As if there aren’t enough oysters on this blog, we went in search of more on D’s birthday.

At 29th and Broadway, walking into April Bloomfield’s John Dory Oyster Bar was a bit like stepping off the streets of Manhattan into a space vaguely reminiscent of Portland, Oregon.  There is a slightly campy, off-beat vibe that brought back memories of our Pacific NW trip in 2008.

I heard that it’s difficult to get into The John Dory, but if you walk in on Saturday at noon you’ll have your pick of tables in the quiet, bright dining room. Evenings, I’m sure, are a different story. The only way to get a spot reserved is if you are a guest of the adjacent Ace Hotel.

We also ordered a few small entrees (warm), but my recommendation is to stick to the raw bar and the cocktail menu created by Sasha Petraske.

The crudo was my favorite dish of the day: Daurade with watercress and crispy quinoa