Drink Pairings, Hog & Rocks, The Malaspina

Oyster Drink Pairings: Part 1

First thing that comes to mind is an ice cold beer, right?  A little savvy?  Prosecco or Sauvignon Blanc.  Savvier?  Chablis or Sancerre.  Oh, you know your shit?  Vinho Verde, Hendricks Martini or maybe a Muscadet.  I’m the first to admit that my wine knowledge is minimal, at best.  But, I do know my "oystas."  And knowing that, I can tell you straight, there is no perfect beverage pairing for the crass and almost “phrenologic” generalizations about oysters.  Oysters, like their wine pairing partners, are as diverse as can be.  They're like you and your local high school rivals.  Much the same but oh so shockingly different at the same time.  Having recently tested many Oyster wine pairings for an event we're holding at the end May, I can tell you that it’s hard.  Very hard.  However, we found some amazing matches and some demystifying conflictions.  Honestly, whatever tastes best to you, drink it.  That’s what matters in the end.  Although, some suggestions may be able to guide you along.


Wine is too hard.  Too much.  Too ubiquitous.  Too many possibilities and intricacies.  I will certainly post a few what-I found-to-be-magical pairings, but I’m saving those guys for the event in May.  I'm new to SF, and still learning about wines.  I just know that having had two of the exact same varietals and tasting drastic differences when paired with Oysters is testament to how nuanced it really is.  I’d rather leap out the gates strong.  No messing about.  Scotch & Oysters.  Can I get a Stuart Scott “BOOYA.”  


 Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old & Bruichladdich 12 Year Old

Both of these whiskeys are made on Islay.  Bunnahabhain on the Northeastern side and Bruichladdich in the Southwestern Inlet.  I know I'd be flogged, maybe even drawn and quartered, by the creators of these for having lumped them together, but I feel they both carry much of the same flavors.  Both are very light on the nose, have a mild peatiness, almost driftwood muskiness, and that familiar Islay brine up front.  All the better, they finish with a lemon pith and grassy hint.  If that doesn't say Oyster pairing to you, I don't know what does.  Celebrate these Scottish sensations with the more strongly flavored of Oysters.  The European Flats jump right into mind.  Belons are certainly for the more daring oyster eater, but their strong iodine and coppery notes dance beautifully with these Scotches, especially up front.  Olympias play nicely, as do those musky Washington Skookums and Steamboats.

Scapa 8 Year Old & Highland Park's 8 Year Old MacPhail's Collection

Scapa is teetering on the cusp of even being called a Scotch.  There is practically no smokiness whatsoever to it.  This is due to the lack of peat in the distillation process.  What you do get is an intense Atlantic brine and hints of sour apple.  It's an Island Scotch, but not an Islay Scotch.  It's made on the Northern Scotland Orkney Islands, one of only two major distilleries on the Islands, the other being the latter in the title.  Both of these Scotches deliver strong on the ocean saltiness (exactly what I'm looking for to pair with oysters).  I'll be honest on the Highland Park.  I have not had the chance to sample it with Oysters, only on its own.  But something tells me with with its nice brine up front and orange peel finish, it's definitely a major player.  Stick close to the Rhode Island Oysters with these treasures.  A Moonstone or a Ninigret Cup works perfectly with these Scotches.  Both come through with a nice mineral lemon finish, pairing wonderfully with the Scapa.  Even the mild New Brunswick Oysters like French Kiss and Beausoleil go nicely.

It's certainly going against the grain, pairing Scotch & Oysters.  But, they are two of my greatest passions.  And I've found that these particular couples ring true.



Hog & Rocks
Mission District
19th Street between Mission and Lexington

I went to Hog & Rocks Monday night, after my first post, and again last Wednesday.  Honestly, I heard about it from eavesdropping on a couple walking behind me talking about it.  The concept of this place is awesome.  Few things pair better than cured pig and shellfish, and this place is testament to that (sorry kosher-keepers).  I mean, bacon is addictive, literally.  It plays with the same receptors heroin does.  And thrown together with some succulent bivalves, it’s hard to beat.  Bacon wrapped prawns, paella, jambalaya, prosciutto wrapped scallops, gumbo, clams casino, Oysters Rockefeller, bacon-laden chowders.  The list can go on and on.  It's a pretty fail-safe combo.  

The bar itself is pretty nice.  Fairly wide booze selection, dim but not dark lighting, family style tables, music is noticeable but doesn't hinder conversation.  There are even some interesting "food porn" photos on the walls.   I'm not restaurant/bar critic, but I think it's a pretty cool spot.  A nice escape from the hipster infested 18^th and Valencia area.  Seriously, living in the Mission, if I see another skinny jean Sanskrit or Japanese tattoo combo, I might lose my shit.  Ride your single gears back to Wisconsin and talk about nihilism and vampire-punk bands there.  I'm actually writing this at the Haus Coffee House in Mission, so I've got a lot of fodder.  Twenty bucks says the barista has a liberal arts degree from Middlebury or something and is more than happy to share her feelings on Eugene Debs or Sylvia Plath.  Go ahead and "consume more cool" guys.  Anyway, Hog & Rocks is a place where you could bring a nice date and also a place where three Harley bikers could comfortably hang out (they were at my family table next to me). 

First thing I noticed were the $9 beer and shot pairings.  Sold.  Any place that has boilermaker deals is good by me.  Plus, if you order a second, it’s only $5.  Two beers and two shots for $14.  My dad's from Pittsburgh, so it's in the blood.  I ordered the Stout and Jameson (Stout and Oysters are a classic Irish pairing...

O'Reilly's Oystefest


...coming up May 14th...case and point)

The menu consists of some clever and trendy offal dishes, pickled and charcuterie jars, and your standard wings, fish & chips, etc.  Of course I wasn't there for these things, though.

They have separate menu you specifically mark and hand to the server for which oysters and hams you want and the portion size.  They seem to keep a selection of five hams and six oysters on the menu consistently, which is a sign of commitment to, well, it is the name of the place so they better be committed.  I imagine, and hope, that seasonality dictates the varieties they carry.  Hams can also have a terroir to them, like Oysters.  Depending on the aging process and location (like the caves of Andalucia, Spain), flavors can change immensely.  I'm not a Salumi Nerd, though.  I do know that standard American Hams are quite embarrassing when compared to most European Hams.  France, Spain, and Italy all define their hams by aging processes and appellations.  We, on the other hand, define ours by percentage of protein and the amount of water added.  It's more like ham product than actual ham.  However, conscious and artisan ham producers are on the rise in the States.    The Hog & Rocks hams were very tasty, topped with some traditional and not-so-traditional accoutrements.  I had a Monte Nevado Spanish Serrano with an extra virgin olive oil drizzle and parmesan, San Daniele Italian Prosciutto with fig and balsamic, and a spicy Iowan Picante by La Quercia with roasted pineapple.  All were excellent, but I don't think I've ever had a bad artisan ham.  
  
Now, the important part.  They had the following served with the traditional mignonette of red wine vinegar, macerated shallots, and cracked pepper.

Hood Canals from Washington, USA
Cranberry Creeks from Washington, USA
Malaspina from British Columbia, Canada
Beausoleil from New Brunswick, Canada
Kusshi, British Columbia, Canada
Point Reyes, California, USA

I ordered two of each, except the Hood Canals.  It's a generic name for Oysters from, well, Hood Canal, Washington and I've shucked enough to know that the quality, size, and flavor is inconsistent and often poor.  They're pretty mass produced and you know how quality vs. quantity goes. 

I'd had each before, except the Malaspina.  Beasoleils were on point.  It's a mild, shallow-cupped, high liquor for its size, medium salinity and minerality Oyster that always pleases.  Even has a nice freshly baked bread aroma to it.  It's a great starter Oyster, if you're a beginner.  Cranberry Creeks were tasty as well. 

The Kusshis were definitely a few sub-par ones the first time around but perfectly delicious on the second round.  This could have been from time spent in the walk in, genetics, or environment.  Some Oysters just aren't quite as blessed as others, my mother would probably say.  Doesn't mean they're bad, just means they're not spectacular.  Also, West coast Oysters tend to deteriorate and die much more quickly than East coast oysters due to a weaker adductor muscle.  So, keep this in mind when buying retail Oysters at a fish market.  East coast Oysters can live up to a month if properly maintained, while West coasts I wouldn't push past two weeks.  Does this mean Oysters are an analogy for the U.S. coastal wars?  For which has more strength, prowess, resilience, or any other complimentary adjective you want to throw at it?  Being from Philly, I'm going to say yes.  Or they're just a bunch of assholes that won't tap out.  Whatever vantage point works for you.   

Back to the Kusshi, though.  They're usually an excellent new try if you're a Kumamoto or bust person.  They're fascinating little beasts as well.  Grown in suspension bags and then literally tumbled in a sort of rock tumbler so they develop stronger and deeper shells.  This makes it sweet, clean, crisp, and with a citrus finish.  Comparable in size and cup depth to the Kumamoto.  Hog & Rocks just didn't deliver on this one the first time around.  They most certainly did on the second, though.  But hey, I've put a few not %100 amazing oysters out.  It's not a deal breaker for a place. 

Point Reyes.  Okay, here's where I did have an issue.   Granted Point Reyes is another generic name for Oysters, but you're a Californian Oysterbar, with one California oyster.  I'm fine with that.  There are many better oysters out there than Californian ones, quite frankly.  Sorry CA, but you've already got plenty more going for you.  However, some people stay latched to that "well, we're in California, so the Californian Oysters must be best."  Freshness by locale is a major misnomer these days.  The freshness of a product depends on the restaurant and its turnover.  As in a sushi bar or a seafood market, stick to the more popular places for Oysters.  The higher the turnover of product, the fresher it's going to be.  Certainly, the purveyor is important, but most quality establishments are getting their products to market and then to restaurant within 36 hours.  Even in San Francisco, a Cape Cod Oyster can be fresher than a Tomales Bay Oyster, depending on the situation.

My issue with the Point Reyes Oysters I was given was that they were poorly shucked and creamy.  They were cut right through on opening with the gut exposed.  Creaminess can be nice sometimes, but when it's to the degree where the Oyster is clearly spawning or about to, don't serve it.  It's a bad sign when your flagship Californian Oysters are not culled properly when shucking. 

The Malaspina 

Now, the thing that eclipsed all else was the Malaspina Oyster from British Columbia.  Apparently these Oysters are grown in a secluded bay with practically no residents, far north of Vancouver.  Suspect, at best.  Oompa-Loompas must have a hand in crafting these little Wonkalicious delights.  It was one of the best Oysters I've had in a long time.  Many Oyster descriptions claim hints of watermelon, but this one truly has it.  Medium cupped but full, plump and juicy, little to no brine with wonderfully overwhelming flavors of watermelon.  Okay, so it's not like sucking on a Now & Later or Jolly Rancher.  But seriously.  An Oyster that tastes like watermelon?  Pretty awe-inspiring in my opinion.  Hog & Rocks did shuck and present these beauties perfectly, as well.  This was the first time I've seen this Oyster, and, seriously, on a free night, I may just call local raw bars to see if they have it and base my dining choice on that.  I also recently had Evening Coves, from the same Vancouver Island region.  They, too, magically had this watermelon hint to them.  

All in all, Hog & Rocks was a nice dining experience.  Hams, drinks, and most Oysters were excellent.  Servers were very friendly and attentive.  It's a nice change up from the traditional Swan's or Hog Island raw bar experience, and one of the few places you can get your Oyster-fix just shy of midnight.  Plus, we must not forget, few to no hipsters. 

I've got an Oyster Wine Pairing event coming up on May 23rd, as I mentioned before.  The advert has yet to be made, but will be shortly.  You can be sure that's what I'll be following with on the blog.  And, as always, please tell me new places to try.


Cheers,
The SF Oyster Nerd

Oyster Myths & Truths, The Kumiai

First, I have to apologize for some of the grammar in my last post.  I'm kind of a pedantic asshole that corrects others' misuse of adverbs and "who/whom."  So, when I went back through and saw a "your" instead of "you're" and a "to" instead of "two," you can imagine my embarrassment.  I chalk it up to writing it in the Union Square Apple Store, Hank Moody style, but there's still no excuse.  I guess it's not a grammar blog, though.  Anyway, this one's coming from Taqueria Guadalajara, since I don't have the interwebs at home.

Oyster Myths

Only eat Oysters in months with an "R"
In my experience, once September and October hit, Oyster consumption by the elderly skyrockets.  I don't know any figures, but the number of Stewing and Frying Oysters that I see being sold is borderline absurd.  It makes me picture lovely little old ladies whipping up a century-old Oyster Stew recipe or a mayo lathered Oyster Po'Boy just before sitting down to a Murder She Wrote/Matlock combo.  This is the case because, after a long and bivalve bereft summer, they can finally eat oysters again.

There are a few reasons for this only months with "R's" myth.  One, reliable, refrigerated shipping is less than a century old.  Fall and Winter months are chilly and good for shipping a product that needs to be kept in at least sub 45 degree temperatures.  And, yes, they all have "R's."  You definitely wouldn't have found me lining up for oysters anywhere on a hot, 19th century June day.  However, nowadays, food shipments are regulated and reliable.  Happily take Grandma's advice and her $7.50 birthday check, just not her advice on Oysters.

Two, Oysters, like bears, fatten up and hibernate over the winter, in a sense.  This means that a January Oyster is going to be sweet, plump, and delicious.  A June Oyster, that's exhausted its reserves, is going to be watery and bland.  Not bad, but just not at its peak.  Seasonality.  Also, many Oysters, depending on temperatures, spawn during the Summer.  This can make for an overly creamy, unpalatable, mushy mess.  However, many aquaculturists account for this, and breed/farm accordingly.  Check out the Summer Ices from British Columbia.    

Finally, bacteria like warmer waters.  Red tides and other bacteria breed more quickly and abundantly over the Summer due to higher water temperatures.  However, U.S. regulatory agencies keep very close eyes on these situations and aquafarms are held to high standards.  Very few cases of infection from sea bacteria actually occur every year.  You're probably at higher risk eating peanut butter or spinach.

I say, so long as you know the facts, enjoy Oysters all year round.

Oysters are an Aphrodisiac 
Sorry folks, a dozen oysters won't get you laid, through some physiological reaction at least.  There is some truth behind it, though.  Oysters are high in Zinc, which, when at a deficient level, can cause male impotence.  Zinc does aid in the production of testosterone, but not to the degree where Alpine Bays are going to replace those little blue diamonds or Totten Intlets will be on the MLB's banned substance list.  The sexual connotation with Oysters is an idea (a damn good one, in my opinion).  There is something to sucking back those sweet morsels in a romantic, seaside setting.  They make you feel good.  Hey, there's even an undeniable, well, "vulvic" likeness in an opened Oyster.  I like to believe the Aphrodisiac myth.  Makes the whole experience more exciting.

Oysters(Shellfish) are high in Cholesterol 
Untrue.  Shrimp, lobster, king crab, and squid are all high in cholesterol.  Oysters, however, have been unfairly lumped into this group.  They are, in fact, very low in cholesterol and a very healthy food.

Oysters are Endangered
Wild Oysters were endangered, and now are mostly decimated.  You can find Wild Oysters, but they are harvested in highly supervised areas where the local agencies keep a close eye on populations.  95% of the oysters you eat are aquacultured, and that's not a bad thing.  It's not like wild salmon vs. farmed salmon.  You never know what you might get with a Wild Oyster in flavor and quality; but a Farmed Oyster is specifically bred, raised, harvested and culled for your plate.  Oyster "husbandry" is a great success.  Farmed Bivalves are actually under the "Best Choices" category on the Monterrey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch List.

You may find a Pearl when eating your Oysters
"Hey buddy, you find any pearls today." "Haha, unfortunately not sir."  What I'm really thinking is, "if I had a nickel for every time...well, I could fill the base of a tube sock with them and..."  Catch my drift?  I get the individual is joking, and it may make your friends chuckle, but it's not cute and kind of annoying to hear day after day.  I'm sure everyone knows you're not going to get a pearl in your Oyster, but some specifics couldn't hurt.  The species of Oysters we eat do not make pearls.  Well, not the kind you give/get on your 12th or 30th anniversary (yea, I looked that one up).  Most Oysters consumed raw are farmed under conditions preventing pearl making.  If it does happen, the pearls usually come out looking like nasty little garbanzo beans, bee-bees, or rabbit pellets.  Most mollusks can make pearls, since it it is defense mechanism to a foreign material in its flesh.  However, very few are prized.  Pearl making oysters (prized ones) are a South Asian species that we do not eat in the U.S.  A good portion of these are artificially planted and farmed, as well.  I have, however, heard stories of people finding very rare and highly valued pearls.  But hey, I've also heard stories about Nessie and Big Foot, so who knows.

Oyster Truths

Oysters are Alive
I damn well hope so.  Any shellfish has to be cooked, frozen, or consumed raw while still alive or recently killed.  You never want to eat dead shellfish.  Since shellfish has little to no fat and is almost pure protein, they begin to deteriorate very quickly once dead and will produce dangerous bacterias.  How do you know it's alive?  Well, with any Oyster, if its bill is open and does not close when tapping it, it's dead.  It will also make a hollow sound when tapped.  Toss it and move on.  I hate to pander, but, don't freak out about the whole alive thing, either.  The Oyster does die when it's cut and opened, and, not much of a nervous system is going on anyway.  Pain free for them and guilt-free for us, in my opinion.


Oysters are Good for You
I don't eat healthily, at all.  What I want, when I want.  There's a fatty 1000+ calorie burrito sitting in front of me as I'm writing this.  Intemperance of youth, I suppose.  I'm sure once it starts catching up to me, I'll take action, hopefully.  However, as yet another selling point for Oysters, they're very healthy.  Whether calorie counting, vitamin seeking, or low-fatting it, Oysters deliver.  A dozen raw Oysters has around 100 calories, 120 at most.  They are very high in protein and extremely low in saturated fats.  On board of the new omega-3 fatty acids craze?  Well, Oysters are packing those, as well (not like a piece of salmon, though).  Raw food movement?  Check.  Whenever something is cooked, it begins to lose some of its naturally occurring nutrients.  The longer you cook it, the more you lose.  A raw Oyster can deliver a hefty amount of vitamins A, B, C, D, calcium, iron, and zinc for its tiny size.  Eat them.  Delicious and healthy.  

Oysters are good for Hangovers
Oh thank god yes.  Among a number of reasons hangovers occur, one is a Vitamin B deficiency.  Our little friends are packed full of Vitamin B.  It's actually a nice perk of being a shucker.  Rough night doesn't have to equal a rough day when I go into work.  Pop a couple of them open and I'm feeling great again.  My ideal Sunday, after a rough Saturday night, is a dozen Wellfleets, greasy bacon and eggs, and, of course, a few bloody marys.  I'd put Hair-of-the-Dog under my truths, too.

Oysters help the Environment
 Okay, this one legitimately deserves its own post.  But, I'm going to use it as a quick transition into the following link.  Oysters filter around 50 gallons of water a day.  They are natural water filterers, cleaning up pollution in numerous bays around the States.  Oyster revival, sanctuary, recovery, protection etc. movements have started picking up in New York, Boston, and the Chesapeake.  Well, here's one of yours, San Francisco.


The Watershed Project

I know how it's the San Franciscan way to drink, eat, and feel good about it since your helping a cause (that's not a jab, I'll be in attendance).  So, Bubbles & Bivalves will be right up your charitable alleys.  The idea's that The Watershed Project is trying to restore a natural Oysterbed of Olympias (the only native oyster) and keep it protected in the Northern San Francisco bay.  Optimistically, it will be the first of many.  The author who inspired much of my interest in Oysters will be speaking, as well.   I look forward to seeing you there.


My Favorite Oyster Right Now


Kumiai - this gigas Oyster comes from Guerrero Negro Lago by Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.  Don't freak out cause it's from Mexico.  I hate that xenophobic bullshit Americans have.  We're the ones producing more e. coli in our factory farms than any other country.  Plus, it's not like it's coming from the favelas of DF.  It's grown in pristine, biosphere reserve managed waters.   However, aside from that, I'm furious that I just found this Oyster and did not know about it when I was in Ensenada 9 months ago.  It would have been on the top of my list of places to visit.  Also, fun little aside, it's named after the Kumiai people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Baja Peninsula. 

It's medium sized, deep cupped, has very firm, plump flesh and an excellent alkaline texture that stays on your palate.  Some people have found it overwhelmingly briny, but you and I both know they didn't chew.  It is very briny up front, very, which I happen to like.  But it's also a happy marriage between East coast salinity and West coast sweetness.  Once you've savored that ocean-fresh brine, bite and a world of cucumber fruitiness comes flying in.  If you see them, try them.


I've got a review on a Mission District Oyster House, Hog & Rocks, coming soon.  In addition, please send me suggestions for places to try out in the Bay Area.  I'm new and would love some ideas.

Cheers,
The SF Oyster Nerd

The San Francisco Oyster Nerd

 So, at the behest of some customers I've chatted with over the past few months, I've decided to start a blog on Oysters, more specifically Oysters in San Francisco.  I'm relatively new to this city and got a job as a local shucker.  There's a lot of ignorance in this crassostrea culture, and I've found that many people are excited and intrigued to have a little light shed on it.

To begin, the food culture that exists in SF is like none other I've encountered.  So many people conscious of where their food comes from, how it's raised, seasonality, sustainability, etc.  It's almost overkill and annoying when you hear people trying to "one-up" each other on the authenticity or conscience-clearing nature of their most recent culinary adventure.  Come on.  Nobody likes Granolas.  But, I must say that it's refreshing to be able to discuss food history, politics, and sustainability with the average individual in this city.

With this fortunate situation, it's very easy to engage people with the idea of Oysters.  "Do you like wine tasting?"  I don't have a response for the bar-pariah who says no (I'd be astounded if anyone ever does).  Well, Oysters are like wines.  You can take the exact same Pinot grape, grow it in Napa and Australia, and get to completely different products.  Terroir, right?  The grapes take on the flavor of the land.  Oysters are exactly the same.  You take the exact same species, grow it in different waters, and the taste is completely different.  Odds are, when you go into a raw bar, there are only two, maybe three, different species of oysters.  This is even true of a bar that carries twenty different varieties.  We only eat 6 different species of oysters, primarily the first two.

Virginica - standard East coast oyster i.e. a Blue Point, Malpeque, Wellfleet.

Gigas - standard West coast oyster (imported from Japan a century ago) i.e. Miyagi, Hood Canals, Fanny Bay

Sikemea - your beloved little gem called the Kumamoto (I'm sure you're all familiar)

Conchaphila - the elusive Olympia, only Pacific Native American oyster still alive today.  SF Bay was covered in them before the 49ers over-fished them in a few decades.

Edulis - those beautiful, flat shell, strongly flavored Belons

Saccostrea - Rock Oysters from Australia and New Zealand.  Very difficult to find.


So, when you're eating a Hog Island Sweetwater from Tomales Bay next to a Fanny Bay from British Columbia, you're eating the exact same oyster.  The larvae was exactly the same when it was planted, just raised in a different area.  Thus, the flavors are immensely different.  A true example of the unadulterated flavors nature has to offer us.   Oysters are one of those last little food bastions, fending off the high fructose corn syrups and MSGs of the appalling American diet at the gates.  Get out and enjoy the natural tastes that the ocean has to offer and put away the Individually Quick Frozen Tortilla Crusted Tilapia (you should actually stop eating Tilapia all together.  I'll explain later.)

I figured I'd give a few Oyster Eating Guidelines as the finish of my first post.  Admittedly, they're your oysters when you eat them, so enjoy them however you choose.  However, your paying 3 dollars for just a little bite.  Why wreck the subtle flavors you've just purchased.

1.  NO COCKTAIL SAUCE OR HOT SAUCE.  Yes, if I'm sitting down to 2 dozen of the exact same oysters, I like hot sauce as much as the next guy.  But time after time I see people drop $36 on a plate of mixed oysters just to ruin it with these culinary assassins.  You wouldn't put ketchup on a New York Strip or chew Dentine while tasting a 2006 Toulouse Pinot Noir.

2.  JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ACIDITY.  A touch of the house mignonette or a little lemon can bring out a lot of the flavors of the oysters by beginning to break down it's proteins and cut the salt.  I do not prefer, but it can be nice while still allowing the oyster's flavor to come through.  Just a drop, don't drown it.

3.  DON'T DUMP THE LIQUOR.  Time after time, I see people tilting their oysters to dump the liquor (juice inside the oyster) out before eating.  It's baffling, and I have no idea where people learned to do so.  This is the essence of the water the oyster is from.  Together, the oyster flesh and juice give you a true merroir (flavor-of-the-sea) experience of the oysters home.  Independent of one another, you're going to lose the whole experience.  

4.  CHEW YOUR OYSTERS.  So many times the only response people have to tasting an oyster is "Oh, very salty."  Well, if you shoot it down the back of your throat and just taste the liquor it's sitting in, then yes, all you will taste is salt.  The depth of flavor in oysters is not released until you give it a few chews.  You'll be surprised when that salty Drake's Bay oyster finishes with hints of crisp lettuce and bitter herb.

5.  BE ADVENTUROUS.  So many people come in and order 12 Kumamotos over and over again.  That has to be boring.  I get it, they're good.  But do you only order vanilla ice cream or only eat california rolls?  If you do, then you're probably the person that flippantly disregards guideline #1 and I'm not sure how you got to my blog in the first place.  Order and try as many different oysters as you possibly can.  Yes, you'll dislike some.  But, often, you'll find a little gem that you would have never tasted if you'd stuck to your standard order.  (Just a few weeks ago I introduced my sister to her new favorite oyster).  When I go out for oysters, I order every single one that I do not recognize or have never tasted.

Follow these guidelines and I guarantee your eyes will open to the wonder of oysters.  You'll come to appreciate them much more than you ever had.  I think that's enough for my first post.  Plenty more to come on specific oyster bars, drink pairings, new favorites I've just tried, and some other random mulluscophilia.


Cheers,
The SF Oyster Nerd