Friday, May 3, 2013

2013 Oyster Festivals

Steamed oysters, a cold beer, blue grass on a crisp sunny day ...  Ahh, the sights, sounds and smells of a perfect oyster festival. (Really, is there any other kind?) You can find festivals at wineries, in the city, on the beach, in a park, along the river, after a motorcycle ride, and even at the end of a 5K run. The West Coast is brimming with oyster festivals this summer and East Coasters can look forward to some of the world's greatest oyster festivals in the Fall. Can you fit one or two in during your summer vacations? I've compiled a comprehensive list of oyster festivals in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom this year. I hope you can fit in at least one. Have fun!

2013 - 2014 Festivals:

CALIFORNIA
San Francisco Oyster Fest. Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park. San Fran, CA.  June 1, 2013
San Diego Oyster Fest.  Marina Embarcadero North. San Diego, CA.  June 15, 2013
Arcata Bay Oyster Festival. Arcata, CA. June 15, 2013
Central Coast Oyster Festival. Morro Bay Oyster Farm.  Morro Bay, CA.  Oct. 19, 2013
CONNECTICUT
Mohegan Sun Oyster Open. Uncasville, CT.  Jan. 27, 2013
Milford Oyster Festival.  Milford, CT.  Aug. 17, 2013
Norwalk Oyster Festival.  Norwalk, CT.  Sept. 6-8, 2013

FLORIDA
Goodwood Museum & Garden's Oyster Roast.  Tallahassee, FL.  Mar. 1, 2013
Fort Pierce Oyster Festival, Ft. Pierce, FL.  Apr. 6, 2013
Halifax Oyster Festival.  Daytona Beach, FL.  Apr. 27, 2013
Franklin County Oyster Festival.  Eastpoint, FL.  CANCELLED
Apalachicola Oyster Roast.  Apalachicola, FL.  Nov. 1, 2013

GEORGIA
Oyster Mardi Gras Fest.  Atkins Park Restaurant.  Smyrna, GA.  Feb. 12, 2013
Steamhouse Lounge Oyster Fest.  Atlanta, GA.  Feb. 23-24, 2013
Georgia Conservancy Oyster Roast.  Savannah, GA.  Mar. 2, 2013

ILLINOIS
Springfield Oyster & Beer Festival.  Springfield, IL.  Sept. 7, 2013
Guiness Oyster Fest.  Roscoe Village.  Chicago, IL.  Sept. 7, 2013
Royster with the Oyster.  Chicago, IL. Oct. 8-12, 2012 



 LOUISIANA
Louisiana Oyster Jubilee. New Orleans, LA.  Mar. 9, 2013
Amite Oyster Festival.  Amite, LA.  Mar. 15-17, 2013
New Orleans Oyster Festival.  New Orleans, LA.  June 1-2, 2013
St. Cletus Oyster Festival.  Gretna, LA.  Oct. 19-21, 2012
Violet Oyster Festival.  Violet, LA.  Oct. 19-21, 2012


 MAINE
Pemaquid Oyster Festival.  Damariscotta, ME.  Sept. 29, 2013

MARYLAND
Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival.  National Harbor, MD.  CANCELLED.
Ducks Unlimited Annual Bull & Oyster Roast.  Havre de Grace, MD.  Apr. 20, 2013
St. Mary's Oyster Festival.  Leonardtown, MD.  Oct. 19-20, 2013
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum OysterFest.  St. Michael's, MD.  Nov. 2, 2013

MASSACHUSETTS
B&G Oyster Festival.  Boston, MA.  May 5, 2013
Island Creek Oyster Festival.  Duxbury, MA.  CANCELLED
Wellfleet Oyster Festival.  Wellfleet, MA.  Oct. 19-20, 2013

MISSISSIPPI
Pass Christian Oyster Festival.  Pass Christian, MS.  Jan. 25-27, 2013

MISSOURI
Schlafly Stout and Oyster Festival.  St. Louis, MO.  Mar. 8-9, 2013

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Piscatagua Oysterpalooza.  Piscataqua, NH.  Sept. 22, 2013

NEW JERSEY
Asbury Park Oysterfest.  Asbury Park, NJ.  Sept. 6-8, 2013
Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival.  Red Bank, NJ.  Sept. 22, 2013

NEW YORK
Oyster and Wine Festival at Lieb Cellars.  North Fork, Long Island, NY.  Apr. 27, 2013
Stone Street Oyster Festival.  Stone Street, New York, NY.  Sept. 21, 2013.
Oyster Week.  New York City and Long Island, NY.  Sept. 21-29, 2013.

Aureole's Oyster Social. New York City, NY.  Sept. 22, 2013
Empire Oyster. New York City, NY. Sept. 25, 2013
Oyster Frenzy. (Pro Oyster Shucking Contest).  Sept. 28, 2013 
Oyster Bay Oyster Festival.  Oyster Bay, NY.  Oct. 19-20, 2013

NORTH CAROLINA
Core Sound Waterfowl Museum. Harkers Island, NC. Jan. 25, 2014
Stumpy Point Oyster Festival. Stumpy Point, NC. Feb. 8, 2014
Dogwood Oyster Roast. Statesville, NC. April 26, 2013
First Flight Rotary Oink and Oyster Roast. Kitty Hawk, NC. Oct. 6, 2012
Airlie Gardens Oyster Roast. Wilmington, NC. Oct. 18, 2013
Burke Arts Council Oyster Outing. Morganton, NC. Oct. 19, 2013
NC Oyster Festival. Ocean Isle, NC. Oct. 19-20, 2013
Dixon Chapel Oyster Roast. Varnamtown, NC. Nov. 3, 2012
Pamlico-Tar River Foundation Oyster Roast. Washington, NC. Nov. 10, 2012 


 SOUTH CAROLINA
New Year's Day Oyster Roast.  Folly Beach, SC.  Jan. 1, 2014
Save the Light Oyster Roast.  Charleston, SC.  Jan. 6, 2013
Music & Oysters for Wildlife.  Awendaw, SC.  Jan. 12, 2013
Oyster Roast at Dill Sanctuary.  Charleston, SC.  Jan. 13, 2013
Lowcountry Oyster Festival.  Mt. Pleasant, SC.  Jan. 26, 2014
Charitable Society of Charleston Oyster Roast.  Charleston, SC.  Feb. 2, 2013
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition.  Charleston, SC.  Feb. 16, 2013
Shuckin in the Park Oyster Roast.  Moncks Corner, SC.  Mar. 9, 2013
Pet Helpers Oyster Roast (Shuck Your Paws Off).  Charleston, SC.  Mar. 16, 2013
Beaufort Twilight Run & Oyster Roast. Beaufort, SC.  Mar. 23, 2013
Spartanburg Ducks Unlimited Oyster Roast.  Spartanburg, SC.  Apr. 5, 2013
Hilton Head Oyster Festival.  Hilton Head, SC.  Nov. 9-10, 2013
Summerville Family YMCA Oyster Shindig.  Summerville, SC.  Nov. 9, 2012
Celebrity Chili Cook-Off & Oyster Roast.  Charleston, SC.  Nov. 23, 2013
South Carolina Oyster Festival.  Columbia, SC.  Nov. 24, 2013
Palmetto Society Oyster Roast.  Charleston, SC.  Dec. 7, 2012

PENNSYLVANIA
Berks County Celtic Festival.  Mohnton, PA.  CANCELLED 

TEXAS
Oysterfest.  Fulton, TX.  Mar. 7-10, 2013
Fiesta Oyster Bake.  San Antonio, TX.  April 19-29, 2013
World Championship Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival. Throckmorton, TX.  May 18-19, 2012
Austin Oyster Festival.  Austin, TX.  Nov. 9, 2012

VIRGINIA
Barrier Islands Center Oyster Roast.  Machipongo, VA.  Feb. 23, 2013
Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Oyster Roast. Virginia Beach, VA.  Mar. 24, 2013
Blue Ridge Oyster Festival.  Roseland, VA.  CANCELLED
Lynnhaven Oyster Roast, Virginia Beach, VA.  Apr. 20, 2013
Chincoteague Oyster Festival, Chincoteague Island, Oct. 12, 2013
City Center Oyster Roast.  Newport News, VA.  Oct. 18, 2013
Urbanna Oyster Festival.  Urbanna, VA.  Nov. 1-2, 2013
Oyster Roast at Cardinal Point Vineyard.  Afton, VA.  Nov. 9-10, 2013
The Mimslyn Inn Oysterfest.  Luray, VA.  Nov. 10, 2012
TOGA Half-Shell Oyster Tasting.  Gloucester, VA.  Nov. 10, 2012
Watermen's Museum Oyster Roast.  Yorktown, VA.  Dec. 1, 2012
Oysters and Oldies Christmas Oyster Roast.  Heathsville, VA.  Dec. 1, 2012


 WASHINGTON
Hama Hama Oyster Rama.  Lilliwaup, WA.  Apr. 27, 2013
PCSGA Shellfish SLURP.  Olympia, WA.  May 5, 2013
Jazz & Oysters (Watermusic Festival).  Oysterville, WA.  Aug. 18, 2013
Samish Bay Bivalve Bash.  Samish Bay, WA.  CANCELLED
Oyster Run.  Anacortes, WA.  Sept. 22, 2013
Oysterfest & West Coast Shucking Championship.  Shelton, WA.  Oct. 5-6, 2013
Flying Fish Oyster Frenzy.  Seattle, WA.  Oct. 27, 2013
Elliott's Oyster New Year Bash.  Seattle, WA.  Nov. 2, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C
Oysterstock. April 22, 2012

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Oyster Roast. Milwaukee, WI.  Apr. 20, 2013

CANADA
Lund Shellfish Festival. May 24-36, 2013
BC Shellfish Festival. Comox. June 14-15, 2013
Ontario Oyster Festival. Toronto. July 21, 2013
Tyne Valley Water Oyster Festival. PEI. July 31-Aug. 4, 2013
PEI Shellfish Festival. PEI. Sept. 19-22, 2013
Clayoquot Oyster Festival. Tofino. Nov. 15-17, 2012
UNITED KINGDOM
Colchester Oyster Fayre Market.  Essex, UK.  June 1-2, 2013
Whitstable Oyster Festival. Whitstable, Canterbury, UK.  July 20-26, 2013
Carlingford Oyster Festival. Carlingford, Louth, Ireland.  Aug. 8-13, 2013
Hillsborough Oyster Festival .  Hillsborough, N Ireland.  Sept. 5-8, 2013
Clarenbridge Oyster Festival.  Galway, Ireland.  Sept. 13-15, 2013.
Galway International Oyster Festival. Galway City, Ireland.  Sept. 27-29, 2013
Falmouth Oyster Festival. Falmouth, UK.  Oct. 10-13, 2013
Anglesey Oyster & Welsh Produce Festival. Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, UK.  Oct. 12-13, 2013

Did I miss one?  Please let me know the name of the event, the event website, the date and the city.

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Seamus Heaney: Inspired by Oysters

Seamus Heaney is a household name in Ireland and among poetry enthusiasts.  He is arguably one of the greatest poets of our time. Born in an Irish farmhouse in 1939, he has won every major poetry award and most major literary awards, even winning the Noble Prize for literature in 1995.  He was a beloved lecturer at Harvard, and occasionally returns to campus as a rock star.  He found his inspiration everywhere and in everything, including our favorite oyster.

Heaney's "Oysters" has been loved and criticized ever since it was published in 1979.  I have to think that Heaney personally loves the poem because it's the first one in his collection of poetry titled "Field Work." I can't speak to the merits of the poetry itself, but I can say that it speaks to the heart of oyster lovers.  As I read the poem, I could feel and taste and see and hear the oysters.  He also manages to capture the enigma of oysters - nodding to their lowly place in the animal kingdom and at the same time, elevated, sometimes idolized, in the human world.  Only oysters do we scoop up from the mud and then haughtily speak about their hints of seaweed, lemon and melon.

I was going to post the entire poem here, but I think I'd be violating some copyright laws.  So, in addition to showing you a video of Heaney himself reading his poem "Oysters," I'm treading water in the gray zone and linking to the poem on another website.  Click here for "Oysters" by Seamus Heaney.


Morans Oyster Cottage


Morans Oyster Cottage at The Weir.  Est. 1797.  Galway, Ireland.
Picture courtesy of Moran's Cottage


Clarenbridge Oysters.  European Flats.
Inner Galway Bay, Ireland.
"Oysters" is said to have been inspired by a night out at Morans Oyster Cottage at The Weir in Galway, Ireland. The 266-year-old, traditional thatched roof restaurant is run by the 7th generation of the Moran family. I contacted the Moran family to find out if it was true. Sheila Moran says that Heaney "describes driving through the Burren in Co. Clare to get to Morans. He would have visited on many occasions and in this poem he is thinking about visiting again. We have this poem hanging up in the restaurant. It is hand written by Seamus Heaney and he has signed it."

The world famous Morans at The Weir serves Clarinbridge oysters, which are native European Flats (Belons). They are available September to April. In the summertime, they serve Gigas, locally grown Pacific oysters. Gigas were introduced to Ireland just a few decades ago, but, because they are available year round, they have become the main species in Ireland. The Clarinbridge and Giga oysters are served simply at Morans - a fresh squeeze of lemon and homemade brown bread. Sounds like a place I'd like to hang out with my friends.

As Heaney said in "Oysters": 

 And there we were, toasting friendship,
Laying down a perfect memory

That's why, Morans Oyster Cottage is on my oyster bucket list.  Anywhere that can inspire a Nobel writer to capture the oyster is a place I want to be.  Cheers ... to oysters and friendship!

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Turkey Plates for Oyster Tastes

A porcelain turkey plate produced in the style of the
Rutherford B. Hayes china by Haviland & Co.  Designed by Theodore Davis.  

A while back I wrote about collecting oyster plates. During my research, I stumbled on a story about President Rutherford B. Hayes and turkey plates. I thought the story was a interesting piece of American history, so I decided to devote an entire post to it. Here's what I found about the oyster plate coveted by many collectors.

WHY A TURKEY PLATE?


First Lady Lucy W. Hayes
As many First Ladies have done before and after her, Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of our 19th president Rutherford B. Hayes, decided to commission new White House china. After a chance meeting, she discussed her ideas about the china with Harper's Weekly designer Theodore R. Davis, who was known for his nature art. Together, they decided that the new china would include various wildlife and plants. The plates are gorgeous and the "Hayes collection" is still the favorite among official White House china enthusiasts.

As almost all formal Victorian china sets included an oyster plate, the Hayes White House china would too. Inspired by wildlife, the oyster plate took on the form of a turkey. If you look closely, Davis used both the outside and inside of the oyster shells to create what looks like a turkey.  Even the turkey's head is formed by the hinged end of an oyster.

Davis gave his designs to the famous Haviland & Co. (based in Limoges, France) to produce the china.  Many, like the oyster plate, were made in unusual shapes which made them very expensive to produce.  To offest the costs, Haviland & Co. applied for a U.S. Patent and produced the same turkey plate - an exact copy of the original White House oyster plates - for the public. The plates produced for the public have the patent date on the back: "Aug. 10, 1880." The originals have the date "1879." All of the plates have the designer's signature.

ORIGINALS HARD TO FIND

Rutherford B. Hayes.
19th President of the United States
I first contacted the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Ohio to find out if I could get a picture of the original plate and its hallmark. No luck. According to Mary Lou Rendan, collections manager at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, the White House has all of the original plates. Not even President Hayes' official library can get one to display.  Several of the copy plates were donated to the library, but no originals exist outside of the executive mansion


SHOW ME THE MONEY!

So how much are the Hayes oyster plates worth? The originals are priceless, belong to the U.S. government, and are illegal to sell. But ... the copies sold in 1881 are still worth quite a bit of money. Today, a single turkey oyster plate in the Rutherford B. Hayes design sells for about $2,400 each. Check out this video from the PBS Antiques Road Show.





OYSTERS FOR THE PEOPLE


First Lady Lucy W. Hayes didn't just start an oyster plate obsession, she and her husband regularly ate and served oysters at the White House. A collection of vintage White House oyster recipes are on our sister website Harbor Island Oyster Co. taken from The Official White House Cookbook (1887). At the time, oysters were plentiful and eaten by everyone - rich, poor, ladies, and laborers.



RECIPES FROM THE FIRST LADY


Lucy Hayes contributed her own recipes to the Victorian oyster frenzy.  None of these recipes would have been served on the turkey oyster plate, but I thought you would enjoy the cooking techniques.  Anybody still have a red-hot kitchen shovel?


Scalloped Oysters in Shells
They may be served cooked in their shells, or in silver scallop shells, when they present a better appearance than when cooked and served all in one dish.

If cooked in an oyster or clam shell, one large, or two or three little oysters are placed in it, with a few drops of the oyster liquor. It is sprinkled with pepper and salt, and cracker or bread crumbs. Little pieces of butter are placed over the top. When all are ready, they are put into the oven. When they are plump and hot, they are done. Brown the tops with a salamander, or with a red-hot kitchen shovel.
If they are cooked in the silver scallop shells, which are larger, several oysters are served in the one shell; one or two are put in, peppered, salted, until the shell is full, or until enough was used for one person. Moisten them with the oyster-juice, and strew little pieces of butter over the top. They are merely kept in the oven until they are thoroughly hot, then browned with the salamander. Serve one shell for each person at table, placed on a small plate. The oysters may be bearded[sic] or not.

Scalloped Oysters
Ingredients: Three dozen oysters, a large tea-cupful of bread or cracker crumbs, two ounces of fresh butter, pepper and salt, half a tea-cupful of oyster-juice.
Make layers of these ingredients, as described in the last article, in the top of a chafing-dish, or in any kind of pudding or gratin dish; bake in a quick oven about fifteen minutes; brown with a salamander.

Oyster Stew
Put a quart of oysters on the fire in their own liquor. The moment they begin to boil, skim them out, and add to the liquor a half-pint of hot cream, salt, and Cayenne pepper to taste. Skim it well, take off the fire, add to the oysters an ounce and a half of butter broken into small pieces. Serve immediately.

Recipes from First Lady Lucy Hayes
Courtesy of the Rutherford B Hayes Presidential Center


BUCKET LIST


Seeing an original Rutherford B. Hayes turkey oyster plate from the White House collection is on my oyster bucket list. Have a copy of the original one in your collection?  Post here about it.  I would love to know about it.
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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Simply the Best: Dock Street Oyster Bar


Co-owner Steve Maillard
Dock Street Oyster Bar
I've been to some great oyster bars tucked into alleyways or in small alcoves in seaside towns up and down the East Coast. It's hard to say which one I liked best, they each bring a little somethin' to the party. But high on the list is a funky, Caribbean-inspired oyster bar right in my backyard. Dock Street Oyster Bar is nestled along the cobblestoned streets of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina - the kind of place you hope to stumble upon during a wanderlust afternoon.

Stump Sound Singles
Topsail, North Carolina
The restaurant - voted "Best Oysters" by a local lifestyle magazine for 13 years in a row! - only serves two oysters on the half shell. During the traditional "R" season, it's Stump Sounds from Southeastern North Carolina. During the summer, it's Apalachicolas from Florida. That's it. Both oysters are large, plump, super briny oysters that could stand up to almost any beverage but beg for the coldest beer in the place.

Juxtaposed with the simple oysters and the 150-year-old cobblestones outside is an elaborate explosion of color everywhere you look at Dock Street Oyster Bar.  Murals that slurped up the rainbow cover every surface and reflect the owners love of the Caribbean. Every chair, every table is inscribed, doodled, painted or otherwise customized to fit right in. The entire canvas is a work in progress.  The owners, Louise Forbes and Steve Maillard, search the Caribbean annually for new ideas to bring home to the restaurant.


Click here to check out the menu.  I usually skip it.  The daily specials are amazing. On a recent day, Oysters Alexander were an "appeteazer."  Many of the dishes pack some Caribbean-style heat.

And there's always a simple plate of oysters. Best in town.

Dock Street Oyster Bar
12 Dock Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
910-762-2827
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Monday, March 25, 2013

Saving Laurel: America's Oldest Oyster Boat

Picture of the original Laurel at an oyster convention in 1930.

America's oldest oyster boat is getting a reboot - and its reincarnation is the ultimate in oyster cool.  Here's the quick history:  The Laurel was built in 1891 and harvested loads of oysters in and around Long Island Sound, the Great Peconic Bay, the Great South Bay, New York Harbor, and a few points north and south.  In her day, she made the oystermen swoon and the rest of 'em jealous.  As all of us girls do, she started showing her age in recent years - sagging, peeling and losing her beauty.  She was set to be destroyed.  Along came Jean Paul Vellotti, a photographer who came upon the boat by happenstance while on assignment.  It was love at first sight and he couldn't let her go.  He came up with a plan ... and here's where it gets interesting:

Vellotti is turning the boat into a floating oyster bar serving fresh oysters - the only one of it's kind in the U.S.  "We were on the deck and someone said we should throw a party, and I thought yes, and an oyster raw bar would be appropriate. The idea just sort of stuck," he says. While Velotti will be importing some oysters from the West Coast, local highlights will incude Connecticut Blue Points, East Point Delaware Bay oysters and oysters from Thimble Island Oyster Company.


Recent picture of the Laurel
All of this oyster chic comes at a cost.  Restoring the boat is expensive.  Vellotti needs to rebuild the deck planks before he can safely serve customers.  I thought the oyster lovers at Oyster Stew could give him a hand.  The Laurel's Kickstarter campaign has already raised more than $4,300, but they need much more.  (Kickstarter is funding projects from movies to new technology to charitable events.)  In return, Vellotti has set up some great gifts for his kick starters.  I would pay double for a chance to participate in some of these.  
  • Give $35: Receive a 5x7 picture frame made from reclaimed deck planks from the Laurel
  • Give $50: Get 2 dozen oysters + 2 cold drinks on the house.
  • Give $250: Engrave your name on one of the new planks.
  • Give: $500: Spend a day on the water with 2-3 guests catching oysters.  When you're done, you can pack and take 200 oysters with you.
  • Give $800: Take a cooking class on the deck of the Laurel with 8-10 friends.
  • Give $5000: Hold a private event for 16-20 people, including a raw bar and a farm-to-table dinner
Vellotti made a video for his Kickstarter campaign.  I'm sharing it with you because he tells his story better than I ever could.



The boat will be based out of New Haven, Conn., but Vellotti will also be traveling with the Laurel.  Check his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Laurel1891) or follow him on Twitter @Laurel1891 for updates to the schedule.  Once they get up and running, they should have a schedule of ports, so people will know when and where to find the Laurel.  Here's the events currently on the calendar:  

 June 28-30: The Wooden Boat Show, Mystic, CT
July 12-14: Sailfest, New London, CT
August: Sage Oyster Bar, New Haven
Sept. 6-8: Norwalk Oyster Festival
Sept. 21-23: Greenport, Long Island, NY Maritime Festival

Laurel - America's oldest oyster boat.  I'm adding this to my oyster bucket list.
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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Oyster Girls Know How to Have Fun!

Oyster Girls - Jazmine, Elka, Tamara 

Some people just make you smile. That's how I felt when I found The Oyster Girls - sisters Aluxa and Jazmine Lalicker. They are everything a good oyster should be: mysterious, sexy, fun ... and hard working.  Who are The Oyster Girls?  They are the genius behind a mobile oyster bar.  Traveling mostly through the San Franciso Bay area, the sisters set up oyster bars for parties, corporate events and weddings.  Their oysters come from the Tomales Bay (famous for Hog Island oysters).  But it's not a grab-and-go relationship.  They actually work out on the Tomales Bay Oyster Co. oyster nursery, watching their oysters grow from spat to the "perfect designer half shell oyster."

Here's my cyber-chat with these ostreaphile chicas:


What gave you the idea for this company?
My mother always fostered creativity and ideas. She raised two girls that could dream and not be deathly afraid to fail. This lead us to spending many nights coming up with business ideas for fun. Most of them presented just for the silliness of the idea and others for the "strike it rich" dream. The Oyster Girls was an idea that seemed very attainable, fun and satisfying. We just kind of dived into it and used all the skills we had acquired and we have learned many more along the way. It is not easy to run your own business but I like the risk. It is a better way to gamble away your hard earned money - that is how I see it. And so far things are looking alright for us.

Aluxa Lalicker (co-owner, The Oyster Girls) and Liz

What's your favorite oyster tidbit that you share with customers that always surprises them?
Most people are surprised to find out that oysters are a live product. But obviously we don't like to weird people out at the oyster bar, so we wait for people to ask us questions and we focus on "entertainment" like telling bivalve jokes. ...

Do you know what an oyster girl does on her night off? rock-er-fella

You offer wine, beer and booze tastings.  What's your favorite(s) drinks to pair with oysters?  Do you choose the same for East Coast or West Coast oysters?
We are a unique oyster bar in the fact that we only offer local oysters grown in Tomales Bay. We are lucky to live in an area where we can get such an delicious array of local wines and micro-brews so it is hard to pick a favourite. Jaz is the bubble girl and I am a beer girl! As for booze, I like a splash of cucumber vodka on my oyster, topped with zest of a Meyer lemon.  As for the pairing parties, our clients provide the drink and we create the sauces and provide the fresh oysters.

 Is there anything on your oyster bucket list?
Since I just had sashimi geoduck the next thing would be .....to go to New Orleans! A year after we had already decided on a name for the business we discovered that The Oyster Girl was also a famous burlesque show in the 1940's  .... she can still be found on stage today. [Editor's Note: Click here to find out more about Evangeline the Oyster Girl.]

What's your favorite recipe for an oyster shooter?  
This is going to sound simple but the secret is in the garlic. LOTS of garlic, dash of Tabasco, fresh horseradish and some tomato puree. O and vodka of course.

What were the first oysters you ever ate?
I don't remember what kind it was, but I do remember I was on a date with my grandfather who was taking me out to teach me the etiquette of dating. At the age of 12 he took me to a fancy oyster house, Oyster Rockefeller in Tulsa Oklahoma. I loved them! On my 21st birthday the only thing I wanted to do was enjoy a plate of oysters on the half shell while sipping a cold beer in public :) and that is what I did back at the same restaurant my grandfather took me too.

Jazmine Lalicker
Co-owner of The Oyster Girls
Besides Tomales Bay oysters, what are your favorite oysters?
I favor any oyster that has come straight out of the water. The fewer the days, hours or minutes between being out of the water and being shucked and slurped, the better the oyster! I truly love them all. I love the differences you can taste in oysters from around the world. I love the briniest oyster as much as the mineral sweet flavors just as much as the sweetest melon flavor.




Good luck ladies!  Can't wait to shuck oysters with you soon.

San Francisco Bay Area
707-694-3755



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Monday, March 18, 2013

Free Oysters for Life

BBQ Oysters at The Red Fish Grill
Photo Courtesy of The Red Fish Grill

Quick post today. Just wanted to let you know about a fun contest from New Orlean's Ralph Brennan.  The Red Fish Grill is about to open their 3 MILLIONTH OYSTER.  They are celebrating by offering one lucky oyster lover the chance to win a dozen oysters everyday for life - prepared anyway you want them. You have to actually go to the restaurant to get your daily prize, but lots of Oyster Stew readers visit New Orleans regularly to get their oyster fix. (It also looks like you can take $1000 cash instead.)

Click here for the online entry form or visit www.redfishgrill.com/3millionbbqoysters. It's easy. Just enter your name, email address, and phone number. The entry form also asks for which way your like your oysters cooked and which sauces and seasonings you like with your oysters.

Good luck!

115 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA
504.598.1200
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