The Oyster Guide

Saltwater Depot Oyster Riot, Saturday 10-4

rowan — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:46:38 +0000

Three breweries, one band, and all the oysters you can eat at Luc Chamberland’s Saltwater Oyster Depot, On beautiful Tomales Bay.

On Sunday, catch an oyster forum in the same location, with local experts and yours truly discussing the merits of oyster farms and the potential to start some new ones in California.

rowan — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:45:42 +0000

Oysterman extraordinaire Luc Chamberlain kicks off his first ever Oyster Riot on May 18th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at his new Saltwater Oyster Depot in Inverness, California (right on Tomales Bay). I’ll be there all day for all-you-can-eat oysters and superb local wines, and I’ll stay the next day for panel discussions and more events at Luc’s sweet spot.

More I Love Blue Sea Oysters

rowan — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:54:50 +0000

The direct-ship website I Love Blue Sea has just further cemented its position as the amazon.com of oysters by doubling its oyster offerings. You can now select from ten different oysters, plus shucked quarts and half-gallons of Pacifics (a much better product for cooking purposes than what’s available to most of us on the east coast), and ordering is a snap on their revamped website. The oysters are generally shipped directly from the grower to you, maintaining peak freshness. It’s a pretty cool system, made cooler by the fact that some of the oysters are hard to find. Wild Belons from Maine! When was the last time you could order those through the mail? Also a nice balance of east and west coasts: Kusshis, Kumamotos, and Shigokus from Washington State, Sewansecotts and Lone Points from Virginia, and Naked Cowboys and Blue Points from Long Island Sound. There are actually 100 seafood offerings on the I Love Blue Sea site, so if you’ve been hankering to throw a $93 geoduck or a $134 jar of caviar into your oyster order, you’ve come to the right place!

Sip, Slurp, and Save in SoHo, March 22

rowan — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:47:00 +0000

To celebrate World Water Day, City Winery (155 Varick Street) is throwing a party, with wine from Stark Wine and oysters from Brooklyn Oyster Party. Proceeds support WaterAid, a leading international organization that helps the world’s poorest communities gain access to safe water and sanitation. The festivities get rolling at 6 p.m. Details here.

Broadwater Oysters

rowan — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:01:03 +0000

The Chesapeake oyster revival continues with Broadwaters, the newest quality addition to the scene. Broadwaters are some of the biggest Virginia oysters I’ve seen, with deep cups and a salty, tangy taste with hints of pine or lemongrass (something I’ve previously noticed in Long Island oysters, which these closely resemble). The shells are a bit brittle, but that seems to be a problem endemic to the Chesapeake these days. Broadwaters nice surf/turf flavor comes from their broken-home upbringing.

The oysters are raised in Occohannock Creek:

View Larger Map

Until they are market sized (and a good, hefty market size, too). At this point, they are lovely oysters, they just aren’t very salty oysters, due to Chesapeake Bay’s modest salinity. Here is where the Broadwater oyster boys do a very smart thing. They haul the oysters out of the water and “salt them up” in Magothy Bay, here:

View Larger Map

This is an age-old technique that benefits most low-salt oysters. Since Magothy Bay is outside the eastern shore of Virginia, out of reach of its freshwater rivers, it is quite salty. In just a few days, the oysters absorb some of that Atlantic brine.

Broadwater Oysters also sells Occohannocks, which are the same oysters, only not relayed oceanside. Both can be ordered directly by the 100 count.

Matunuck Oyster Bar

rowan — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:11:52 +0000

I haven’t yet had the pleasure to visit Matunuck Oyster Bar, in South Kingston, Rhode Island, but it has been at the top of my list for a while, and even more so after this testimonial from oyster fan Chris Budnick:

“I’ve been to my fair share of seafood shacks and oyster bars. This one is on top of the list for it’s location, owner, and quality fresh product. No fancy extras, but nothing left out either. Not a hipster in sight.

“Matunucks come from Potters Pond right behind the restaurant. Watch Hills/ Ninigrets are okay, but Matunucks are outstanding. Small with deep cup. They taste exactly like the last wave of the day.. small, light, and clean, not soggy big and boogery or overly briny.”Perry Raso (the owner) is a great guy—he sometimes buses tables in shorts and work boots when its wicked busy –hands on manager. I enjoy watching him run his place. Takes the time to talk to folks.”Mantunuck and Galilee are real old school places…last of their kind. Not gentrified and fake.. . Just like the people who summer or live there year round. I suppose the oysters match the place perfectly.”

There are few things better than an oyster that tastes like the last wave of the day, and that sounds like a fine reason to head for Matunuck. Anyone else want to weigh in?

GCOB Oyster Happy Hour

rowan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:02:03 +0000

At last, something to do in Midtown at 5 o’clock:

Grand Central Bar Oyster Happy Hour

$1.25 oysters, $4 beers
$6 wines, $8 martinis, and appetizer specials.
Mon-Wed 4:30-7pm
Sat 1-5pm
In the Saloon and Lounge

Taylor Shellfish Nighttime Oyster Excursion 1/8 & 2/7

rowan — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:25:43 +0000

Taylor Shellfish’s stupendous late-night visits to their fabled oyster beds, where you can shuck your own oysters by headlamp, as well as experience their tidal-flats pop-up oyster bars, are back on two upcoming dates: Jan 8 and Feb 7. I know of nothing quite like it, and I encourage all to go. Here’s the press release:

Dec. 28. 2012

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jon Rowley 206-963-5959 rowley@nwlink.com

Taylor Shellfish Offers Popular Low Tide “Walrus & Carpenter Picnics” Jan 8 and Feb 7 to Support Puget Sound Restoration Fund

“ O Oysters come and walk with us, a pleasant talk, a pleasant walk,

upon the briny beach…”

Shelton: Taylor Shellfish Farms of Shelton WA is pleased to announce two winter nighttime low tide “Walrus & Carpenter Picnics* on their Totten Inlet oyster beds Jan 8 and Feb 7 in support of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. The popular events are intended to provide the ultimate oyster-eating experience …one by which all subsequent oyster experiences will be judged. Lewis Carroll’s, Walrus & Carpenter, a tale of how the Walrus & Carpenter lure the oysters for a “lovely walk, a lovely talk upon the briny beach” and then proceed to eat every one, provided the inspiration.

Walruses & Carpenters depart on the Oyster Bus at 6:30 pm from Elliott’s Oyster House, arriving back in Seattle before midnight. Why at night? The low minus tides in the winter are at night when oysters are naturally chilled to just the right temperature. The moon and lanterns on tripods light the way. With luck, the experience is invigorated occasionally with an icy gust of wind off the bay. Walruses & Carpenters are advised dress for warm and dry. To instill a sense of adventure, the Oyster Bus goes whatever the weather.

Participants can gather and shuck their own Olympias, Kumamotos, Pacifics and Virginicas right off the beach or get them from ace shuckers at oyster bars set up around the beds. Shucking lessons are available. Winners of the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, an annual dating service for wines and oysters, are available to taste and compare at stations interspersed with the oyster bars. A low minus tide, moonlight, plump, chilled oysters just rousted from their beds, crisp chilled wines out of Reidel stemware and a bonfire to take away the chill provide, just the right mix of magic and madness.

Just before getting back on the bus, Xinh Dwelley, of Shelton’s Xinh’s Clam & Oyster House, serves everyone a hot bowl of her legendary oyster stew.

The $125 ticket for the once-in-a-lifetime oyster experience benefits the Puget Sound Restortation Fund.

*This event pre-dates, and is not affiliated with, the excellent Walrus & Carpenter restaurant.

Taylor Shellfish Farms is a fifth generation family-owned company producing Manila clams, Mediterranean mussels, geoduck, four species of oysters and seed for national and international markets.

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The Perfect Oyster (Video)

rowan — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 14:48:49 +0000

Great six-minute video featuring Brent Petkau, aka “The Oysterman,” waxing poetic on his favorite subject. (Warning: You may feel the need to smoke a cigarette afterward.) Stunning footage by Craig Noble. Thanks to Ralph and Elena at Mine Oyster for setting up this page.

Gulf Coast Oyster Appellations

rowan — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:41:35 +0000

Here’s a fun Google Map of some of the choicest Gulf Coast oyster appellations right now.

And here is a very snappy pdf map of all those Galveston Bay (Texas) reefs.

Just in time for the peak of the oyster season.