Pearls of great taste

I never thought I'd taste a better Jersey oyster than the one I ate plain a few years ago while standing thigh-deep in the Delaware Bay. Plucked from the cold fishery waters where it was growing and shucked on the spot by an oysterman, that plump Cape May Salt slid down my throat with a sweet-yet-briny liquor that left a magic glow.

Now that I've been to Blackfish Avalon, though, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to slurp another Cape May Salt without hoping for a carbonated froth of Meyer lemon and a dice of pickled watermelon on top. That fizzy cloud of citrus, whipped to a high-tech mousse with xanthan gum and CO2, had a tart effervescence that set the mollusk to brisk attention. Then it melted away like lemony sea foam when I took a bite, leaving the heightened taste of oyster framed by a subtle crunch of sweet-and-sour watermelon.

It takes a great chef to improve on something nature has already perfected. But talented Chip Roman, 29, already is making it seem effortless at the newly minted Avalon branch of his popular Conshohocken BYOB.

That oyster, though, was just one of the highlight bites of my summer so far. An exciting crop of ambitious new restaurants at the Jersey Shore has delivered many others, many inspired by a newfound enthusiasm for local ingredients. From perfect (and sustainable) fish and chips with a side of organic greens to pulled duck sliders, zesty gazpacho dolloped with sweet lump crab, and an old favorite breakfast of butterscotch scones happily rediscovered - this was one of my best eating tours of the Shore in years.

Much of the new energy is centered on the island that holds Avalon and Stone Harbor, where Sea Salt chef Lucas Manteca is giving a much-needed update to classic seashore cookery with his refreshingly casual Quahog's Seafood Shack, and Jason Hippen is making his chef-owner debut at Jay's on Third.

But this season also features a couple of notable comebacks: a fresh start for former Water's Edge chef Neil Elsohn at tiny Gertrude's in Ventnor, and a new Ocean City address for Michael and Jennifer Bailey. Their repertoire of homey baked goods and satisfying suppers at the old 4th Street Cafe has moved a few blocks north to quieter Who's on 1st.

If they're baking, I'm buying. So get the beach tags, and dust off the boogie board. Because this summer's dinner roster down the Shore is going to require a hearty appetite.

Blackfish Avalon