Two major considerations are the length of the blade and comfort level, as Anon answered. Contingent upon the type of oyster you are eating a longer blade may be more appropriate. Likewise, this knife—as you are jabbing it into a shell—should be comfortable. Knife handles are commonly made of wood, horn, plastic, and rubber—the least common. If you’re moderately adventurous, shape the handle to fit your hand although if you’re buying a Dexter Russell a range of handle sizes are blade lengths are available. The knife needs to fit comfortably in your hand lest you stab yourself.

I like to believe that the reason that most people don’t get an expensive oyster knife is because they probably haven’t seen one and probably don’t shuck very often, if at all. Personally, I own a 22 Dexter-Russell, Boston-style with a wooden handle. It was my first oyster knife that I’ve purchased. I own a few others too. Fast forward a few years I’ve discovered the Laguiole and C. Hugo Pott sell oyster knives and range from $80-$210. Is there any reason for me to upgrade? Probably not. Will I? Yes.

It’s true that other knives in my kitchen bring more utility. The sliced, diced, and chopped output of a $10 knife is pretty darn close to that $200 Japanese jobber I own. I’m guessing that most of you spent more than $10 on your 10” chefs knife. Why? Probably because they same reason I’ll be upgrading my oyster knife—it makes me feel good. Truthfully, I’d rather make my own oyster knife. When that day comes, I proudly show it to you.

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It tastes fruity and flowery. Magic ingredients I add are milk, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. These liven it up which make it taste closer to traditional Indian chai (which is made from Assam or Darjeeling) if you needed a kick. I find it at my local market for $10-30 (organic) per pound. I can buy rooibos chai too. The notable French tea house Mariage Fréres’ blends Marco Polo Rouge (discussion) at a nail-biting $22 for 100 grams. They also make Thé Rouge Bourbon (rooibos with vanilla)

Typically, I lop the (egg) top off and eat plain. Occasionally, I sprinkle them kosher salt. There are other ways to top them. The French designer Phillipe Starck eats them “luxuriously simple” which I advocate when the ingredients are available—in season.

Take three soft-boiled eggs (or Starck-preferred hard-boiled eggs), cut in half; two spread with the gloopy flesh of a sea urchin (oursin in French), two smeared with black caviar, and two dusted with white truffle shavings.

Ingredients: 3 eggs, sea urchine, black caviar, white truffle.

To bring success to the restaurant Ramsay does the simple and obvious. Clean. Give patrons the (good) unexpected – free food. Timeliness. Good, hot food. Unfortunately, fixing what’s broke is more difficult than that. It’s revealed that the head chef doesn’t want to cook and is overwhelmed by a unmanageable menu. Furthermore, she doesn’t communicate when things aren’t going well. Like so many of the previous nights, this one ends in disaster.

Next, Ramsay’s crew does a complete interior makeover of the Handlebar and christens it Long Island’s first gastropub. The employees give blank looks until the concept was explained. Good food. Reasonable prices. To reopen the Handlebar, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister is brought in to promote the restaurant. Everybody goes on a motorcycle ride and passes out flyers. For the grand reopening, a reduced and simplified menu is presented to a packed house. Experiencing a few bumps, tims goes by, and everybody’s talking and the restaurant is making money.

What did I observe? A few life lessons in action. Hire people with enthusiasm. Find people that are inspired and passionate. Realize that everyone’s working for themselves and you should appreciate them. When you’re overwhelmed ask for help. Communicate. Learn to delegate. Accept criticism and be willing to change. Listen. Above all else, especially for a restaurant, keep your work areas clean. Pigs are clean it’s just that we don’t allow them to be. Be a proud owner and you’ll attract proud employees.

Note: The producer’s have removed the desire to want to shoot the messenger.

I grew up in a grocery store with a partially balanced diet of seasonal fruits the O’s (Cherrios, Spaghetti-Os, and Oreos). I often wondered about food and less often than not the history of food. Where do things come from? How were they discovered? Why are things are considered delicacies in certain cultures and downright taboo in others. (For example, animals and organ meats.)

I discovered a online journal called the Anthropology of Food “dedicated to the social sciences of food. [It’s] an open access bilingual academic journal in French (predominantly) and English… and published by a network of European academic researchers sharing a common intellectual interest in the field of social sciences and food.” There’s much to discover as well as a chance to brush-up on your French. Here’s an excerpt from Crispy in the French breakfast.

“Breakfast as we know it has not always existed. Its history begins in the XVIIIth century when the custom of drinking coffee and coffee with milk served with toast, spread in the cities. The French term petit déjeuner was coined at the end of the nineteenth century when the current three meals pattern was set up. A campaign for the reform of breakfast was outlined to promote different types of abundant and balanced breakfasts, especially the combination of cereals and fruits.”