Discussion of Robin Garr's Home Run rolled oyster review

[Robin Garr]

This rolled oyster hits a Home Run
LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

The demise of Flabby’s Schnitzelburg last July, following on the heels of its sibling eatery, Mazzoni’s, which failed in the autumn of 2008 at the ripe old age of 124, seemed to spell the death of a great Louisville culinary tradition — the “rolled” oyster.

This savory confection is a ration of fresh, just-shucked oysters rolled in a white-cornmeal batter the Mazzonis called pastinga, enclosed in a thick cracker-crumb coating, and deep-fried until sizzling hot and mahogany brown. Add spicy horseradish cocktail sauce, and you’ve got a traditional Louisville fried-oyster sandwich.

I’ve been mourning ever since Flabby’s shut its doors, fearing we’d never see the rolled oyster again. It has been often imitated, but rarely duplicated. The Mazzoni family claimed it was an old Italian recipe carried across the Atlantic from their ancestral home in Genoa and held secret by five generations of Mazzonis.

Genoa is famous as the original source of basil pesto and as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. But oysters? Not so much. These tasty bivalves are common in the cold Atlantic waters off France, but less so in the Mediterranean around Italy. Also, the Italians don’t do much batter-coating and deep-frying. In fact, most of the “Italian” oyster recipes I’ve enjoyed have been Italian-American.

So imagine my delight when I got a call the other day from Bob Kiper, a Louisville food-industry veteran whose latest venture, with his daughter Kathy Kiper Scannell, is the growing local chain of Home Run Burgers & Fries shops.

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/this- ... a-home-run
and in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/rolled-oyster-hits-home-run

Home Run Burgers & Fries
Shelbyville Road Plaza
4600 Shelbyville Road
365-3388
http://www.homerunburger.com
(Other locations: 12949 Shelbyville Road, Middletown, 384-8403; 2060 S. Hurstbourne Parkway, Jeffersontown, 409-7004)

I've always enjoyed an occasional rolled oyster, but in my mind they are closer to a White Castle burger than anything remotely "good" or gourmet. To me they end up sitting like a rock in your stomach if you have more than 1.5

I have a hard time finding the subtle nuiances in texture & flavor like some have discussed in previous postings. To me they are greasy bar food.

Cunninghams on the River has them also, haven't tried them cause I really dont care for em, but its another source.

GG

Cunninghams on the River has them also, haven't tried them cause I really dont care for em, but its another source.

GG

I wouldn't eat one there on a bet.

I wouldn't eat one there on a bet.

Neither would we!!! If fact I don't think I would eat anything there on a bet! Can't wait to try Homerun's version.

I can't wait to try Home Run Burger's version...I remember as a small child eating the breading off my Mom's Mazzoni's Rolled Oysters now I love oysters myself so I am looking forward to grabbing my sister and making our way to have a couple.