Casale Jewelers of Staten Island to Co-Sponsor Grand Central Oyster Frenzy

Casale Jewelers (www.CasaleJewelers.net) of Staten Island, New York (1639 Richmond Road), will co-sponsor at the 13th Annual ?Grand Central Oyster Frenzy? on Saturday, September 26 at the Grand Central Oyster Bar (lower level, Grand Central Terminal) in New York City from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Casale will give away a pearl necklace and pearl earrings in a drawing to a lucky winner at the Frenzy, and will be included in signage and advertising as an event sponsor. The Blue Island Oyster Company and K&B Seafood are co-sponsors. Casale was also the sponsor of the Oyster Bar-s ?Grand Centennial Celebration? in 2013, when Noel Mangan slurped down the 100-millionth oyster in the 100-year history of iconic New York seafood mecca, and won a pearl necklace and earrings courtesy of Casale. It will be an all-day Frenzy; a bivalve bonanza at the historic restaurant ?below sea level? in Grand Central Station. Chef demonstrations by a trio of talented chefs, competition open to the public, sixteen varieties of oysters ? eight each from the East and West coasts ? and six championship wines ? including the ?Grand Champion? to be selected by a blue ribbon panel of judges ? and the top professional oyster shuckers on the planet will highlight the event. The Oyster Bar-s executive chef Sandy Ingber (a.k.a. Bishop of Bivalves), president Janet Poccia, vice president Mohammed Lawal, and general manager Jeremy Gatto will oversee the festivities now well into its second decade. Q104.3 FM Radio personality Shelli Sonstein, oyster aficionado and co-host of ?The Jim Kerr Rock and Roll Morning Show,? will serve as MC. Defending champion Jose Valdez will try again to fend off the challenge of eight-time champion Luis ?The Menace? Iglesius, who is on his home turf at the Oyster Bar, in the Oyster Frenzy-s Professional Shucking Championships. Top competitors will vie for a grand prize of $3,000, and total purse of $3,750. Top area chefs will showcase their culinary wizardry in four demonstrations with public tastings. Here's the expected line-up: a duo making ?return engagements? by popular demand ? the Oyster Bar's pastry chef Januz Noka, who will concoct Strawberries Romanoff, and Maloney & Porcelli executive chef ‎Aaron Bashy, who will feature Fried Wild Blue Island Oysters with Kohlrabi Slaw. Renowned food journalist, television host and cookbook author, David Rosengarten, publisher of the Rosengarten Report and food blogger for Huffington Post and Forbes.com, will add to the culinary wizardry with his version of the classic Oysters Bienville. Oyster Restoration and Education will be presented by Peter Malinowski, Director, The Billion Oyster Project, and Tom Kehoe, president, K&B Seafood. New York City-s ever-popular Naked Cowboy will once again make an appearance, sponsored by Blue Island Oyster Company. Russian Standard Vodka will sponsor Oyster Shooter samplings throughout the day. The public will compete in the SLURP OFF COMPETITIVE EATING COMPETITION (whoever slurps 10 oysters in the fastest time); and the BEER SHUCKING CHAMPIONSHIPS sponsored by Bluepoint Brewery. (The fastest to open all bottles of a case of beer is declared winner).