Celebrate National Oyster Day at These Miami Restaurants

Bless the day a brave soul's tongue discovered the intoxicating, erotic, velvet-smooth caress of an oyster.

Eating an oyster is certainly not for the faint of heart, but those who understand the rewards of the rich, crystalline salinity of its flavor — some brinier, others smoother and sweeter — are likely to develop a cultlike affinity for what is undoubtedly the most highly regarded mollusk in the world.

This Friday, August 5, marks National Oyster Day. Celebrate the occasion at one of these restaurants. 
Mignonette
This go-to seafood joint will offer $2 oysters all day. Mignonette's traditional marquee lists eight kinds of oysters daily — four East Coast and four West Coast. The eatery also tends to carry one oyster from Canada's Prince Edward Island, which are some of the team's favorites and can be either Lucky Lime, Irish Point, Daisy Bay, Pickle Point, or Raspberry Point. Of course, you can count on some of the heavy-hitters — Pemaquid, Shigoku, Wiley Point, Beausoleil, and Kumamotos — when they're available. Right now, Pemaquid and Shigoku are in the house.  
Izzy's Fish & Oyster
New Times winner of Best Seafood Restaurant will offer oysters at a buck-a-shuck from 5 to 8 p.m. with a purchase of bottle of wine in celebration of National Oyster Day. Selections rotate daily, but it's been known to offer Big Rock, Crowe's Pasture, and Moonrise from Dennis, Massachusetts, as well as Wellfleet and Pleasant Bay.
Sweet Liberty
You might not know that the recently awarded Best New American Cocktail Bar is definitely the place to kick it for 75-cent oysters during happy hour. Chase them down with $5 rosé on draft, $5 Moscow mules, and other cocktail specials.
Market at Momi Oyster & Raw Bar
The Brickell empire dealing with all things Japanese has nailed the bivalve market with this Japanese-fish-market-inspired corner of Miami Avenue. Unfortunately, it's not Momi's style to offer happy-hour specials, but this is because this spot boasts the freshest selection of oysters, including more than 30 kinds, including the European flat oysters from France (pictured above), the Belon.
Edge Steak & Bar
The popular steakhouse inside the Four Seasons in Brickell is a well known spot for $1 oyster daily happy hour, happening from 4 to 7 p.m. and offering a selection of oysters ranging from the coast of New England to Canada.
The River Seafood & Oyster Bar
This Brickell favorite features fantastic hand-shucked oysters as one of its staple menu items and offers them half-off during happy hour from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Enjoy them at the bar with the Green Mile ($14) — made with Plymouth gin, pressed cucumber and chilies, cilantro, and lime. If you want to spice things up, try the oyster shooters in lemon-thyme vodka for a twist, or order them fried, offered on the dinner and lunch menus.
Tamarina 
The crudo bar at this Italian hot spot always carries sweet West Coast Kumamotos, rich and salty Blue Points, Lucky Lime from the East Coast, and the briny Fat Bastard. This Friday, oysters will be half-price all day, and you can expect to see varieties other than the restaurant's four staples.
Midtown Oyster Bar
Take advantage of $1 oysters from opening till closing. However, if you happen to make it from 5 to 7 p.m., for $25 you'll be able to eat unlimited to your heart's content and chase them down with $2 pints of Wynwood Brewing's La Rubia.