Other cooked foods==

Sometimes lightly cooked liver or foie gras is a raw bar item.[http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2011/03/tagraw_bar_foie_gras_torchon.php TAG|RAW BAR makes us melt with foie gras | Westword]

=Dishes=

The plateau de fruits de mer is a seafood dish sometimes offered by raw bars that is prepared with raw and cooked shellfish and cold on a platter, usually on a bed of ice.{{cite news | url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/jun/19/0619e-easys-niel-in-best-chefs/ | title=Easy Bistro's Erik Niel in 'Best Chefs of America' | newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free Press | date=June 19, 2013 | access-date=19 August 2014 | author=Braly, Ann}}

=Accompaniments and condiments=

Raw bars may offer wine or sake to accompany and be paired with the various foods. Condiments, such as cocktail sauce and lemon, may be available, which are typically served with raw oysters. These may also be used on other foods. Other food additions may include lime, tomato, chili peppers, mignonette sauce and caviar.

Restaurants

File:Shanahansrawbar.jpg

Raw bars exist in various cities in the United States and Mexico.Brady, John (January 1985). [https://books.google.com/books?id=TR8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45 "Looking for Mr. Raw Bar"]. Cincinnati Magazine. pp. D5-D13. Some bistro-style restaurants offer a raw bar. Some restaurants offer a seasonal raw bar, such as Grand Banks restaurant in New York City{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/dining/grand-banks-to-offer-dining-and-a-raw-bar-on-a-tall-ship.html?_r=0 | title=Grand Banks to Offer Dining and a Raw Bar on a Tall Ship | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 1, 2014 | access-date=19 August 2014 | author=Fabricant, Florence}} and Bagley & Shakespeare in London.{{cite web | url=http://www.riversidewalkkingston.co.uk/restaurants/riverside-edge/bagley-shakespeare/ | title=Bagley & Shakespeare | publisher=London Riverside Walks }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Health risk

Consuming raw oysters is potentially dangerous as they might contain harmful bacteria. People eating raw oysters might contract vibriosis, an illness typically caused by eating raw seafood. There are reports of human casualties caused by consuming raw oysters.{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/woman-dies-after-eating-raw-oysters-heres-why-to-avoid-2018-1/?IR=T|title=A woman died after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from eating raw oysters — here's why a food poisoning expert avoids the food|work=Business Insider|access-date=2018-01-16|language=en}}

References

{{reflist|2|refs=

[https://books.google.com/books?id=jakYdMwyx5wC&pg=PA43 The Cocktail Chef: Simple, Chic Entertaining - Dinah Koo, Janice Poon]. pp. 43-45.

[https://books.google.com/books?id=KxQHyGkf8moC&pg=PA46 New England – Mara Vorhees]. pp. 46-47.

[https://books.google.com/books?id=NHPQ1mkbp3YC&pg=PA21 The New Basics Cookbook – Julee Rosso]. p. 21.

Keller, Thomas (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=wSw2AAAAQBAJ&pg=PT54 The Complete Keller]. Artisan Books. pp. 36-41. {{ISBN|157965293X}}

{{cite news | url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2014/06/nyc_somms_hit_the_raw_bar_with_perfect_wine_pairings.php | title=What Wines Pair Well With Your Raw Bar Dishes, Per NYC's Somms | newspaper=Village Voice | date=June 27, 2014 | access-date=19 August 2014 | author=Mowery, Lauren}}

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