Cyrus Buffum brings his Seaborn Oyster Co. to Basic Kitchen Thursdays this fall. Seaborn’s pop-up raw bar, The Red Balloon, kicks things off on Thurs. Oct. 25 from 5:30-8 p.m. Hand shucked oysters will be available for $3 a piece, and guests can also order from Basic Kitchen’s full menu.
The inspiration for the courtyard raw bar comes from the mid-1800s: dark doorways led to New York oyster cellars and were marked by the glow of large, red balloons, lit by candles. A 2001 NYT article says, “The oyster cellar became as New York an institution as the papaya bar; the earliest record is from 1783, when one opened on Broad Street. The cellars were usually a few steps below street level, and advertised with an ‘oyster balloon’ by the stairwell. These ‘balloons,’ red muslin globes, were lighted at night, usually until late.”
[location-1]
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.
