Four Dozen, Anyone! La Societe Convenes for 22nd Annual Conclave

La Societe du Quarante Huit Huitres shucks into its 22nd year with its annual conclave on Thursday night, March 1, at the historic Grand Central Oyster Bar. The reunion of bivalve aficionados will convene at 6:30 pm in the Saloon.

The zinc-laden lads will get down to slurping, led by founding members Wayne J. Positan and Rob D’Alessandro, accompanied upwards of a dozen or so “merry men,” indulging in their annual Oyster Orgy.

Societe membership requires eating 48 oysters at the session, hence the name La Societe du Quarante Huit Huit Huitres," French for "48 oysters.‎"

Mr. Positan holds La Societe record of 144 bivalves (an amazing 12 dozen), established in 2002, and says that “none of us contemplate an attempt at breaking the record.”

Mr. Positan is unquestionably the Diamond Jim Brady of this generation. And he continues to bring new members into the fold. In 2016 two new members joined the “Diamond Jim Brady Club” when Kevin Barber and Barry Weigmann both reached the century mark in bivalve consumption at the seating. Last year, Antonio Prioletti slurped home 82 oysters for a personal record. That trio and founding members Positan and D'Allessandro will be among those in attendance on Thursday.

More on La Societe du Quarante-Huit Huitres: The culmination of these Brady-esque event was a challenge in 2002 to see if anyone could reach the Diamond Jim Century Club.…100 oysters. They kept pressing on, until 120, then Positan, in a fit of bivalve inspiration, decided that the appropriate mark should have some symmetry, which translated into 144 oysters….Douze Douzen, or a Dozen Dozen. ‎Tying a napkin around his forehead, and cheered on by the Societe and adjoining tables, the magic mark was reached, resulting in a round of hearty applause. Since then, things have retreated to the “48” norm, until 2016 when Barber and Weigmann and Barber hurtled to the 100 milestone and installation as Diamond Jim members.