Emily Fritz | a&e editor

Walking into Muddy Waters Oyster Bar in East Liberty on Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was uncharacteristically bumping with sultry jazz and eager patrons. Although they are not typically open before dinner time on Saturdays, it was a special occasion: their second annual Oyster Fest.

“Going into winter is usually the best time to enjoy oysters,” said co-owner Diana Kucenic. “It’s more of a prime time. They are plump. They are more flavorful.”

To celebrate, the usual menu items — which features fried, chargrilled and, of course, raw oysters — were accompanied by oysters Rockefeller, an event-specific chipotle flavoring and new sauces like chimichurri and spicy mango salsa.

Oyster connoisseurs were able to test their palate with four rounds of blind taste testing. First, they distinguished between East and West coast, then between two East Coast catches (distinguishable by latitude), a third round featuring East Coast oysters closer together on the map and finally, distinguishing between two West Coast oysters.

“East Coast is usually more salty. It’s cleaner flavor. It’s more straightforward, tasting like the ocean, while the West Coast oyster … have that creaminess. They usually have seaweeds smell and finish on the end. So [they have] totally different profiles,” Kucenic said.

In the eight years that Muddy Waters has been open, many Pittsburghers have eaten their first oyster at their venue.

To help, the menu separates each oyster flavor based on location, then describes the taste, texture and finish.

One server was on-duty Saturday, Phil Nalbone, who said that when people come in to try the mollusk, it is his “favorite part of the day.”

Chargrilled oysters are their most popular menu item according to Nalbone.

“I feel like a drug-dealer now for chargrilled oyster,” he said. “People are addicted.”

As he dropped off the fan-favorite, he jokingly suggested that he would see the table every day from then on.

Jazz musicians Ronnie Jones and Glen Surgest have become regular fixtures at Muddy Waters, playing every Friday evening for the last eight years.

“I feel a part of it. If I went to another venue [or] club, I don’t think I would feel the same way. I think I would be one of the acts,” Jones said. “I’m developing this Muddy Water sound so when you’re somewhere else, you’re not going to hear that.”

Holding down the gig this long, Jones and Surgest lend to the Southern ambiance of the oyster bar.

Alongside golden alligator heads on the wall and Creole inspired small plates, the haven on South Highland Avenue brings Southern flair to a landlocked state, despite their house oyster originating in Franktown, Va.

“We took a summer to learn everything about [oysters],” Kucenic said. “They are 100% sustainable.”

Wholey’s Fish Market joined in the oyster fest fun in the Strip District, offering a fresh oyster shucking station, but the grindstone variety from Muddy Waters Oyster Farm can only be found with the oyster bar of the same name.

The oyster-curious who don’t want to shell out too much money discovering the subtleties of different oyster species, Muddy Waters hosts a happy hour from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.

“Everybody who loves oysters can come in and enjoy them in any shape or form,” Kucenic said. “I think oyster should be celebrated in more places more often.”