"You the romantic in the group," Hawk said and ordered more beer and oysters.

On our most recent visit, the room was full of unsmiling couples who seemed to be ordering oysters for medicinal purposes.

"We stopped at Silvano, sat down and ordered oysters and Champagne," she recalled.

You can order shucked oysters, with their liquor, as their juice is called, from a fish market.

To get me ordering oysters or ironing my black satin sheets.

But we would skip ordering oysters here altogether.

I ordered oysters on the half shell and nothing more, and turned the lights very low because I'd seen enough for one day.

Johnny shot him a withering, "what are you thinking of, ordering oysters at an Iowa steakhouse" look.

He orders oysters and the first of what will be many glasses of champagne.

He had ordered oysters on the half shell garnished with caviar ($50) and rack of lamb, which was also $50.