SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — It’s been more than a year since diners have been treated to the Southern cuisine James Doss became revered for at Rx.
The wait ends Tuesday as Doss and his wife, Sarah, are reopening after rebranding the eatery into Rx Chicken and Oysters. Hours will be dinner only at first, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The goal is to expand hours and open additional days, including serving lunch.
Originally hoping to open last winter, the Dosses said they experienced delays due to supply chain issues, as well as overcoming the learning curve in harvesting oysters and clams in their first season. The couple secured a commercial fishing and dealers licenses and can sell what they catch to diners.
“We experienced a die off, we’ve experienced the threat of storms, and of drought, which causes a spike in salinity,” Sarah said. “We’ve navigated the paperwork. We’ve experimented with different systems, we’ve grown our team, and we’ve expanded our operation from its original scope.”
The reinvented menu, to change seasonally aside from pop-up specials, puts emphasis on seafood. Particularly, it can be found in Rx’s oysters, Lucy Beas — named after the owners’ dogs.
The Dosses began farming oysters in 2022, seeding upward of 600,000. They own nearly three acres to harvest the bivalves, including one in Stump Sound and two in Topsail Sound. Typically, it’s expected a harvest will yield 50%, but in the Dosses’ first season, some unexpected problems arose.
“Unfortunately, the entire Stump Sound area suffered a significant mortality event at the beginning of the summer, affecting every single farmer in that area dramatically,” Sarah said. “We have since recovered and are back to harvesting weekly, just in time for our reopening.”
They’ve planted 300,000 this year and despite the setbacks, the return has been beyond expectations. Lucy Beas are briny and earthy, a balance of crisp and clean, due to their green gills — a rarity only found in a couple places worldwide, including France and North Carolina. The green hue of the oysters indicate diners are experiencing a delicacy.
“We have had beautiful green gills at all our leases, which we were hoping for,” Sarah said. “You start seeing green gill oysters in the cool months; the phytoplankton the oysters feed on turns their gills greenish blue, enhancing their flavor and health benefits. And of course, they’re just beautiful.”
The Dosses have also seeded clams —130,000 — but they take longer to mature.
“Ours aren’t quite ready yet,” Sarah said. “We’re buying the clams we have on our current menu, although that will change.”
Clams and oysters are offered roasted and steamed, as well as raw ($1.25-$3.25 each). Aside from Lucy Beas, Rx is serving Tarheel Tiderunners from James Hargrove of Middle Sound Mariculture, with whom the Dosses mentored to start oyster farming. Also offered are Southern Salts from Matt Schwab of Hold Fast Oyster Company in Sneads Ferry and Fat Bellies from Crystal Coast Oysters by Kyle Frey near Beaufort, North Carolina.
The Dosses also are featuring speared fish they catch — for example, lionfish can be found on multiple menu items. The lionfish, native to the Indo Pacific, are an invasive species now in the Atlantic — “and, luckily, delicious.” Sarah said.
“Scientists believe that a pet owner in Florida dumped their aquarium in the 1980s, creating what is now a significant problem in the Atlantic Ocean, as lionfish reproduce quickly and have no known predators,” she explained. “Lionfish eat the fish we like to eat, like snapper and grouper, threatening our fish populations. They also eat the fish that clean the reefs.”
Upon lionfish’s arrival on a reef, it can reduce marine populations by 70%, she added. They’re spearfished because they can’t be baited by a hook and line.
“Divers have tried unsuccessfully to train sharks to eat the fish,” Sarah said. “NOAA is working on developing traps, but still, the most effective way to control lionfish populations is to spear them individually.
The Dosses hope by bringing attention to the fish, it will help raise awareness and have a positive impact on the ecosystem.
“If folks know to ask for the fish — if the demand is there — then the supply will follow,” she said.
The restaurateurs also will be spearfishing other seafood and wild harvesting shellfish to introduce new items onto the menu. They’re focus is local and sustainable, sourced within 100 miles.
The Rx Chicken and Oysters menu includes a hodgepodge of items and price points, in an attempt to become a more approachable dining experience. There are traditional entrees beloved from Rx, such as shrimp and grits ($27); however, there are also $10 to $16 snacks, like deviled eggs with smoked fish and Rx’s famed wings, or tacos, burgers and sandwiches ($5 to $16). In addition to its beloved chili cheeseburger is a new Crystal Coast shrimp burger. Also, fried chicken plates range from $15 to $55 (the latter is a whole bird with two sides).
To learn more about Rx or make reservations, visit here.
Have dining news? Email Shea Carver at shea@localdailymedia.com
