Blackwall Hitch's new signature oyster farmed off Chincoteague

Chip Miller holds the waterways on Delmarva close to his heart. 

A native of Rockville, Maryland, who spent time studying marine technology at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina, the 34-year-old Miller recalled fishing trips with his father out on the Chesapeake Bay.

"Ever since I was a kid I was always drawn to the ocean," Miller said. "I would throw fits when we had to leave after going on vacation."

Now, Miller, the executive chef at Blackwall Hitch in Rehoboth, is playing his part in sustaining the waterways he grew up enjoying.

Miller, who was named executive chef in mid-April, and Blackwall Hitch’s corporate chef Michael Wagner have partnered with War Shore Oyster Company and are offering an exclusive oyster, which went on the menu two weeks ago. The oyster, called the Blackwall Beauty, had its name chosen by Blackwall Hitch guests. The name is inspired by the fictional horse, Black Beauty, and is a nod to the wild horses of Assateague Island, where the oyster is harvested.

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War Shore, which went into business in 2009, is committed to ethically growing and sourcing high-quality oysters in and around the Lower Chesapeake Bay and Chincoteague Island. War Shore, which now operates as a distribution company, works with small farmers.

Co-owner Brad Blymier said there are about 20 kinds of oysters around North America being represented by War Shore. War Shore's commitment involves getting its products — which range from oysters to clams and scallops, among other items — from farm to restaurant within 24 hours.

Blymier said the Blackwall Beauty is raised by a small farmer on the Eastern Shore — seaside — of Chincoteague Island at Assateague Point. 

“It’s a cool opportunity for us to have something unique and local that’s our own,” Miller said of the Blackwall Beauty. “No one else has it.”

The concept of farm-raised oysters is becoming more and more popular, Blymier said. Farm-raised oysters are grown in individual cages instead of in clusters and are protected from predators like oyster drills and crabs. 

“You really control the size of the oyster and get a uniform oyster much more than you would a wild oyster,” Blymier said.

The Blackwall Beauty is around 3-3.5 inches in size and has a deep cup.

Miller said he appreciates farm-raised oysters over farm-raised fish like salmon because of how much of a resource the oysters are to the water.

Blymier called oysters the "kidneys of the bay" because of their filtering properties. 

“They’re great for the environment," Blymier said. "It’s one of the best things you can do for the bay to keep it clean.”

They're also restorative. War Shore collects used oyster shells — like those from the Blackwall Beauty — and reuses them as spat to help the wild oyster population. 

“Anything we can do by working with the oyster recovery program helps even more,” Miller said.

“It’s really cool to be part of that, to help out the bay and give back.”

The Blackwall Beauty has a 28-32 parts per thousand salinity measurement, which is on the “higher end,” Miller says. The kicker, though, is its sweet finish. It’s served over ice and with cocktail sauce and a small bottle of Tabasco sauce. The better option to those classics comes in the pipettes served in the ice bowl. Miller pairs the oysters with both cucumber and mango mignonettes, which provide a perfect balance with the initial saltiness up front.

The signature oyster and the others on Blackwall Hitch's menu in Rehoboth are available for $1 during the restaurant's happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, which also features drink specials.

The restaurant, at 52 Rehoboth Avenue, is celebrating its one-year anniversary Memorial Day Weekend.

Miller said the restaurant will soon feature a cart with a live oyster shucker on the weekends. It's also launching some new menu items.

War Shore is hopeful the partnership with Blackwall Hitch, which also has restaurants in Alexandria, Virginia and Annapolis, is a foundation for growth along the Delaware and Maryland shoreline. Right now, the company has most of its partnerships in the Washington area, including a partnership with Old Ebbitt Grill, a D.C. staple for more than 150 years.

Miller vouches for the quality.

“You get oysters from other vendors, they have the tags on them but you really don’t know how long they’ve been sitting there,” he said.

jneiburg@delmarvanow.com