Connect
To Top

Meet Sean Huggard of Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood in Cherry Creek

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Huggard.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Sean. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood, more than oysters – it’s Cherry Creek’s best seafood restaurant! Our menu, decor, culture and overall experience is inspired from childhood memories of growing up in small coastal towns, a place in time where things just seemed easier, a little bit more fun, and almost surreal. We’ve combined this with superb hospitality, creative libations, and a passion for extremely fresh seafood.

To ensure this commitment is met, we’ve partnered with Chris Quartuccio of Blue Island Shellfish Farms in Long Island to bring you the best oysters and seafood such as Steamed Mussels, Lobster Rolls, Stuffies, Clam Chowder, Crab Cakes and fresh fish to name a few. Of course, any restaurant wouldn’t be complete without a well-rounded bar menu to pair with our food. Therefore we’ve employed the best bartenders to craft cocktails and help quench your cravings, whether it be for beer, wine, bubbly or classic cocktails.

Our approach is simple: create honest food and drinks and serve them in a relaxed environment. In short, Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood is inspired by the oyster farmers and fishermen who have lived this way for generations, and to them, we are thankful.

Has it been a smooth road?
Denver has been very welcoming to us, especially all the coastal transplants. In particular, I’m so thrilled we chose cherry creek for this restaurant, the neighbors take so much pride in their surrounding local business and are so supportive.

Over the past five years, there has been so much construction in the neighborhood, which is positive, but at times has kept people from outside the neighborhood away. The last year, Up until the Corona Virus, has just been outstanding. With all the new residential, retail and hotels, the neighborhood is once again one of Denver’s biggest attractions and we are so happy to be apart of the action.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood, we are passionate about food, especially seafood and where that food comes from. For Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood, we wanted to be sure we knew where our oysters were coming from. We knew if we wanted to create the “best” seafood and oyster bar, we couldn’t just buy great oysters. We needed to farm and forage them ourselves. We have been lucky to create great relationships over the years will all sorts of suppliers – including our partners at Blue Island Oyster Company. The Blue Island Oyster Company team is proud to be working together in partnership to bring Blue Island Oyster Bar to fruition in multiple nationwide locations. This is a true oyster-farmer-meets-chef concept.

Blue Island Oyster Company and Shellfish Farms were founded in 1995 with the aim of providing Manhattan restaurants with the highest quality shellfish available. It all started when Chris Quartuccio began scuba diving for natural oysters in the Long Island Sound and delivering them fresh daily to chefs in New York City. This business has grown substantially in 24 years and is now recognized as the number one oyster and clam distributor in the New York area. Blue Island has also expanded its marketplace and ships shellfish all over the United States. Our oysters and clams can be found on restaurant menus in Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Boston.

An ever-changing list of oysters is offered daily, including our very own farmed and wild-diver caught oysters as well as a selection from both the East and West Coasts. Every oyster we serve will be grown by farmers we know, whose commitment to quality we trust. Our relationships with oyster farms across the country will allow us the exclusivity to offer oyster varieties that aren’t typically available in other restaurants, such as Hog Island oysters from San Francisco, wild Belongs from Maine, Hama Hama’s and Washington-grown Olympia oysters, a variety that has been rescued from extinction in recent years. Our unique oyster list, coupled with a strong philosophy of daily education and guest engagement, will allow the Blue Island staff to connect our guests with every aspect of the oyster-growing world.

Our commitment to the freshest and best possible oysters will extend beyond the raw bar to all our seafood selections, sourcing and acquiring products from small producers and sustainable fisheries, as well as using local produce, poultry and meats whenever possible. Simple, fresh and well-educated is the backbone of the kitchen and service staff at Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood. Sean Huggard spends time with his core staff at their farm on the East Coast, overwhelming them with the culture and allure of living on the coast. The staff brings this experience, passion and education to the table at Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood for an experience like none other.

Our service philosophy revolves around our commitment to education, combined with the highest level of hospitality. The guest comes first, always. Service staff will be armed with first-hand knowledge of oyster farming along with a strong sense of all things food and wine. The menu is crafted with New England specialties in mind such as lobster rolls and stuffed clams (stuffies) alongside simply prepared seafood, as well as elaborate meats, poultry and seafood specialties. The raw bar is second to none and not only includes the country’s best oysters but also ceviche, Crudo, clams, crab, caviar and lobster.

Our cocktails, wine list and beer, have the highest level of passion put forth into their selection. Small batch, boutique, and approachable are all the ingredients that make for a great accompaniment to our fantastic food program. The ambiance of the restaurant is reminiscent of the farm itself. Weathered and reclaimed wood, muted blues and greys, marble surfaces, brass highlights, industrial lighting and, of course, large scale pictures of our farm and the dive team to pull it all together.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about our city it the Vibe. Growing up on the east coast and spending my early career on the west coast, I find Denver to be the best of both worlds. We have a laid back outdoor lifestyle which feels very west coasty but we also have so much culture like the big cities of the East. It’s such a great place to live, work and raise my family.

Contact Info:

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in