Grand Central Oyster Bar's Sandy Ingber Anoints Duck Island Petites® July “Oyster Of The Month”

June 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Duck Island Petites®,  fresh from Long Island’s K & B Seafood,  will fly  into the Grand Central Oyster Bar as the July “Oyster of the Month,” so anointed by the “Bishop of Bivalves,” executive chef Sandy Ingber.

Duck Island Petites®, priced at $2.25 per oyster, “are a wonderful, medium, briny oyster from Long Island Sound that aficionados simply rave about,” says Ingber. “It is a true, cocktail-sized oyster that is consistently smooth and crisp-tasting. Our relationship with Tom Kehoe and K&B for well over 20 years has proven to be a gem of a find.”

Duck Island is a small island in Northport Bay, which is inhabited by 4-5 families, and really is in the confines of the neighboring Village of Asharoken. The range of the Duck Island Petite® is from Lloyd's Neck to Port Jefferson, about 15 nautical miles.
   
The Duck Island Petite® can be found on menus in Las Vegas, Moscow and, of course, on many of New York City's most prestigious seafood eateries including the Oyster Bar.
   
“The requirements that this oyster be wild, local, mature yet petite make it a unique catch and sought after not only by our fisherman but restaurants and consumers alike,” says Kehoe. “Harvested in limited quantity, to our exacting specifications, we are thrilled that Grand Central Oyster Bar, our first NYC customer from many years ago, is featuring the Duck Island Petite for what we predict will be a ‘long run.’”

The Grand Central Oyster Bar serves 4,000 oysters daily from 30 varieties, served on the half shell, roasted, broiled, Rockefeller-style, and in pan roasts and stews.
Log on to www.oysterbarny.com to check out the Oyster Bar’s daily menu. Celebrating its 99th year in 2012, the Grand Central Oyster Bar is open for lunch beginning at 11:30 AM through the last evening reservation at 9:30 PM. For reservations call 212.490.6650.

About K & B Seafood…
K & B Seafood was founded in 1992 on Long Island in New York State, U.S.A. Ideally situated to deliver fresh seafood around the world, K & B receives fresh product directly from local baymen and fishermen, as well as from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Located in close proximity to the Fulton Fish Market and JFK International airport, K & B is able to deliver fresh and frozen seafood within hours by refrigerated truck or air carrier. Local, domestic, and international customers are served the finest seafood on time.  K & B’s two principals bring over 50 years of expertise to our seafood procurement, production, and distribution. With close associations with seafood providers across the county and worldwide, it delivers top quality products consistently.

K & B Seafood is a licensed Shucker and Packer on the USFDA Interstate Shellfish Shippers list, a USDC Approved Fisheries Establishment, an approved EU (European Union) Seafood Shipper, and is licensed by the Russian Veterinary Service Rosselkhoznadzor to export fish and seafood to the Russian Federation.

More About Duck Island Petites® from Tom Kehoe:  “We trademarked the name Duck Island Petites ® about 20 years ago. At the time we were selling a mature, wild oyster from the Northport/Huntington waters, probably from the same brood stock that populated these waters for the Native Americans who consumed them in enormous quantities.    

“One day about 20 years ago, I walked into the kitchen of the ‘Father of American Cooking,’ Larry Forgione's, ‘An American Place.’ on 31st Street and Park Avenue. Larry and I had developed a good working relationship and I was in awe at the impact he was having on American Cuisine. Larry asked me if we had a mature 2.5" oyster, something local, and with a sweet briny taste. I told him that yes we did, and he said to deliver some the next day, which of course we did. After Larry opened our oysters, he smiled and asked me what we called them, what was their name? I looked at him puzzled. He said: ‘you’d better name them and quickly because they are going on my menu tomorrow.’ Thus was born the ‘Duck Island Petite’ name and quickly the demand started and it has never slowed up since then.”