Basic Profile

Origin
Gardiners Bay, off the east side of Shelter Island, New York, USA
Species
Crassostrea virginica (Eastern Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Grown in the fast current of open Gardiners Bay
Producer
Little Ram Oyster Co. (Elizabeth Peeples and Stefanie Bassett)
Visual Signature
Eastern oyster shell

Elizabeth Peeples and Stefanie Bassett spent 17 years in high-end interior design and advertising before they established Little Ram Oyster Co. in 2018. Their farm covers 20 acres of Gardiners Bay off the east side of Shelter Island and produces more than two million oysters a year.1

Gardiners Bay seen from the beach at Orient Beach State Park, Long Island
Gardiners Bay seen from the beach at Orient Beach State Park, Long Island. Photo: DanTD / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Oyster Automat

The farm stand was open only at weekends, so in 2023 the owners put a refrigerated vending machine outside their building at 61600 Main Road in Southold. It sells a bag of 25 oysters for $35 at any hour, along with shucking kits, tinned fish and mignonettes. The machine holds 36 to 39°F and shuts itself down at 40, and it is restocked every other day. The name is a nod to the Automat restaurants of early twentieth-century New York.2

Flavor Breakdown

The water
Gardiners Bay is the big water at the mouth of the Peconic system, open to Block Island Sound. Current runs hard across the farm, and the growers credit it for a crisp oyster.1
The finish
They describe a "sweet, mellow finish".1 Our scores are even across brine, sweetness and minerality, so nothing shouts: salt opens, sweetness closes.

What Makes Little Ram Unique

Most North Fork farms sit in creeks and small bays. This one is out in Gardiners Bay itself, and its owners came to oysters from city careers in design.1

A middle-of-the-road Long Island oyster in the good sense: enough salt for brine drinkers, enough sweetness for everyone else.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

Fine with a squeeze, and fine without.

Pairing Guide

1
Muscadet sur lie

Keeps out of the way.

2
Chablis

A little more weight for the sweet finish.

OptimalPlain or lemon
AcceptableMignonette
AvoidHeavy cocktail sauce

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • Mixed tables where not everyone likes the same oyster
  • Visitors to Shelter Island and the North Fork
Sources
  1. Long Island Oyster Growers Association. "Little Ram Oyster Co." liogany.org
  2. Parnell, L. (9 November 2023). "Get fresh oysters 24/7 with Little Ram Oyster Co.'s Oyster Automat." Northforker. northforker.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →