Oyster (n): any of the several edible, marine, bivalve mollusks of the family Ostreidae, having an irregularly shaped shell, occurring on the bottom or adhering to rocks or other objects in the shallow water. Often thought of to have aphrodisiac properties.
Aphrodisiac (n): a food, drug, potion or other agent that arouses sexual desire.
Oyster FARM (n): site of carnal and animalistic endeavors?
Au contraire, mon frère! One would think that an excess of this suggestive shellfish in such epic proportions would lead to mass hysteria of unmaintainable romance and eroticism but Tomales Bay Oyster Co. is merely a breeding ground for amiable convergence and boisterous merriment in conjunction with unrestraint consumption of sustenance and libation. In other words, a massive picnic! While this particular venue falls out of jurisdiction of the San Francisco area, most of my fellow shucking patrons were of the city-goer variety and found themselves in the North Bay searching for an alfresco experience. For the purpose of this blog, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this would actually be the perfect setting for a group date shindig. The picnic area is situated between rolling green hills and a mucky, yet quaint beach, mostly used for farming oysters but has a respectable amount of stable ground for families and couples alike to walk, bask and explore. Aesthetics aside, it’s a busy place on the weekends and grabbing a table during peak hours (11am-3pm) is an arduous task. It took us a good 20 minutes of shameless eye-sexing and eyelash batting at a group from San Jose until they were willing to share a table with us. Once you’ve settled in, stop by the main counter to purchase your oysters by the bag loads and let the shucking begin!
Now, shucking is no easy undertaking. One must wear protection. When ready to shuck, insert tip into appropriate crevice and pry open. If crevice is hard to access and refuses to pry, try entry from another angle and/or another hole to ensure maximum shucking experience. Reposition if necessary. Remember, you can’t just shuck anywhere, especially with little children present. Be discreet about your shucking as others may not have quite the same shucking experience and can feel disparaged. Be patient as shucking requires stamina. Once you’ve encountered the gooey middle, suck away! Too much?
Tomales Bay Oyster Company
15479 Highway One
P.O. Box 847
Marshall, CA 94940
15479 Highway One
P.O. Box 847
Marshall, CA 94940
