I can't believe I almost didn't try this place. \n\nWe had gone to Bacchanal the night before and I had more than gotten my oyster fix. \nWe were in town to watch the Kings battle the Avalanche at MGM and the game ended up going into a shootout. Needless to say, we were pretty hungry at that point, but didn't want to eat anything we would regret the next morning. I perused my bookmarks and the boyfriend thought Oyster Bar was the most benign choice. \n\nFirst off, this place is literally a bar. The maximum occupancy is probably right at 12 people. The menu is concise, which helps with the efficiency of the turnover rate. We were the third party in line and waited approximately 45 minutes. Let me tell you that the wait is worthwhile. I've waited over 2 hours to get ciopino in San Francisco, so this was a cake walk. \n\nThe bar is really unique. The 2 chefs prepare everything in front of you. There are maybe 6 cooking stations- big metal pots where they cook the dishes to order. And you get to enjoy yummy smells from all the pots. \n\nThe boyfriend started off with a half dozen raw oysters, which were shucked by our server. They were huge and fresh, according to him. We decided to split a ciopino. Split charges are $5. The serving size was decent. I could have easily polished it off on my own, but it was late and I didn't want to overstuff myself. We had an option for rice or pasta? which we thought was a little strange. We politely declined both (we also didn't see the $5 split charge. It may be because we skipped the starch side) Once the ciopino came out, we understood why pasta was an option. The soup portion was hearty, much like a pasta sauce. It was rich and flavorful and the seafood was cooked to absolute perfection. \n\nI will definitely be back. I'd love to try the raw sampler platter and one of the stews. Those are made with a tomato and cream base and smelled amazing when the chef was cooking it in front of us.
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