Call it the Goldilocks theory of oysters.

It's sacrilege to say so in this town, but raw oysters have always been a bit too briny for my taste. That salty, squishy, fresh-from-the-ocean flavor? I can understand the appeal, but it's generally a bit too pungent for me.

On the other end of the spectrum, chefs like David Grossman and Tommy Birdwell have done unexpected things with the bivalves. Grossman's chicken fried oysters at Branch Water Tavern are a clever way to blend Gulf ingredients and Southern tradition, while Birdwell's oysters are breaded and fried in blue corn at TQLA. Both are successful as distinct dishes, but the bready presentation disguises the oyster flavor and texture more than it works with it. Technically you could throw almost any protein in the middle and it would taste more or less the same.

Too raw, not raw enough. Finally, I've found some oysters that are just right.

 LA Bar, a semi-independent concept opened adjacent to the original Ragin' Cajun on Richmond, features a lot of Ragin' Cajun favorites, plus a few new forays into more sophisticated (i.e., not fried) dishes. By far the best of these is the amazing grilled oysters. Grilled on the half-shell, they are spiked with a spicy lemon garlic butter and stuffed with grated pecorino romano and parmesan cheese.

The result is a plate of oysters that's rich, sweet and salty all at once, with just a hint of char around the edges. You may not be able to slurp them, but they still have the essential essence of an oyster, that fleshiness, even as the briny taste gives way to a buttery, slightly lemony goodness.

Co-owner Dominic Mandola says it's a preparation that's currently trendy in Louisiana seafood restaurants, but he thinks LA Bar is the only place in Houston doing it. (The LA in LA Bar stands for Lake Arthur, Louisiana, not Los Angeles.) I wouldn't expect that to be the case for long.

Since I checked out LA Bar, I've had multiple conversations in which I mentioned the restaurant only to be accosted with "DID YOU TRY THE OYSTERS?!"

These babies will turn even the most jaded among us into oyster evangelists. And that includes me.