One of my favorite spots since moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area is the Tomales Bay Oyster Company. I read about the TBOC on Umamimart while I was still living in Tokyo. It was a long wait until I was finally able to make the beautiful drive along Point Reyes National Seashore to feast on oysters — and it was definitely worth the wait.

I visited TBOC on Tuesday for some raw oyster shucking in the sun. The first time I visited TBOC, I asked the guy behind the counter to show us how to shuck an oyster.

Photo: Masato Washino

Doing the shucking yourself makes the slurping of a raw oyster that much more rewarding. Shucking an oyster for someone else is also a loving gesture.

You’ll need:
An oyster knife
A pair of rubber kitchen gloves
A flat surface that can be scratched – like a picnic table or large cutting board

Admire the oyster.

Locate the hinge on one end of the oyster.

Place the oyster, curvy side down so that the flatter side faces up.

Insert the oyster knife into the hinge. The tip of the knife should slip in about 1/4 of an inch.

Force the knife in about an inch into the oyster.

Once the knife is in the hinge, make a twisting motion with the knife so that the shell will crack open.

You will have to work around the edges while twisting to avoid breaking the top shell.

Feel around the inside of the oyster with your knife and make sure to cut off any muscle or strands that are attached to the underside of the top shell. Take the top shell off the oyster.

With your knife, free the meat inside the oyster from the bottom shell for easy slurping.

It will take some practice to get the best angle so that the juice in the oyster will not spill out while you are shucking it.

We topped our oysters with lemon and Tapatio hot sauce or cocktail sauce and horse radish. Topping it with lime and ponzu would be exquisite as well.

The TBOC scenery:

Photo: Masato Washino

Photo: Masato Washino

No one loves oysters more than Umamimart. Ok, maybe that’s a presumptuous statement to make on the I N T E R N E T, but I really really really love the bivalve, and most of my colleagues here do too. It’s my favorite food, and it will most definitely be at my L’ultima Cena.

So it’s National Oyster Day today! What a GLORIOUS day! If I were in NYC, I’d go to my #1 spot, the Grand Central Oyster Bar and order a dozen Totten Virginicas and the oyster pan roast. But alas, I am in sunny San Diego, so I think I’ll trek down to Ocean Beach for my beloved fried oyster taco. Not a bad back-up plan.

Went to the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Ferry Building the other day, and had a great meal. Here are our oyster highlights.

Mixed dozen of six different kinds of oysters.

Discovered the Kusshi oysters from British Colombia and fell in love.

They’re small, but bursting with flavors of the sea. A bit briny, a bit milky, but not overwhelming since they are quite small.

I prefer oysters from the Pacific Northwest, over the ones from the East Coast. Always with a martini, or some bubbly. Ha! WHO AM I???

These oysters didn’t need any accouterments, but Hog Island makes a great mignonette with cilantro.

And of course, can’t resist a little Tapatio.

Main course spread.

Their baked oysters are seriously awesome. We ordered the citron (there were two other kinds), which our server recommended. Butter, breadcrumbs, and zest. Magnifique!

We had the gumbo, which lacked depth (aka no umami). The chowder was great though– just some cream and butter, and these tiny little clams. They were adorable.

Hope everyone gets their oysters on today!!! It is a species of the sea that has gone through centuries of highs and lows in the fierce culinary hierarchy. Very fascinating history. I’m reading Anna Karenina where Stepan orders them by the dozens. Ahhh, the good life.

Ostreidae: We salute you today. And Everyday.

I know there is good food in Los Angeles and I’m trying to be more open to new things. That being said, I don’t like driving and I don’t particularly like Santa Monica, so I normally don’t travel to the west side of the city to do anything, beyond what I have to for work. On top of that, I’m not what you’d call a “beach” person, so generally I steer clear of Venice, Malibu and Santa Monica on the weekends, particularly the street that connects them all, Ocean Ave. B

ut, in an effort to rid myself of the sophomoric, cliched ennui associated with moving from New York to Los Angeles, I’m trying to embrace this city as my new home and make it my culinary bitch in my second year living here. Last Sunday, I pulled it together, faced the drive and went to the recently-hyped Blue Plate Oysterette, sister restaurant to the casual, healthy diner-style restaurant Blue Plate, located next to the ocean on Ocean Avenue.

Blue Plate Oysterette is one of the smaller restaurants I’ve been to in Los Angeles, reminding me of the boutique NYC restaurants like Pearl Oyster Bar or Prune.

With a few tables lining the street for outdoor seating, a handful of stools at the bar, the restaurant is primarily one long banquet of tables. The wait staff has a familial feeling, again, similar to what I experience in the casual, neighborhood restaurants in New York, and everyone is authentically nice.

The menu is a diner menu for pescatarians, with a heavy emphasis on local fish and oysters served in a variety of styles including ceviche, Ximemez, and Italian-inspired Crudo. The daily fish specials and selection of oysters are written on the chalk board that hangs above the bar. There were five types of oysters, two East Coast and three West Coast, although they were out of bunch of things by the time we sat down. After much deliberation I decided on a half dozen Kumamotos.

We ordered drinks, starting with St. King sparkling water. It tasted like any other sparking water I’ve had, I though the bottle was WAY cool.

Each table is set with a condiment tray, which includes Heinz malt vinegar worcestershire sauce (yes, that’s how you spell it, Google that shit). Given my love for condiments I was super impressed that each table has its own private tray.

The fishless food items that make it on the menu are few, including a hanger steak, Blue Plate hamburger,  AND “The Big Dog,” which I will be ordering the next time I’m there. “The Big Dog” is a 1/2 lb Kobe beef hot dog, topped with sauerkraut and homemade pickles and looks AMAZING. I immediately regretted not ordering it because right after I placed my order, the dog was delivered to the table next to me. However, my jealously waned once my oysters arrived.

The small pearl like oysters contain a mild, salty and perfect taste, one of my favorites in the world. Served with lemon, cocktail sauce and a shallot,champagne vinaigrette, the Kumamotos were delicious on their own and didn’t need any garnish.

Once the Kumamotos were gone I sank into a momentary, post-oyster depression, and decided to order a Hefeweizen to drown my sorrows. Blue Plate only serves wine and beer, carrying products from small yield vineyards and micro-brewers.

Emotional catastrophe was averted by the booze and the arrival of the Oysters Rockefeller. They might be the best baked-cheesey-bacony-oysters I’ve ever had, probably for two reasons. One, they didn’t use oysters the size of my hand, which many restaurants do because they are cheaper. And two, the cheese was mixed lightly with a butter pesto sauce that, surprisingly, didn’t over power the dish.

We then split a few more smalls plates including the mac and cheese, fries and spinach. Even though we ordered the mac and cheese sans lobster, it was just the taste I wanted, crispy on top and relentlessly creamy throughout, every piece of macaroni was smothered in awesomeness. The fries were totally boring, but they provided me with an opportunity to turn to my condiment platter and drown them in vinegar.

The spinach was a nice compliment to these two heavy dishes. It was freshly steamed and garnished with a bit of oil and crispy garlic slivers.

For our main course, we shared the Crudo of the day which was fresh ahi tuna mixed with olive oil, sea salt and lemon and served with chives, avocado, and crostini. It looked beautiful, however, the olive oil overpowered the taste of the fresh fish and basically made it seem like a healthy, open face tuna sandwich with avocado.

Even though I was stuffed, I ordered the hot fudge sundae, garnished with dried cherries and malt balls. As good as it looked, the sundae didn’t live up to my expectations. There weren’t enough malt balls and they used too many cherries, which overwhelmed the taste of the ice cream and hot fudge.

At this point, I was moving slowly and having difficultly thinking about the meal and forming complete sentences. I’m not sure if I grunted or said “Thank you,” when the waitress brought the check. In retrospect, I would have skipped the crudo and ordered another dozen or so oysters. As I got up to leave the Oysterette, I noticed a TV above the door. I imagine it’s a good sign that this was the first time I noticed it all night, and neither the other patrons or the waitstaff were paying any attention to it. I would like to think that the food was so good no one noticed and the waitstaff was too busy to care. However, I did get an urge to point up to the sky and say, “Ha! I told you so,” to anyone who cared (no one) when I realized what was on the TV.

It was a surf video.

*Photos by Thomas Young

**Sarah works in film production in sunny Los Angeles. After being away in Europe for five months, she is pretty much obsessed with burritos, sushi and Kogi at The Alibi Room in Culver City.

I only had three days in NOLA, but high on my things to do while I was in town was to go out for Oysters Rockefeller. New Orleans is the birthplace, afterall. When in Rome, folks. When in Rome.

Originally, I wanted to go to Antoine’s, the restaurant that first created the Oysters Rockefeller, in 1899. But Marshall declared that Antoine’s was no fun, and veered me towards Galatoire’s instead; he insisted I would enjoy the atmosphere much more.

Galatoire’s has been around since 1905 (!), right on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. We showed up around cocktail hour, so the staff was still setting up the restaurant. Can we simply sit down for some oysters and a glass of wine?, Pat asked the Maitre d’. The man, in a perfectly fitted suit, obviously very proud of his post, kindly complied.

What an enchanting restaurant indeed! Check out the wallpaper. Love the ceiling fans.

Ahhh, white linens and real silverware. While I love grubby hole- in-the-wall joints, sometimes, just sometimes, I love this too.

Thing is, the place was not stuffy at all, the way fine dining fancy places can be. All the servers were in tuxes, but it still had a laid back, welcoming vibe. I walked in wearing jeans and orange Adidas, no problem. Bottles of Tabasco and Worcester sat on every table. The balance between fancy and casual was right on.

Naturally, I wanted to order the entire menu, but we had just had a late lunch, so I refrained and limited myself to the Rockefellers and a plate of the shrimp rémoulade, which is a Creole dish. How good of me.

Now, I’m used to little dainty oysters, so you could imagine my astonishment when these babies came out. Oysters bigger than your HEAD. Or at least my fist.

The spinach (just spinach?) was a gorgeous green, mixed with breadcrumbs and lots of garlic. And of course, Herbsaint (or Pernod?). It really is such a curious combination of flavors, but somehow compliments the baked oyster so well.

I don’t have any close-ups of the shrimp rémoulade (SAD!) but these were served cold, and were absolutely wonderful. I asked the server how exactly they made them, and he went on a long soliloquy about how they boil the shrimp with a long list of spices for ten minutes, chill, then mix with the tomato-ey, mustard sauce. I loved everything about this dish.

Pat told me that it was near impossible to get a table after 7pm, and the place was always lively and packed. The staff were all exceptionally knowledgeable and seemed to have worked there forever. They possessed a sense of pride in the restaurant that was evident in how they moved through the restaurant. It is a special, magical place.

Galatoire’s, I will be back for more!

GALATOIRE’S
209 Bourbon St
New Orleans, LA
T: 504.525.2021

As my plane hovered over Gotham City yesterday, descending into Newark, I felt a sense of ease. I was home. That’s an annoying thing to say, coming from someone who abandoned the city for really no good reason– but in my heart of hearts, I am a New Yorker.

What’s the first thing I did, suitcase in tow and all? I headed straight to Grand Central Oyster Bar. You all know it is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, the states, the WORLD– but sitting in one of the swivel chairs at the actual oyster bar is one of the best spots on Earth.

It immediately makes you feel like a true New Yorker, no matter where you may be from.

See that board in the background of the photo? That’s where all the available oysters for the day are listed. It’s an ever-changing list throughout the day, you gotta get ‘em while they’re hot! I get really excited when my faves, Totten Virginicas, are on there. Got some of those, some cherrystone clams, and of course, a martini.

OYSTER SEASON IS HERE! Best time of the year to be ALIVE. My friend Maho and I went to an oyster bar “happy hour” in Nishiazabu, Tokyo- although whatever they were still pricey as hell. I could kick myself for losing my notes on where these darlings came from. Yoko thinks most likely from down south, like Shizuoka and Kumamoto. I remember these were quite large and milky.

Don’t these just look like sparkly, bedazzled, bulbous pieces of fleshy vagina?? If you don’t think so, go take a look at one, STAT! Yes, even you, Yamahomo.

After all my bitching, I finally got my fancypants on at Zuni Cafe last month. I must say that the place far exceeded my expectations. It was all in the butter.

I have a slight obsession with butter, as you all know. It is a major detail that so many fancy restaurants overlook, it drives me absolutely crazy. Thing is, it doesn’t have to be overpriced, uber-organic, hormone-free butter or anything pretentious like that. Actually, I would say that the little golden slabs they give out so liberally at the local diner far exceed the greasy butter bowls of godknowswhat they dare serve at 95% of restaurants.

So the butter came out at Zuni on a small white dish. Just a thin slab, nothing over the top- I was a bit taken aback by its simplicity, actually.

It was cold. Creamy. Subtly sweet. So fresh, it tasted as though there was a cow in the kitchen that the sous chef milked himself, churning it into this dairydelight in a matter of mere moments. MAGIC!

The Akaboris were in butterheaven. (uhhhhof course I went to dinner with Hideko and Kuni, WHO ELSE???).

I asked our server (Joe, who we adored) where this GODbutter came from. Turns out it was from Gilt Edge Creamery, which is right smack in the middle of San Francisco. Apparently this creamery has been around for over 50 years in the city. Who knew? I love the thought that the best butter I’ve ever had does not come from a farm in the middle of nowhere. Oh, hell no- this is URBANBUTTER.

Ok, jesus, enough about that. Here’s some highlights of the rest of the meal.

My Lillet on ice in a rocks glass. Ahhhh, so pretty!

Oysters, YAH! I believe these were Fanny Bays and Belons harvested in Tomales Bay. I rarely see these on the menu so I was super stoked- they are some of my favorite species of the bivalve. And house-made mignonette!

Burrata alla panna with heirloom tomatoes, garden lettuces and coutons.
Burrata from a Southern California creamery, Di Stefano- I know it just looks like a lump of poo here, but it was utter umami-in-your-mouth. It was like mozzarella on crack.

House-cured anchovies with celery, Parmesan and nicoise olives.
The anchovies were plump and delicious. Not too salty, not under-cured. Needed some crackers though.

Deep-fried padron peppers, okra and onions with lime and cumin.
Hideko is ethnocentric and thinks shishitos are better peppers than padrons. I personally can’t really tell the difference- padrons are sweeter, maybe? I love padrons and get them whenever I see them at the farmer’s market. Plus I never say no to okra if it’s on any menu. This here was perfectly fried, holler.

The ever-famous Zuni Cafe roasted chicken for two, with bread salad and mustard greens. This takes an hour to cook, so you want to order it right when you sit down.

The chicken was moist and fluffy hotness. A bit overly-brined, so too salty, but it was definitely one delicious bird. Was it FIFTY DOLLARS delicious?? Eh, that might be a stretch. But the bread salad had these currants and pine nuts in it, which was genius. The greens were awesome too, just the perfect touch of bitterness. I would actually say that the greens and bread outshined the chicken, if that’s at all possible.

“Piccola meringat” with peaches, raspberries and mascarpone.
Now, I am not much into sweets, but this was pretty incredible. Layers of mascarpone, raspberries and peaches sub-divided by these slim, crackly meringue discs. It was heavenly.

The entire feel of the place is pretty casual yet chic. I would say that Zuni definitely is a guiding light for Craft in NYC, both in decor and menu concept. Hideko kept commenting on how old the clientele was- it definitely leaned more towards the senior set, at least in the dining room. It made her feel old.

Right as you walk in the bar is to your left, facing the window. No stools! I loved the bar area the most, it was so pristine. Paystyle, you would definitely dig this. Also, the kitchen area back there is open- the unshucked oysters and chickens ready to be roasted are all visible when you walk by. It’s all very exciting to see your food being cooked.

ZUNI CAFE
1658 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
T: 415.552.2522

PS: Joe, our server, was sweet enough to bring me out the label for our Burrata when I asked him where it was from. Seems that Di Stefano ONLY makes Burrata, no other cheese, according to this article in SF Gate. All natural, no preservatives. Yamahomo, you’ve gotta follow-up your Mozzarella Battle with a BURRATA-OFF!

*Kayoko runs on her high school track every morning with the PE class, in Cupertino, CA. At the moment, she is craving some sparkling pink wine.

Since moving back to California, I’m trying to branch out more and find new places to eat all over the Bay Area. A few weekends ago my parents and I took a nice drive out to Pescadero, a quaint little town out on the coast, just south of San Francisco. We had an awesome Umamiventure out there a few months ago to a goat milk farm, remember?

I had recalled someone mentioning Duarte’s Tavern, saying that it’s one of the oldest restaurants in California, and that they serve a bombass cioppino. Of course it had been on my mind ever since.

One thing about my family is that we have always traveled far and wide for good food. When I moved out to NYC, I noticed how infrequently I left my neighborhood to eat- it’s so easy to get caught up with the day-to-day that you don’t leave your comfort zone very often when it comes to feeding yourself. The idea of Umamiventures came from the family tradition of driving anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for a good meal- this way, eating is an event on its own, not just something to do in passing.

Reading up on the history of Duarte’s, I learned that they have been owned and operated by its namesake family since 1894. Today, the third and fourth generation of Duartes oversees the restaurant, which won the prestigious James Beard Honorary Award as an “American Classic”. How awesome is that? In this day and age, “family owned” is such a rarity.

In visiting Duarte’s, it’s like a time warp- the wood paneling and beige walls all create a no-frills, cozy, cabin-esque setting. It is a tavern, afterall.

We seriously wanted to order the entire menu. We practically did. So much fresh seafood!

Although they do have a menu of the day’s specials, we thought we should go with their signature dishes since it was our first time there.

They are well-known for their artichoke dishes. This is the cream of artichoke swirled in with cream of green chile soup- they are listed on the menu separately, but our server (who we loved) told us we can order it half and half. Genius! The flavors surprisingly went so well together, and the flower pattern is so lovely.

Fried oysters- a unanimous favorite at the table. The plump oysters were just slightly floured and fried.

The shrimp salad. Get it with the olloliberry vinaigrette, it was awesome!!!

Fresh half dozen Fanny Bays. One of my favorite oysters, ever, I was so excited to see them on the menu. They didn’t taste so great, they may have been a day or two too old, but we slurped them down anyway.

Chilled artichoke hearts with aioli. Little cold hard diamond-shaped pieces of love.

The famed Dungeness crab cioppino. What made this so spectacular was the lightness of the soup- just tomato, carrots, celery and herbs. It was neither heavy, nor salty, so it really highlighted the crab. They make everything on the menu from scratch, and it was comforting to know that the soup didn’t come out of a can.

The meal all went so well with my Mission Brewery Blond Ale.

Their pies are also extremely famous thanks to Grandma Duarte. She has passed on, but the legendary pies continue. This is the strawberry-rhubarb.

The peach cobbler, which I loved. Look at the floating biscuit!!!

The Original Umamiventurers. You know we will eat anything if it involves wearing a bib.

I was able to sneak a shot of the actual bar/tavern area. So old skool and saloon-like, with the dark walls and dim lighting.

This was probably one of the most delightful meals of the year for the Akabori crew. We will definitely be back for the fried oysters, the cioppino and try some of the other dishes next time (we’ve already decided on the pork chop with apple sauce and baked oysters). Yes, this is how we roll! You can certainly make a day out of going here, and saunter the shops of Stage Road. I highly recommend it!

DUARTE’S TAVERN
202 Stage Road
Pescadero, CA
T: 650.879.0464

Visiting the Tomales Bay Oyster Company has been high on my priority list since CJ wrote about it last year. Fresh, just caught oysters? Overlooking the bay? Picnic tables? BBQ pits??? If that isn’t a dream scenario for you, don’t talk to me.

But obviously all of you felt my enthusiasm, as it won the poll for what we would be doing for the next Umamiventure. OYSTER BBQ, FUCK YAH!!! As usual, this post is dispersed with comments by those who attended and many fun pictures (mostly taken by me, unless otherwise noted.) Enjoy!

KAYOKO
About an hour north of San Francisco, Claire, Jaime, Peter and I were on the road by 10am to get to Tomales Bay early enough to snag a few tables. Although all the prime-real estate tables right on the water were already taken by 11am, we settled down on the mezzanine level with a great view of the water.

We set up shop, sprawled out our mountain of condiments and coolers full of beer over two tables.

CLAIRE
When we first arrived it was still foggy and chilly and pretty quiet, so we settled in with our bloody marys. It was the calm before the storm of friends, drunkenness, and deliciousness.

KAYOKO
Here’s Claire making the delicious cocktail, which was a simple concoction of vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, ground pepper, and yes, Paystyle, CLAM JUICE!

KAYOKO
The boys started the bbq as I walked down to the tent where they sell the bivalves.

Did we want small, medium or large? Extra large? A dozen, or 50??? After careful contemplation, I decided on 50 small oysters for $41. That’s 82 cents an oyster!!! HOLLER!

KAYOKO
I walked back to our table utter excitement, and giddily sliced open the yellow netting. Then, we put Jaime and Peter to work!

KAYOKO
OH NO! Sorry Jaime!!!

Photo by Jaime

CLAIRE
The small oysters raw with a squeeze of lemon and a couple drops of Tapatio was my favorite, so simple and tasty.

KAYOKO
By noon, more people started showing up. And look! SUN!!!

DAN
After many failed attempts, I finally popped my Umamiventure cherry at Tomales Bay Oyster Company, right in time for the traditional opening of oyster season. Armed with a killer Bloody Mary from Claire, I began intermediary calisthenics in preparation for the shuck-a-thon.

The gloves went on, the shucking knives got hot as I alternated techniques from the “hinge pop” to the “side door”. The oyster shells (in particular, the “mantle”) at TBOC are softer than your average oyster shell so shucking was a breeze.

KAYOKO
Dan was a serious shuckmaster from the moment he got there, it was awesome. He brought his own shucker, plus gloves!!! What a PRO!

DAN
For the smalls, I enjoyed most straight/raw/undressed, but I indulged in some of the homemade mignonette, vodka, lemon, and yuzu kosho.

KAYOKO
In the words of Samer: When in doubt, TAPATIO!

Peter’s very first oyster… of his LIFE!!! Monumental moment- I am so glad I documented it.

KAYOKO
By 1pm, the party was in full swing, and it was time for another bag of oysters. Dan I walked down to the tent for Round II. This time, we went for the medium size oysters so we could try barbecuing them.

I also saw that they had Manila clams, so I got two pounds of those.

DAN
The mediums seemed to be larger than I last remembered, including one stretched out Dali-esque specimen that probably topped out around half a pound.

DAN
The larger the oyster shells, the greater probability of finding a clam worm living in the crevices and barnacles of the oysters. Keep an eye out for these puppies, unless you enjoy an extra dose of protein in your diet. Can you see the little guy??

Photo by Dan

STEVEN AND JESSICA
What happens when you shuck oysters, barbeque them with chimichuri sauce and a whole lotta love? Food-gasm!

Photo by Thien V.

CLAIRE
This was my first time experiencing the bbq oyster and I was surprised by how much I liked it- because I love them raw, I didn’t anticipate how grilling them would be preferable. The smokiness and warmth of the grilled oyster was surprisingly awesome! When Jessica ingeniously began dressing oysters with Jaime’s now famous chimichurri sauce before grilling them, I became a huge fan.

KAYOKO
Thien brought tomatoes and we wrapped them in foil and put them on the bbq as well. What a delight!

Jessica was the funnest, most seriously dedicated grill masters ever.

Photo by Jaime

DAN
I only got to have one that Jessica prepped and it was fantastic.

KAYOKO
WHAT??? Dan, you shucked 90% of the oysters and you only got one??? That’s whack!

CLAIRE
I have to confess that I didn’t shuck a single one, but enjoyed eating many.

KAYOKO
OMG me too! Claire, how did we get away with not shucking ANY OYSTERS ALL DAY???

I’m a condiment whore so the array of sauces that people brought amazed me to no end. Jaime made a chimichurri sauce that was just the perfect addition to the oysters on the grill, and Jessica brought homemade mignonette! Look at this bottle!

We added bacon the grill, and sausages too.

Photos by Thien V.

Then came the clams… together with the corn that James and Christian brought.

Photo by Thien V.

KAYOKO
I overheard Helen say that she liked the clam more than the oysters. I have to say that indeed, they were delicious. So fresh, succulent, and tasted of the sea. We didn’t even add anything to them and just ate them as is! They were delicious.

Dave and Thien on shucking duty.

JAIME
The best thing about the whole outing was seeing food bringing all sorts of different people together, even if they didn’t know each other. Sharing the food experience made it easy to hang out. Time passed so fast!

GABE
I’d have to say the event was amazing! I loved the venue, and the oysters were sooo delicious! I would love to do it again!

CLAIRE
Kayoko delighted us at the end of the afternoon with grilled figs topped with fresh ricotta – yum!

DAN
I want to send a shout out to Jordan for sharing a Dogfish Head 90min IPA with me, the sharp green hoppy flavour complimented the oysters’ flavor rather well.

JESSICA
The facilities at Tomales Bay were lovely, but as an oyster snob I would recommend driving the extra 10 minutes to check out Hog Island’s briny goodness.

DAVE
Oyster Haiku:

Delicious oyster.
Hot grill by Tomales Bay.
Ok, just one more.

Photo by Dave

TOMALES BAY OYSTER CO.
15479 Highway One
Marshall, CA
T: 415.663.1242

* I’d like to thank everyone who came out to this adventure to SHUCK AND SUCK! It was such a memorable, gorgeous Northern California day. Special thanks and love to Hideko, my mama extraordinaire for sponsoring the event. I know, I’m so sneaky!!!

**Umamiventues are organized monthly, traveling far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path.

***Become a Facebook Fan of UM to stay updated on all future trips!!!

Past Umamiventures include:
1.) Ocean Jewel Restaurant – Flushing, NYC; June 2007
2.) Red Hook Ball Fields - NYC; June 2007
3.) Taste of Jackson Heights – NYC; October, 2007
4.) Sripraphai Restaurant – Woodside, NYC; November 2007
5.) WINTERMARKET – South St. Seaport; December 2007
6.) Jackson Diner- Jackson Heights, NYC; January 2008
7.) Pacificana – Sunset Park, NYC; February 2008
8.) Puerto Alegre – The Mission, SF; March 2008
9.) Dinosaur BBQ – Harlem, NYC; April 2008
10.) Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden – Astoria, NYC; May 2008
11.) Brooklyn Banh Mi Crawl – Sunset Park, NYC; August 2008
12.) Sheapshead Bay Lobster Crawl – NYC; September 2008
13.) Flushing Food Circuit – NYC; October 2008
14.) Strong Beer Month – SF; March 2009
15.) Loisaida Throwback Crawl – NYC; April 2009
16.) Harley Farms Goat Dairy – Pescadero, CA; June 2009

YES, we are finally doing this!!! Let’s meet up at the famed Tomales Bay Oyster Company on Sunday 8/23 and get our shellfish on!

This is California’s oldest shellfish farm (since 1909!), about an hour north of SF. Yes, that means you have to set your alarm clock on a Sunday morning, but deal with it- we’ll have bloody marys awaiting your arrival.

The coolest thing about this place is that there are picnic tables out front plus bbq grills so we can buy fresh oysters on premises and grill ‘em up or slurp ‘em raw. Oysters rockefeller, oysters with chorizo con queso, oyster shooters… HELL YAH!

I’ll get there early to save a table- but please try your best to get there on time!!! I know it’s early, but I’ve got work that night so need to leave by 3pm.

Please bring beer or your beverage of choice, and anything else you would like to grill. Huge slabs of bacon, anyone???

I’ll bring plates, utensils, cups and the bloody mary stuff. Also, I’ll bring a few condiments for the oysters- you should too! Let’s have a sauce competition!

Facebook message me or comment below with any questions. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

*Pic above by CJ, from his post about Tomales Bay last year. Yes, our bbq will look just like this one!

**Read about all our past Umamiventures here. Organized monthly (lately bi-monthly- sorry!!!), we travel far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path. Become a Facebook Fan of UM to stay updated on all future trips!!!