10 Most Memorable Oyster Slurps of 2013
#10 Race Rock Oysters from Peconic Bay, NY at Cull & Pistol
Although I've heard of this phenomenon, it was the first time that I had ever encountered a greenish-blueish-gilled oyster. These Race Rocks from the Peconic Bay, Long Island were quite a novelty. The color comes from the algae they eat (sort of like how Flamingo's turn pink when they eat pink shrimp). Flavor-wise, it tasted like Green Eggs and Ham. Just kidding. They were briny, buttery, and had a hint of minerality. Thanks Chef Dave Seigal for introducing me to them!
#9 Pleasure House Oysters from Lynnhaven River, VA
Oysters are a feast of the eyes as well as the tastebuds. If this isn't oyster porn, I don't know what is. Also rather appropriate for an oyster with such a scandalous-sounding name (although I assure you that the association is quite PG). These plump gems were fantastic. Ultra fresh, sweet and salty. I couldn't get enough of them and neither could my coworkers. Pleasure House Oysters only harvests 1200 a week, so many thanks to grower/co-owner Chris Ludford for sending me a batch. Read the entry.
#8 Four species oyster tasting at New York Oyster Week
In my many years of oyster blogging, I've only come across the complete tasting of the 5 species of North America once. Kevin Joseph of New York Oyster Week almost managed to collect them all for his premiere Shuck Easy event. There was the o. edulis (European Flat/Belon), c. gigas (Pacific), c. virginica (Eastern Native) and c. sikamea (Kumamoto). The only one missing was the West Coast native: o. lurida (Olympia). They're usually pretty hard to get on the East Coast though, so no biggie. While almost everyone else went for the Kumo's, I had a field day with the Damariscotta Belons. They are probably the most underrated oyster out there.
#7 Kusshi from British Columbia with Crème fraîche & caviar at Oyster Nosh
Kusshi's are already little nuggets of pure happiness. The name is so cute (it means "precious" in Japanese) and the shape kind of reminds you of a truffle. So at that rate, why not top it off with some ridiculous decadence? I learned this move from a restaurant up in Maine a few years ago, although they also doused theirs in vodka. Needless to say, these were amazing and everyone's favorite. I hope I'll be invited back to Niyati's 2nd Annual Oyster Nosh next year ;) Read the entry.
#6 Stellar Bays from British Columbia at my engagement party
So speaking of the Kusshi, Stellar Bays are their bivalve 1-up. They are basically larger Kusshi's (same deep cup), and are totally out of this world. Plump, sweet, crisp and clean... They were the perfect treat at our casual backyard engagement party. Friends still talk about them to this day! Many thanks to W&T Seafood for the hook up. Read the entry.
#5 New Jersey oysters at Sustainable Seafood Week NYC
At the Oysters, Clams & Cocktails Benefit during Sustainable Seafood Week NYC, I got to try four new varieties of New Jersey oysters. Who knew Jersey had such amazing oysters?? It's not the first thing you think about, right? Well I was certainly blown away by the briny Mantoloking oyster from Forty North Oyster Farm, as well as the Graveling Point oyster from Maxwell Shellfish. Read the entry.
#4 New Zealand Oyster Tasting at Waterbar in San Francisco, CA
It's not everyday you find a New Zealand oyster on an American menu, let alone three varieties. Before heading to Napa, we got a chance to check out Waterbar along the Embarcadero in SF. They had a special three New Zealand oyster tasting: Coromandel, Clevedon Coast, and Kaipara (brand new to me). Some of my favorite oysters are from Tasmania and these toothsome Kiwi bivalves could be a close second. Read the entry.
#3 Maine Oyster Tasting at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, ME
I'm kind of obsessed with Maine oysters... and Maine in general for that matter (getting married there in May!) So when we had the chance to visit Eventide, I was like a kid going to Disneyland. Then I got even more pumped about being able to explore five different Maine oysters in one go (Eventide had at least 7 or 8 varieties on the menu). We arrived at the oyster bar in the nick of time -- this place fills up insanely quick in the afternoon. The John's Rivers and Pemaquids were some of the finest I've had on the East Coast. Happy sigh! Read the entry.
#2 Hog Island Sweetwaters at the Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall, CA
My oyster journey more or less began at the Hog Island Oyster Bar in SF's Ferry Building back in 2009 and this year, I've come full circle by shucking my own oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Farm. There's something about these Sweetwaters that's life changing. Having them to the view of Tomales Bay also seals the deal. I have a silly (but potentially not too ridiculous) theory: where there's good cattle grazing, there are good oysters. Maybe the nutrient-high run-off makes the oysters extra sweet. But if you take that thought one moo further... well, don't think about it. Anyway, I don't know why more people haven't done the merroir & terroir tour out of San Francisco. Sonoma and Napa are literally a little over an hour away. It's the perfect food-centric road trip. That's a free business idea for someone. Read the entry.
#1 Kelly Galway Natives and Rock Oysters in Galway Bay, Ireland
The crème de la crème oyster experience of this year was my trip out to Ireland, where I had the amazing opportunity to visit several oyster farms on the West Coast of the country, as well as participate in the Galway International Oyster Festival.
There were so many fantastic moments that it's hard to highlight them all. But if I really had to pinpoint one particular experience that topped it all, I'd have to say it was slurping live Pacific and European Native oysters right out of the water at the Kelly Galway Oyster Farm. We were in hunter green wellies, calf deep in a little crevice of Galway Bay, standing next to rows upon rows of oyster tressles. The sun was breaking through the clouds right around that time and it had cast a sparkly spotlight over bits and pieces of the bay. Ugh, I thought I was dreaming! It was a trip of a lifetime. Many thanks to Richard Donnelly for reaching out and setting these meetings up.
Read the entries: Part 1 (Merroir), Part 2 (Tasting), Part 3 (Journey). By the way, for anyone who loves to travel and eat oysters -- consider Ireland. They grow some of the best in the world.
So that concludes the countdown! Here's to 2014 and all the new oyster adventures that it brings. What were some of your favorite oyster moments of 2013? And what are you looking forward to for next year? Leave a comment and slurp some oysters.
