Oyster Riot November 17, 2011

Back for the 17th consecutive year, the Oyster Riot is one of the greatest parties of the year in Washington DC. Always held the Friday & Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Riot is DC's preeminent food & wine event. Each night, nearly 1000 people devour tens of thousands of oysters while enjoying the gold medal winners of the International Wines for Oysters Competition and grooving to our Atlanta blues band, Mudcat. The Oyster Riot Saturday Matinee will feature top jazz musicians lead by guitarist and vocalist Sol Roots. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Music Maker Relief Foundation (www.musicmaker.org) In short, this ain't no cocktail party - it's a Riot.

Each year, hundreds of wine-and-oyster aficionados in Washington, D.C. sip and slurp their way through the annual Oyster Riot hosted by the Old Ebbitt Grill. Billed as "one of the greatest parties of the year" in Washington, the Oyster Riot attracts politicos, journalists, socialites, and foodies eager to chow down on all-you-can-eat seafood paired with pours from the International Wines for Oysters Competition, all while grooving to the soulful stylings of local blues acts.

The annual Oyster Riot takes place the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving. In 2010, the event's 16th year, a Saturday matinee event was added due to popular demand. Tickets go on sale the day after Labor Day, and have historically sold out, as more than 1,000 people have attended each night in past years.

The main draw of the Oyster Riot is heaping piles of oysters, oysters, and more oysters. In 2010, more than 25 varieties form both U.S. coasts were served, adding up to nearly 50,000 pounds. A sampling of other hors d'oeuvres from the Old Ebbitt Grill's menu is also served, such as shrimp, crab legs, and cheese plates, but the event is certainly for those with a taste for mollusk slurping. Discarded oyster shells are sorted and donated to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, which ages the shells and plants them with baby oysters in a natural habitat for reuse.

Sauvignon blanc is a popular pairing for raw oysters. four wine glasses with white wine image by Arkady Ten from Fotolia.com

To wash down all of those raw oysters, event attendees can partake in unlimited pours from the 10 wineries of the International Wines for Oysters Competition. Up to 400 wines from across the globe are entered and selected by rounds of blind-taste judging. Wines are selected specifically to complement oysters, and are most often sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and pinot gris varieties. Past winners and vintners can be viewed on the Oyster Riot website.

Several live blues and jazz acts perform at the Oyster Riot to set the mood and keep the party rolling. The annual headliner is Atlanta-based Mudcat, featuring front man Danny "Mudcat" Dudeck. The Sol Jazz Trio will perform featuring front man guitarist and vocalist Sol Roots. Other bands have included Robert Lee Coleman, Captain Luke, and Big Ron Hunter.