UPCOMING POP-UPS

SAT 9.23

ShopBar
950 Barret Ave
6 p.m. – s(h)ell out

OUR STORY

Charlotte grew up in New England, clammin’ and shuckin’ with her family on Cape Cod in the summers and enjoying the spoils of her homeland’s delectable cold water seafood. After an exclusive four-year commitment to Chipotle burritos in college, Michael expanded his palate and interest in food from all over the world, diving in head first and spending the past decade plus perfecting a wide array of recipes as an amateur chef (ruining a few dishes along the way, of course) and amassing a Smithsonian-worthy collection of hot sauce.

Adventurous but unpretentious gourmands, one of our favorite date nights involved bellying up to the bar at RYE for a dozen oysters and a couple cocktails. After its closure, we missed that visceral experience of savoring quality oysters in a way that’s fun and approachable. Around the same time, the pop-up restaurant concept became both an exciting taste-du-jour and legitimate dining experience across some of Louisville’s coolest bars. Synchronistically, Michael even wrote a feature about it for LEO Weekly at the beginning of 2021! We’ve always loved hosting and cooking for friends, so the idea of a pop-up was especially intriguing. Both of us have worked in the industry and share a passion for food and trying new things. And both of us are Virgos, so we also committed ourselves to spending a fair amount of time figuring out how to do an oyster pop-up the right way. Missing our home for bivalve delights, ready to share our culinary passions, and fueled by our appreciation for truly despicable puns, Lou Øyster Cült was born – and with it, our ethos “oysters for everyone!“

OYSTERS ARE GOOD FOR THE PLANET!

It’s true! Unlike many protein sources, oyster aquaculture is sustainable by its very nature – and we like that! Farming and harvesting oysters helps to improve sediment quality by loosening and dispersing silt and muck, adding oxygen to bottom waters and sediments. Additionally, oysters filter out all sorts of yucky stuff in the water column, both biological and manmade, as well as improve water clairty and quality by removing particulates, excess nutrients, and other organic materials. In many ways, they’re like the ocean’s boogers. Er, maybe we shouldn’t say that in our menu – but you get the gist!

AND OYSTERS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR GARDEN OR FARM

Don’t chuck your shuck! They can have a number of uses. For example, oyster shells are great in the garden, as they have high amounts of calcium that can help balance your soil’s pH levels. Shells also strengthen plant cell walls, improve nitrate uptake, and can help form enzymes in your soil. For the farmers out there, ground shells are cheap and nutritious feed for chickens. We absolutely encourage you to help reduce food waste – take the shells with you if you have a green thumb. Need a bag? Ask!

AND THEY’RE GOOD FOR… YOUR LOVE LIFE?

Ancient lore would have you believe oysters to be an aphrodisiac. Our professional opinion? We think it has more to do with a nice wine pairing and the visceral je-ne-sais-quoi of enjoying this delicacy. But hey, if you believe the Cült got you laid and he/she/they are burnin’ for you, we’ll take it! Just please Yelp about it.