Sustainability
Oyster Oyster is a restaurant rooted in sustainability.
Chef Rob Rubba and sommelier/restaurateur Max Kuller had a vision for an environmentally friendly and sustainably focused restaurant. That dream then became a reality.
We believe in creating a dining experience for the future. Our menus focus on seasonal, local produce. These ingredients are sourced from individuals who believe in organic and regenerative farming practices. Through these relationships, we are able to minimize food waste and control our carbon footprint while providing a one-of-a-kind dining experience here in the Mid-Atlantic. Enriching our community and strengthening those networks.
Native and wild ingredients are a major anchor for our seasonal approach. These ingredients bring awareness to delicious food here in our "backyards," which often goes overlooked. Whether it is the first morels and ramps of the spring, the ripe Appalachian allspice berries in the fall, or our favorite wild oyster mushrooms in the winter (part of our namesake), these wild edibles remind us of our terroir.
The other half of our name reflects the importance of the oyster bivalve by participating in the effort to rebuild the oyster reefs along Chesapeake Bay. As a healthy watershed extends its benefits to all things inland, historically, oysters have played an essential role in our local ecosystem. Therefore, it only makes sense when speaking of sustainability that we include such an important player. At the restaurant, empty oyster shells get transformed into candle votives for our tables, and the wax is made from filtered cooking oil (from Pennsylvania) and bee wax from our local honey producer. a true mid-atlantic candle.
Rad fact: one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day! Imagine what a whole retored reef could do in a day.
When it comes to wine, our ethos remains strong, but our borders grow. We have a wonderful selection of local, biodynamic, organic, and "natural" wines. We also celebrate producers, who are responsible for both the land they grow on as well as the culture and environment of their teams. It would be wrong to select a wine that was good for the earth yet horrible for their employees. (We apply the same care and provide a sustainable and responsible environment to all our team members.) Taking control of our waste management, we partnered with our friends at Material Things Studio to turn our used wine bottles into gorgeous plates for the dining room at oyster oyster. upcycling a resource that we are running out of.
What about beer? We take the term "local brewery" very seriously. We work only with breweries that use local ingredients, which means mid-atlantic grains, local yeast, and hops. Often, these brews are made with other local or wild ingredients too. At the restaurant, beer is only served on draft in an effort to eliminate single-use cans and bottles. We also create zero-proof juice pairings in-house. Upcycling food trim and other ingredients from our dinner menu.
Our space also reflects our sustainable values. Selecting green materials, LED lighting, and energy-star equipment all serve the purpose of lowering energy and resource use. a strict "zero single-use plastics" policy, and watering our plants with leftover bottles of DC's Finest H2O (no Fiji here). Living plants adorn our restaurant, filtering the air and bringing life inside.
In the end, we hope that Oyster Oyster’s ethos and systems find themselves in restaurants everywhere.