I walked into 28 Degrees alone and single and immediately made a beeline for the large L-shaped bar where I anxiously awaited my date. The smiling bartender was friendly and helped me forget my nerves as he cooed me into a nine dollar glass of Sauvignon Blanc, promising that it would be a nice complement to the raw oysters I had planned to split with Lena Chen, the ‘date’ I was waiting for. The Harvard student is notorious for her blog SexandtheIvy.com, an online diary that documents her sexcapades, hilarious dating anecdotes and advice about love as a college student. Figuring she would be perfect to meet for a Valentine’s Day special, I proposed an aphrodisiac-laden rendezvous at the trendy restaurant in the South End, which boasts one-dollar oysters daily between 5-7 PM.
Sooner than I’d expected, I felt a gentle tap as Chen squeaked my name. I turned around to find a pretty and petite Chinese-American girl. We decided to stay at the bar, and, after ordering two dozen oysters, we delved into conversation. Chen explained that her blog was actually a mistake ‘-‘- that it was not meant to blossom into anything more than a joke among friends. The Harvard junior highlighted the pros and pitfalls of being thrust into the public eye so suddenly ‘- one moment being featured in a Newsweek article about sex blogs while simultaneously trying to ignore the venomous gossip ‘-‘- and apparent jealousy ‘-‘- spewing from JuicyCampus.com. She explained that her writing (both online and for the Harvard newspaper, The Crimson) has also catapulted Chen into a public debate with the school’s Abstinence Club.
The oysters arrived on two platters stacked with shaved ice and came with three dressings ‘-‘- ‘Hogwash’ (heavy with cilantro and vinegar), traditional (spiked with dill) and cocktail sauce, which I didn’t bother to try. The shells were enormous and the slippery raw meat inside was strung subtly with an oceanic salt taste, which slowly dissolved as the pulp traveled down my throat. We cleared the entire platter and had hoped for more, but the dollar-deal had ended. It was consensual between my new friend and I that we continue sans the perks of the low price oysters.
The seafood satiated me, but Chen decided on two sliders to split ‘-‘- one with pulled barbeque pork and the other with ground sirloin. Both were excellent and delightfully greasy on crispy brioche, perfectly complemented with crunchy artisan potato chips ($7 each). In true Valentine’s Day fashion, we ordered a dessert to share, opting for the dessert platter. Chocolate ‘-‘- a familiar aphrodisiac ‘-‘- was found in a warm brownie capped with a dollop of fresh vanilla-bean ice cream. The platter also came with homemade pistachio and chocolate chip cookies and a small almond tart ($7 per person/2 person min).
As we paid the check, Chen and I found ourselves in a conversation about marriage with the two lawyer-looking men that also sat at the bar. We argued the merits of being with one person forever, but our wonderful idealizations about a lifetime of love were lost as the suits sipped their flamingo-pink martinis and lamented their libido. While love may be fleeting, one can always rely on the warm blissful feeling after a dozen icy Wellfleets for a cheap date (between 5 and 7, of course).
28 Degrees, 1 Appleton Street
www.28degrees-boston.com
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