Sunshine and oysters are pretty good pals. Ragus and stews are great for the cold months, but a few oysters and a cold pint, or a glass of bubbles, are a great way to welcome the warm weather.
Here's a half dozen happy hour oyster options that give you the half shells at half price:
Ten Bells
212.228.4450 | 247 Broome St (btwn Orchard and Ludlow)
$1 oysters everyday from 5-7pm. Note: cash only.
The Mermaid Oyster Bar
212.260.0100 | 79 MacDougal St - 96 2nd Ave - 568 Amsterdam Ave
The UWS location isn't down with the oyster special, but you can get $1 littlenecks at their daily happy hour from 5:30-7pm. The downtown locations feature $1 east coast and $1.75 west coast oysters from 5:30-7pm Monday - Thursday and 5-7pm Friday - Sunday.
John Dory Oyster Bar
212.792.9000 | 1196 Broadway (@ 29th St)
Seven days a week, from 5-7pm, your choice of a half-dozen oysters or clams with a glass of sparkling wine or a pint of Oyster Stout Ale for $15.
Millesime
212.889.7100 | 92 Madison Ave (btwn 28th and 29th)
$1 oysters Monday - Friday from 5-7pm.
Cornelius
718.398.6662 | 565 Vanderbuilt Ave, Brooklyn (@ Pacific)
$1 Blue Point Oysters from 5-7pm on weekdays and 3-7pm on weekends.
Maison Premiere
347.335.0446 - 298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn (btwn South 1st and Grand)
$1 oysters Monday - Friday from 4-7pm.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 8:28AM 
Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The name means fat Tuesday in French and, here in the states, the day is most widely celebrated in New Orleans. Although that city is roughly 1,300 miles to the south, there are plenty of places around town to channel the Crescent City's spirit. So, if you're looking for somewhere to get your purple, green, and gold on tonight, here are five New Orleans-inspired restaurants we really dig.