O,ysters!: Taste & Ode

Culinary appreciation meets poetic expression through one of the ocean's most distinctive offerings. O,ysters!: Taste & Ode takes place Friday, April 25 at Gramps Getaway's Mangrove Room as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival running throughout April.

This multisensory event combines guided oyster tasting with creative writing in a unique format that explores connections between gastronomy and poetry. Oyster Specialist Shley Suarez-Burgos of The Lazy Oyster will lead participants through an educational tasting experience covering the local history, ecology, biology and conservation efforts surrounding oysters.

Attendees will learn proper oyster-eating techniques using mindfulness and sommelier approaches while sampling three distinct oyster varieties. The experience includes a laminated tasting wheel and palate cleansers, with an optional beverage pairing available. Following the tasting portion, Nicole Combeau will facilitate a poetry workshop where participants create odes inspired by their culinary experience.

Shley Suarez-Burgos brings diverse expertise as Program Coordinator for Latino Outdoors Miami, a Level 1 Oyster Specialist with the Oyster Master Guild and a Board Member of the North American Marine Alliance. Her background includes traditional papermaking, filmmaking, yoga instruction and efforts to create events for historically underrepresented communities.