For those of you unfamiliar with the term, treif is a food that is not kosher. For the last dinner of my trip to Washington last week I hit win, place and show at the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace! Well, it’s right there in the name: oysters! With a fabulous selection from up and down the east coast as well as some lovelies from the Northwest I was hard pressed to choose and so let my server make her suggestions. While I waited with my glass of Domaine de la quilla muscadet (grown on soil heavy with oyster shells) I played with the deck of oyster trivial cards and nibbled a wonderful salty, buttery dinner roll (recipe from he chef’s grandmother).

She was spot on and brought me two each of Paradise Coves (British Columbia), Battle Creeks (Virginia) and Salt Ponds (Rhode Island) along with two of their signature sauces (dive juice: cane sugar vinegar with jalapeno and cilantro and yuzu / mirin). I followed this with the special salad of the week which filled out the other two spots on my betting card: spinach salad with chewy, meaty lardons and fried oysters with a bit of cream in the dressing. SCORE! OK, we can go home now.