Seafood

Tea parties aren't the only place you'll hear grumbling these days about the imposition of a "nanny state." Just take a seat in any Louisiana oyster bar. On a recent weeknight, Paul Stahls had just polished off a plate of raw oysters on the half-shell at Casamento's Restaurant, one of New Orleans' beloved seafood joints. He worried whether this culinary experience, so deeply ingrained in Louisiana culture, might be threatened by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration crackdown. "Are you truly going to tell me that I can't have a raw oyster?"

When a littleneck clam is unearthed from its sandy abode and placed into a bucket of water that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, its vulnerable body will stretch to great lengths to reach the food. It's a touching sight, the way it strives to eat what will ultimately speed its demise. Such is the way with the steamers served at Santa Monica's new seafood restaurant, Blue Plate Oysterette. They feed and purge themselves of grit before they are served in a large bowl with a smooth, buttered broth and thick slices of grilled bread, perfect for sopping up that delicious juice.