ASHEVILLE – Dan Philps, a local server and bartender, decided to try his luck when he heard about an oyster-eating contest at The Lobster Trap on St. Patrick’s Day.
On March 17, Philps and his girlfriend, Mary Thompson, were already dining out, enjoying lunch at an Irish pub, when a stranger mentioned the event happening at the seafood restaurant later that evening.
“Growing up close to the coast, I love oysters, and we were like, ‘We’ve got to go right now,'” Philps said…