Hog Island Oyster Company

I'm finally getting around to reporting on a trip that Sonoma Howie, Mme Howie, The Other Dr. Gale and I made last Summer to visit Marin County's deservedly famous Hog Island Oyster Co. This location is where they do the actual oyster farming and harvesting. Visitors can buy fresh oysters on-site at retail, for take-away or picnicking on the premises at their well-equipped picnic ground (reservations needed on weekends and other busy times—see the website link above).





First step is to belly up to the oyster bar and make your selections from the daily harvest. We chose several dozen kumomotos.



If you look closely in the first bin, you'll see some lovely clams. Probably should have gotten a dozen or so of these, but our minds were set pretty firmly on oysters.







Here she is, picking out our oysters. As you can see, they're pretty good-sized.


They keep the harvested bivalves in some pretty serious tanks:





Next, we paid for the oysters ($15/doz), and bought the requisite t-shirt:





Although we were going to take-away, we wandered out to watch the gathered multitudes enjoying their feast. The m.o. is to put the oysters on the bbq grill, along with whatever else you care to grill, and await their grand opening. It isn't *really* bbq'ing, the bbq's heat is just being used to shuck the oyster (or, for novices, to cook it ). Awfully nice setting, great view of Tomales Bay. Typical Summertime weather in Marin—dress warmly!!




Some folks brought pretty good spreads to accompany the oysters:




But WATER?


Back home in Occidental, we put the little buggers on the gas grill just enough to open them up:




and then feasted:





What's the wine? Sigh, I can't remember, but it's most certainly a sauvignon blanc or a pinot blanc from *somewhere*. Maybe Alsace.

Those oysters were waaaay beyond Tasty!! Definitely YUM! Crisp and crunchy, a bit metallic, with lots of salty juicy goodness. Really a trip worth making.

Geo


The Farm
Hog Island Oyster Co.
Marshall CA
(415) 663-9218

$15/dozen for a locally harvested oyster? Wow. I'm used to buying locally harvested oysters by the bushel for less than $30 down in Beaufort when I'm able to get back "home". One can certainly argue that different regions will have different costs and that specific region perhaps must cost more. I don't have much problem paying those kinds of prices (or higher) at a restaurant with "imported" oysters (assuming proper care, etc) such as at Shaw's for the great East and West coast oysters they typically offer but it just strikes me as rather high for a local product. Small potatoes at the end of the day, I imagine, as it certainly looks like a great environment there and I thank you for posting your experience and pictures. I guess there's just certain things that set me off perhaps more than they should and that's for me to deal with. Having harvested our own oysters, crabs, and shrimp I'm probably hyper-sensitive to some of this beyond those used to only buying them in stores/restaurants.

Kman wrote:$15/dozen for a locally harvested oyster? Wow.

Funny. $15/dozen seems pretty reasonable to me for some amazingly fresh oysters. Hog Island sells those identical oysters at their outpost in San Francisco's Ferry Building for $27/dozen. That's some markup with no middle man.

Kman wrote:$15/dozen for a locally harvested oyster? Wow.

Think California. Even more, think Bay Area. Which adds about 75% to what you and I would pay at the Acme Oyster Co. in New Orleans. One pays for kühl.

Geo

REB wrote:Funny. $15/dozen seems pretty reasonable to me for some amazingly fresh oysters. Hog Island sells those identical oysters at their outpost in San Francisco's Ferry Building for $27/dozen. That's some markup with no middle man.

Ferry Building Hog Island Saturday morning outdoor kiosk, $10 - $15 per dozen for unshucked take away, $2 per oyster shucked on a paper plate.

Ferry Building, San Francisco 11.29.08

I just checked Acme's French Quarter location (which is fully up-and-running), and a platter of a dozen just-shucked oysters is $10.99, sit down.

Geo

Geo wrote:I just checked Acme's French Quarter location (which is fully up-and-running), and a platter of a dozen just-shucked oysters is $10.99, sit down.

Geo

Wow, that's gone way up. Katrina I guess, when I was there in 2005 they were $6.

Yeah, one way or another, it must be Katrina. IIRC, Katrina just devastated a whole bunch of oyster beds, and of course Acme had to pay to re-build. Still, 88¢/oyster, shucked, ain't bad, when you think about it...

Geo

During our recent trip to San Francisco, RAB and I stopped by the Hog Island Oyster Company outpost in the Ferry Building. The menu is fairly pricey, but the views out the window of the water are great.





The oyster sampler was wonderful. The oysters were well-shucked, with plenty of liquor.



Oysters casino, another winner.



The halibut cheek sliders, with harissa, unfortunately looked a lot better than they tasted.



Worth a stop, but I wouldn't plan a trip around it!

Ronna

REB wrote:The halibut cheek sliders, with harissa, unfortunately looked a lot better than they tasted.

They DO look good... What was their downfall?

Jay K wrote:They DO look good... What was their downfall?

They were served at room temperature and quite bland. Great idea. Quality ingredients. Poor execution.