Everybody loves a feel-good success story about a local business. Along the Great South Bay of Long Island, that reigns even more true. Toasted Oysters, a local oyster farm operating from Islip, has been selected to showcase their authentic Blue Point oysters, which are grown right here on the South Shore of Long Island, at the 2025 Ryder Cup. The star-studded, highly anticipated golf match will be held at the Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale from September 23 to 28.
Those in attendance, both locals and those traveling from all over to watch essentially the Super Bowl of golf, will be able to get their hands on co-owners Mike Miezianka and Ray Smith Jr.’s locally grown mollusks. A part of Taste NY, “The official eat-local, drink-local program for New York State,” Toasted Oysters was selected by the New York State Department of Agriculture to showcase. “We’re very excited, we think it will be able to showcase true, authentic Blue Point oysters on a national level,” said Miezianka. “And obviously, we support team U.S.A.”
There’s no better event for this company to participate in than the Team U.S.A. versus Team Europe golf clash. Two true-blooded patriots run this veteran-owned business. Miezianka, a Navy Veteran, deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) shortly after the tragic September 11, 2001, attacks. The Long Island native is also a retired detective from the New York City Police Department. Not only his business partner, but his long-time friend, Smith Jr., is also a first responder. Smith, another Long Island native, is a seasoned paramedic and volunteer firefighter.
So, how did a detective and paramedic become one of the Island’s best oyster farmers? Despite the company being only three and a half years old, the story begins nearly two decades ago. When Miezianka was working as an EMT, he found a friend in the back of an ambulance in Smith, the paramedic. The two’s friendship continued, and one night in 2020, in Smith’s backyard, sharing drinks, Smith brought up his plan to take an oyster farming class. Intrigued, Miezianka decided to join him, and they would volunteer on local oyster farms while in class. Where they volunteered would become the site of their current farm after purchasing it, in the GSB, in the vicinity of Captree State Park.
“We describe it like a football field (the oyster farm), you have the endzones, which are eight to ten feet deep, and then you have midfield, which is walkable and makes up 80% of the farm,” explained Miezianka. Here is where the magic happens. In the GSB, oyster farmers purchase oyster seeds from hatcheries and place them in bags and cages just below the water’s surface.
“It can take two to three years with smaller, cheaper seeds, but we typically buy ones ready to go in 15-to-18 months,” stated Miezianka.
After their growing time is up, they are harvested and sold. What makes these oysters so special is that, as mentioned earlier, they are authentic Blue Point oysters.
“The only place in the world to get them is in the Great South Bay on Long Island,” said Miezianka. “These oysters are known for their brininess (saltiness), and deeper and clunkier meat.”
This is all made possible by the high rate of water flow provided by the Fire Island Inlet.
“Some companies from Connecticut, for example, try to pass them off under the Blue Point name, but it’s only possible to get the real ones here,” exclaimed Miezianka.
It’s not always easy work, as it can get physically demanding when the pair has to fight the mostly unpredictable wind and changing tides. However, the reward is some of the finest oysters in the world.
As the 12 versus 12 golf teams collide, headlined by Keegan Bradley, Scottie Scheffler, and Luke Donald, Toasted Oysters’ oysters will be available to all at the Ryder Cup.
“We hope this helps us market to more retailers, as we can ship anywhere,” said Miezianka.
If you can’t make it to this marquee event, you can always order fresh oysters or clams directly from Toasted Oysters, either on their website (toastedoysters.com) or by calling their office at 631-319-7660. For all your oyster needs, supporting a local, veteran, and first responder-owned company at the top of the shellfish game is a no-brainer.
