half shell
The week before Christmas, son Joe’s company sent him from their headquarters office in Winston-Salem out to Everett, Washington on a project for the aircraft interior his company had designed, manufactured, and was installing in new Boeing jetliners. I went to the Seattle and Puget Sound area many times during my last Navy tour in WashDC and later when I worked my own consulting firm, always loved being there. Beautiful geography, romantic ferry rides, and incomparable seafood even for me, coming from the Gulf coast of Florida.
Joe’s back in Washington State again this week, at Renton this time, on another project with Boeing for interiors on another client’s order for new jetliners. I encouraged him to try the oysters this time, and last evening he sent me the menu for an oyster bar and cafe he was eating in with friends. Frank had told me how they do it out there, and I am intrigued, an oyster bar will offer oysters from several bays or inlets, priced by market and demand, I reckon, maybe $5 each. Prices on the menu Joe sent last evening varied $3 to $3.50 per oyster depending on the source, or $25 per dozen.
I love oysters however they are set in front of me, half-shell is my favorite, but fried, stew, casserole, in gumbo, baked on toast for breakfast. Or, with an oyster knife, which I have here, and a proper glove to prevent damage to my hand, you can hand me a sack of oysters and send me out back, and I’m good for the evening, don’t bother me.
Last night Joe had a sample of every oyster on the menu, he told me, and by the shell designs I could tell there were different types. In life, I’ve had Apalachicola oysters, oysters from Mobile, Louisiana, Texas, Chesapeake Bay, the Pacific West Coast. Also Sydney Rock Oysters to my heart’s content, and perfect oysters in Colchester, England. What do I put on them? Salt if needed, and a touch of tabasco on about every third one. When available I locally buy West Coast oysters at WalMart, they're good and about half price of "Apalachicola" oysters. The best local area oysters? Well, the most important factor may be the company you clink an icy mug of beer with before digging in, and currently for me it’s Stinky’s out 30A.
DThos+
Joe’s back in Washington State again this week, at Renton this time, on another project with Boeing for interiors on another client’s order for new jetliners. I encouraged him to try the oysters this time, and last evening he sent me the menu for an oyster bar and cafe he was eating in with friends. Frank had told me how they do it out there, and I am intrigued, an oyster bar will offer oysters from several bays or inlets, priced by market and demand, I reckon, maybe $5 each. Prices on the menu Joe sent last evening varied $3 to $3.50 per oyster depending on the source, or $25 per dozen.
I love oysters however they are set in front of me, half-shell is my favorite, but fried, stew, casserole, in gumbo, baked on toast for breakfast. Or, with an oyster knife, which I have here, and a proper glove to prevent damage to my hand, you can hand me a sack of oysters and send me out back, and I’m good for the evening, don’t bother me.
Last night Joe had a sample of every oyster on the menu, he told me, and by the shell designs I could tell there were different types. In life, I’ve had Apalachicola oysters, oysters from Mobile, Louisiana, Texas, Chesapeake Bay, the Pacific West Coast. Also Sydney Rock Oysters to my heart’s content, and perfect oysters in Colchester, England. What do I put on them? Salt if needed, and a touch of tabasco on about every third one. When available I locally buy West Coast oysters at WalMart, they're good and about half price of "Apalachicola" oysters. The best local area oysters? Well, the most important factor may be the company you clink an icy mug of beer with before digging in, and currently for me it’s Stinky’s out 30A.
DThos+