A secret recipe, a snail shortage, and the richest man who ever lived — that's how Oysters Rockefeller came to be. This week, we're tracing the dish back to 1899 New Orleans and Antoine's, the oldest family-run restaurant in America, where Jules Alciatore swapped escargot for Gulf oysters and created something iconic.

We're committing to our own version of the secret recipe — compound butter loaded with spinach, herbs, and absinthe, spooned over plump Gulf oysters and finished under the broiler. Plus, Sother's East Coast vs. West Coast vs. Gulf oyster cheat sheet, the case for Panko over Italian breadcrumbs, and why you should always make more compound butter than you need.

The cocktail: The Obituary — a gin Martini laced with absinthe, born just down the street from Antoine's at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.

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Thanks to all of this week’s partners:

Mezcal Ultramundo: https://pkgdgroup.com/post/ultramundo/

Atheras Spirits: https://atherasspirits.com/

Underberg: https://underbergamerica.com/