NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – “The pride of Uptown, Thomas Uptown T Stewart, which is my last name and it just stuck for years and years, and that’s what I go by,” says oyster shucker Thomas Stewart.
But no matter what you call him, Thomas Stewart, Uptown T or the world’s most famous oyster shucker, he’s the friendly face you’ll find behind the oyster bar at Pascal’s Manale.
He’s a good man to know, especially, if you love slurping down those slimy, salty, kisses from the sea.
Thomas was born and raised in the Irish Channel.
He lived in the 9th Ward for awhile and now calls Uptown home.
“I love New Orleans, and I’m sure New Orleans loves me back, that’s why I’m here working,” says Stewart.
Thomas’s years and years of oyster shucking has made him a master of his craft, even if he is a bit too humble to take all the credit.
“Like Mama used to say, it’s better to be seen by being seen, than being heard to be seen, so I don’t make noise. I don’t even make racket. I just make fun,” says Stewart.
But there’s more to shucking oysters than meets the eye. Thomas says it’s his job to make sure they’re clean and not too gritty.
Presentation is key he says.
Fresh and natural, a true delicacy one has to taste test firsthand to understand and appreciate what Thomas has to offer.
And if you’re not sure who to ask for at the door…
“Uptown T, the one and only one beneath the sun, often imitated but never duplicated, when in 3D you better step back 50 feet because you’re going to see me ‘Uptown T’ and you can call me Thomas. I’ll say pay-yah,” says Stewart.