Lucky diner finds pearl worth thousands in oyster lunch
- 5 years ago
NEW YORK CITY — A Jersey man's shellfish meal pretty much paid for itself, and more, after one of his oysters turned out to be a real gem.
The New York Post reports that when Rick Antosh met a buddy for lunch at New York's Grand Central Oyster Bar on December 5, he ordered his usual oyster pan roast.
All of a sudden, he felt something rolling around his mouth, and became momentarily terrified that he'd lost a tooth or filling.
It turned out to be something way more valuable — the 66-year-old had been noshing on a pea-sized pearl, which he ended up pocketing.
At the time, he didn't think it was all that unusual, and so didn't inform the restaurant. The place had been open since 1913, so customers finding a precious gem in their oyster probably wasn't that rare. Right?
He later got curious and called the oyster bar, and was gobsmacked to be told it was only the second time something like this has happened in the last 28 years.
Even more pleasantly surprising is the fact that the pearl is likely worth around 2 to 4 thousand bucks, according to one pearl dealer the Post consulted.
Antosh still doesn't know what he's gonna do with his find, but damn — that $14 lunch was one heck of an investment.
The New York Post reports that when Rick Antosh met a buddy for lunch at New York's Grand Central Oyster Bar on December 5, he ordered his usual oyster pan roast.
All of a sudden, he felt something rolling around his mouth, and became momentarily terrified that he'd lost a tooth or filling.
It turned out to be something way more valuable — the 66-year-old had been noshing on a pea-sized pearl, which he ended up pocketing.
At the time, he didn't think it was all that unusual, and so didn't inform the restaurant. The place had been open since 1913, so customers finding a precious gem in their oyster probably wasn't that rare. Right?
He later got curious and called the oyster bar, and was gobsmacked to be told it was only the second time something like this has happened in the last 28 years.
Even more pleasantly surprising is the fact that the pearl is likely worth around 2 to 4 thousand bucks, according to one pearl dealer the Post consulted.
Antosh still doesn't know what he's gonna do with his find, but damn — that $14 lunch was one heck of an investment.