Pictured: Florida-farmed oysters meet their match at Lefty's. Credit: Courtesy of Watershed Hospitality.

Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar wants to retire some old oyster lore: eat them only in months with an R. “Since that myth started, there’s been a thing called refrigeration,” says Anne Rollings, executive director of communications for Watershed Hospitality Concepts.

Much of the oyster list at the Rosemary District bar relies on Virginia and points north, since many diners trust only cold-water bivalves. “We’re here to open that conversation so we can support our local and regional Florida farmers and shellfish growers,” Rollings says.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, Shell & Tell, The Party introduces four growers. Tim Solano, a second-generation clam farmer with Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms, brings littlenecks. Cedar Key’s shellfish farms took root after Florida voters banned gill nets in 1994, and many applied for grants and state aquaculture leases. “They’ve grown up around salt water all their life,” Rollings says. “And they know the water.”

Chad Minter of S&M Oyster Co. comes from Panacea, Reed Smith of Calusa Oyster Co. from Tampa and Nicolette Mariano of Treasure Coast Shellfish from Sebastian. All four belong to the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association and follow strict state rules for chilling every harvest fast.

Expect oysters raw and grilled, with a “Tell” from each grower. “We will be shucking and grilling and serving just mere hours after they were harvested,” Rollings says. Lefty’s serves linguine tossed with clams in garlicky white-wine butter. Alyssa Solano, Tim’s wife, sets out her legendary clam dip: simmered Cedar Key clams folded into cream cheese with green onions, sharpened with Worcestershire, lemon and Tabasco.

Shellfish pairings include King Estate Artisan Pinot Gris from Oregon, Do Ferreiro Albariño from Spain and Jo Landron Muscadet from France. “It’ll be a feast,” Rollings promises.

Spent shells go to Oyster Boys Conservation, a Venice grassroots group joining the party, which strings them into vertical oyster gardens for the bay. Slurp a Florida oyster at Lefty’s, and its shell may one day cradle the next generation.

Shell & Tell, The Party, Thursday, Nov. 19, Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar, 428 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota, 941-954-8688. Tickets via Eventbrite. leftysoysterseafood.com #LocalPartnershipsfortheGreaterGood

Pictured: Florida-farmed oysters meet their match at Lefty's. Credit: Courtesy of Watershed Hospitality.