In Victorian times, luxury resort hotels in the Mid-Atlantic states offered guests a special way to enjoy oysters—in a pan roast. It is a warm and comforting stew made with just-shelled oysters, cream, a bit of chili sauce, and spice, served in a broad bowl on a square of thick toast. The tradition is carried on by the Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Station, where a seat at the counter affords a view of the roasts being made in vintage silver vessels that hearken back to a long-passed era of unabashed bourgeois extravagance. Pan roasts also are available made from shrimp, clams, lobster, or scallops.