ROASTED OYSTERS

Ruse—st. Michaels, MD THEY’RE CALLED Wild Divers for a reason. Harvesters plunge into the icy Chesapeake with scuba tanks on their backs and plump native oysters on their minds. Carefully selected by hand, the mollusks make their way to dozens of restaurants along the bay—among them Ruse at the smart Wildset Hotel in the preppy town of St. Michaels. Chef Michael Correll oversees an entire program of raw shellfish, which guests order with a golf-type scorecard and tiny pencil. There are some fine specimens on the half shell, but what we can’t get over are the roasted Wild Divers. Ferment-y and fiery Calabrian chile paste gets whipped into butter and packed with garlicky breadcrumbs into the oysters’ fluted cups. In the oven, the heat melts the butter, amps the spice, browns the crumbs into crusty lids and gently sets the meats so the oysters become something to actually eat rather than throw back with a lashing of vinegar. Purists say a great oyster needs nothing. Ruse cross-examines that wisdom with an allsenses-on-deck approach. ruserestaurant.com