Oyster Gathering at Hog Island

Remember the oyster shell wreath that I showed you last week?  I took the pictures on our "school skip" day adventure to Hog Island Oyster Farm on Tomales Bay... Here's the rest of the story! (part of it anyway)

So, as you probably have read on the blog before, I am not an oyster fan.  But, I do like my boyfriend very much,  and he is an oyster connoisseur, so I will do whatever I can to totally support his gourmet habit. (As habits go, it's pretty harmless!)

It all started when I spotted a recipe for Thanksgiving oyster dressing on Facebook, posted by Hog Island.  It looked pretty good, and there was even a slight possibility that I might eat it. So off we went to Marin County on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to find some oysters!  Don't have to ask me twice to go for a drive on Hwy 1 around Tomales Bay.  Big bonus - it was an absolutely stunning fall day on our California Coast!

(Have I told you lately how much I LOVE my new Mini Cooper with its' sunroof???)

Oysters to go!

Look at this - a line of people that had the same idea as us!

Oh mi - so many to choose from! Which ones are coming home?  Dang it - no more Kumamotos!

Big decisions like these call for a glass of local Marin County Pinot Gris from the Hog Island Boat Bar! And maybe a few fresh oysters to sample in their picnic area before choosing which ones are coming home with Tom...

Seriously, how can you beat a day in November like this?

I just love these rustic-rusty oyster baskets!  

Now for the oysters!

Can you see the BIG smile on Tom's face?  Happy Happy Camper!

Hmm.... skipping school the day before Thanksgiving might have become a new tradition.  I will post the recipe in the next few days - we did make it, and I did have a few bites.  Have a great weekend!

A Festive Oyster Wreath

Hog Island Picnic Area

We've started a new tradition this year, skipping school for a few hours on Thanksgiving Eve.  It's the first Thanksgiving that we have ever had without our families, and I have been feeling more than a little discombobulated without the kids. Bless Tom's heart, he made the plan and I just got in the car.

Waking up early,  we did a ton of work in our pj's so that we could spend the afternoon on Wednesday enjoying a beautiful drive up the Marin-Sonoma coast to Hog Island Oyster Farm on Tomales Bay.

Just had to show you these gorgeous fall-holiday wreaths that we spotted on the front porch at

Hog Island Oysters.

Goodness knows that they have plenty of oyster shells to complete these creations.  Hmmmm.... maybe I had better save a few from Tom's oysters?

For a closer look;  I LOVE all of the natural local California coastal elements in these wreaths.  

So pretty!

What could be better than the sunroof open on a late November day and the Christmas music playing on our speakers in the Mini?  Still pinching myself that I actually get to live here...

(more about Hog Island tomorrow)

Lunch at Hog Island Oyster Company

I know, here I go again... eating. Can't help it, finding new coastal places to eat fresh seafood is one of my favorite things to do! We read about The Hog Island Oyster Company in Coastal Living a few months ago, and had driven by their oyster farm on Tomales Bay this past summer, so it was an easy choice for a lunch treat today at the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero.

We found some great seats right in front of the oyster bar and had fun watching the expert shucking. Our new oyster friend claimed that he considered himself an expert, as he believes that he has opened up over 1 million oysters. Wow, that really is a lot of shells!

The menu is not vast, but all fresh seafood - including your choice of 6 varieties of oysters. Check out a sample menu - keep in mind that their selections change all of the time, including the oyster choices. For our lunch this sunshine-filled afternoon, Tom chose 6 Quilcene oysters and 6 Tomales Bay sweetwaters. He was in heaven!

I can highly recommend The Hog Island Oyster Company's famous Tomales Bay manilla clam chowder! OH mi goodness - have never had clam chowder prepared this way... cannot even describe its' total yumminess! (is that even a word?) Carrots, bacon, butter, cream, Yukon Gold potatoes, onions.. and whole steamer clams... Believe it or not, I even enjoyed a glass of Pilsner, brewed locally in Fort Bragg to go with my chowder!

Happy Seagulls hanging out here too! I would suspect easy pickings from us tourists....