At a really nice French restaurant last night, a couple were seated at the table beside us while we were having our dessert. As they were directly in my line of vision, I could not help but see the following, and much like a bad traffic accident, I could not avert my eyes no matter how hard I tried.
Just after bringing water to them, the server brought him a tall cappucino. Someone might infer from this that the couple had dropped in only for dessert, but that would not be the case. With his coffee half gone a couple of minutes later, a dozen Kushi oysters were brought to their table. It didn't register on me for a moment that he was pouring mignonette over all the oysters and picking one up, but damned if he didn't slurp one, and then take a sip of his cappucino.
I told my wife what I was seeing, but she was reluctant to turn and look, as she assumed this was some idiotic joke that I was playing. When finally I convinced her that I was serious, one quick glance opened her eyes wide. The woman also ate some oysters, but accompanied them only with water. They made short work of the oysters, and before we left they were also served appetizers: she had steamed mussels-- as did my wife earlier-- while he had a large salad. After a few forkfuls of salad, he suddenly stood up and quickly walked toward the front of the restaurant, out of view. It was the wrong direction for the washroom, but I didn't really think about where he might have been going.
By now we had paid our bill and were heading home. As we walked outside, there was the gentleman, standing at the curb if front of the restaurant smoking a cigarette. I can only assume that this was to ready himself for the challenge of going back in to eat some more of that salad.
I hope I'm not coming across as too judgmental here, but man, the idea of creamy coffee with briny oysters supplemented by vinegar and shallots... I just can't imagine that the combination could bring pleasure to any palate.
But perhaps one of you would be willing to give it a try, and tell me that I'm wrong.
