Oyster Farm, Oyster Bar: A Delectable RI Destination

At Matunuck Oyster Farm & Bar near Point Judith Harbor, veteran oysterman Perry Raso grows Eastern oysters in a saltwater lagoon behind the barrier of East Matunuck State Beach and the waves of Block Island Sound. A relentless educator who likes to share his story, Raso is also a determined, creative, smart businessman — the kind of enterpreneur who likes to prove naysayers wrong. Pushing boundaries, expanding, diversifying — he never stops and he never rests on his laurels.

Hence the “bar” part of Matunuck Oyster Farm. The wicked popular restaurant (call ahead in summer!) has a three-season deck overlooking the tidal rush of water between Potter and Point Judith ponds. Inside, a wooden bar is burned with a hand-drawn map of the Rhode Island coast and the oyster farms that dot its shores. Run a finger over the groove of possibilities: Watch Hill, Moonstone, Cedar Island, Quonset…

But that’s later, some other time.