Today’s Selection
Gulf Coast
Capt’n Rallos Reef Candy - Skiff Lake, LA
BIG and WILD, meaty, earthy, very mild salinity
Brightside - Grand Isle, LA
bleu cheese, artichoke heart with butter, so very good
Bayou Rosa - Bayou LaFourche, LA
creamy, steak fat, sweet cream
Holy Ground Lillies - Ocean Springs, MS
creamy, buttery, sweet, ice cream
Murder Point - Bayou La Batre, AL
butter babies, chubby, sweet corn
Salty Bird - Spring Creek, FL
salty, limestone, seagrass
East Coast
Madhouse - Chesapeake Bay, MD
mild brine, crisp, sweet finish, unhinged
Matunuck - Potter Pond, RI
salt bomb, seaweed salad, parsley
Seal Cove - Damariscotta River, ME
delicate brine, limestone, grass
Belle du Jour - Boutouche Bay, NB
salty, stony, floral finish
West Coast
Sold Out
Mignonette
Mezcal/Honeydew
Caviar
Bowfin
Yuzu Pearls
Royal White California Sturgeon
Full Farm Index
Sidecar is proud to present over a hundred varieties of oysters. Just as there is terroir to wine, there is merroir to the mighty oyster. That means the flavor of the same oyster can change week by week depending on the conditions of the environment. The tasting notes of the oyster may change but the fun facts about the farms remain the same. Search alphabetically to learn more about each of the farms we’ve featured on our menu:
Search Our Farm Index
Gulf Coast
Admiral - Fort Morgan, Alabama
We absolutely adore Anthony Ricciardone. He’s the fun-loving oyster farmer growing these beautiful oysters. Ricciardone began raising oysters off the dock where he lived in Mobile Bay as part of an Auburn University reef-replenishment project. The location is just east of the historic Battle of Mobile Bay. After years of red tape and storm delays, Ricciardone was finally able to open his farm. The Admiral is an homage to the battle site and his perseverance with its motto being, “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!”
Bayou Rosa - Bayou Lafourche, Louisiana
These local oysters may be new to the market but the Pitre family have been farming these beauties for over eighty years. The farm is named for where the bayou meets the Gulf which was their great grandfather’s favorite place to harvest. Antoine "Whitney" Dardar was a lifelong fisherman and member of the United Houma Nation. The Pitre brothers carry on the legacy of their tribe with sustainable farming and the joy that Whitney experienced in the waters.
BayBeaut - Skipper Bay, Florida
Ben and Raina Wiggins are growing their oysters out in the clean waters of Panacea. This is an unincorporated community that is underdeveloped and federally protected. Naturally Panacea is the perfect location for this husband and wife team to set up shop. Halcyon Sea Farm Co. raises the BayBeaut in floating baskets. They really know how to make the most of this quiet bay.
Bigger Butter - Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Everyone loves a Murder Point but did you know they get bigger? The Bigger Butter is the big brother to the beloved Murder Point and is treated with the same love and care by the Zirlott family. For five generations this family has made their career off the abundant natural resources of Alabama waters and they embrace the labor. These oysters are all tumbled by hand because as Capt. Lane Zirlott says, "What you put in shows in what you get out." So go ahead and give this oyster a chance to prove that bigger is in fact better.
Bright Side - Grand Isle, Louisiana
These oysters are about as local as it gets. We get them directly from Nathan Herring whose farm is just a hundred miles south. Grand Isle was plummeted by both Hurricane Zeta and Hurricane Ida. Nathan managed to rebuild his farm after both storms in large part by donations from adoring Bright Side fans. It’s truly a spectacular oyster.
Cap’t Rallo’s Reef Candy - Muscle Bayou, Louisiana
We get these oysters farm-direct from the fun-loving Tesvich family. They have been holding down areas 3, 9, 10 and 11 for four generations. While the rest of our menu features cultivated oysters, we are proud to showcase the Reef Candy because it is as clean and consistent as wild oysters get.
French Hermit - Deer Island, Mississippi
French Hermit Oyster Co. began farming as soon as Mississippi permitted off-bottom oyster aquaculture. Owners Mike and Anita Arguelles have always been ahead of their time.They first met in 1991 when Mike had a traveling oyster popup truck when shrimp was still the thing in demand. He popularized oysters along his stops believing that oysters were the surest way to make new friends. Adorable. The couple has come a long way since then. Their farm is one of many in Biloxi and they work with all their neighbors to pull resources and share techniques. French Hermit is even named for one of their local legends - Jean Guilhot - a Frenchman known as the “Hermit of Deer Island.” Guilhot was known to be a recluse that would occasionally share a folk song in the right company. Again, adorable.
Havana - Shell Beach, Louisiana
We are wild for these oysters! While most of the oysters we serve are cultivated, we love to feature the Havana from the Campo Brothers Seafood Co. Blake Campo has a fleet of boats out in Area 3 where he sustainably harvests these oysters. It doesn’t get more local than that!
Holy Ground Lily - Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Thomas Piecuch and his stepfather Sean started Holy Ground Oyster Co. in the active waters of the Mississippi Sound. These are unique growing conditions because of the high waves and strong currents. Legend has it that these waters were once used by Indigenous folks for medicinal purposes. The area was referred to as "E-Ca-Na-Cha-Ha" meaning "holy ground." We think these oysters might just be the cure for you.
Isle Dauphine - Dauphin Island, Alabama
Mobile Oyster Co. was founded in 2012 by Andy and Callan Duke and was only the second farm ever permitted in Alabama. This father and son team setup in the salty waters of the west end of Dauphin Island. Since then they have been putting out exceptional oysters with the environment in mind. By reestablishing the oyster population, they have filtered millions of gallons of water to preserve the ecosystem for other species. So that’s pretty cool.
Little Honey - Spring Creek, Florida
Cypress Point Oyster Co. is run by a tie-dye wearing husband and wife team. Dewey and Jody Houck “retired” early to start this oyster farm in 2019. They boast taking on a small batch, artisanal approach that blends tradition with cutting edge aquaculture technology. To prevent overcrowding, they refresh each bag of oysters every three to six weeks. They meticulously weigh the oysters with RFID tags so that you always get a perfect cocktail sized slurp.
Little Moon - Grand Isle, Louisiana
Who’s your daddy? That would be Ryan Anderson. Known and beloved in the city as “Oyster Daddy”, Anderson sure knows how to coddle an oyster. He was a recipient of the Louisiana Sea Grant which allocates funds to off-bottom oyster farmers in the state. It’s an effective program that has more than doubled cultivated oyster farms in our state. Among those farms is the Little Moon Oyster Ranch. The name is in honor of Anderson’s nickname from his grandfather and the cattle farm in which he grew up.
Magnolia Keys - Biloxi, Mississippi
Legends are being made in Mississippi. Magnolia Keys Oyster Co. has over a hundred years of family heritage fishing the waters of the northern Gulf. They keep the family growing by spawning their own oyster seeds. They set their lil babies out into their home waters after a three month grow cycle. From there these oysters travel five miles down to the Mississippi Sound to be grown in a combination of cages and floating bags. All of this movement makes it to there is truly a different flavor profile for each season. So that’s pretty cool.
Matagorda Pearl - Palacios, Texas
Commercial oyster farming just hit Texas in 2022 and DJ’s Oyster Co. didn’t waste any time. They decided to pivot from three generations of shrimping to try their hand at oysters. The Matagorda Pearl is the first oyster from Texas to be featured on our menu and we are so excited that farms continue to grow across the Gulf.
Murder Point - Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Murder Points are a gulf coast favorite worth killing for - and that’s just what happend. In 1927, a man was shot dead over a heated dispute regarding an oyster lease. From that point on, Myrtle Point became known as Murder Point. Despite this menacing story, these oysters have been farmed with precision and passion for five generations by the Zirlott family.
Navy Cove - Fort Morgan, Alabama
This oyster is a collaboration between longtime marine science researchers Dr. John Supan and Dr. Charles Wilson and crawfish farmer Eric Bradley. These longtime friends work out of Navy Cove where the oysters are tumbled between the gulf and the bay. These waters are historic for being frequented by Natives, an anchorage for pirates and the US Navy during the War of 1812 and WWII. Their website pays the most important homage to history by quoting Jimmy Buffet, “Give me oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year And I’ll feel fine, I’ll feel fine.”
Otter’s Choice - Spring Creek, Florida
Jody and Dewey Houck of Cypress Point Oyster Co. are at it again. The Otter’s Choice oyster is raised with the same love and care as its even smaller sister - the Little Honey. Spring Creek is the perfect place for this family operation. It is a small fishing village with lots of old world charm. The Houcks integrate cutting edge technology into this quaint world to bring you a consistent, well manicured oyster. Otter’s Choice is a petite oyster to showcase how much they love their waters, their work and their team.
Outlaws - Alligator Harbor, Florida
Alligator Harbor is renowned for being the saltiest waters in the gulf south. Outlaw Oyster Co. uses the floating mesh bag grow out system to make sure their oysters drink all that goodness up. The company was started by longtime lovers Blake and Denita. The namesake comes from having never got hitched. They joke that their family is therefore outlaws instead of inlaws. “Rebels at heart, this couple will tell you that life is too short to follow the rules.”
Point Aux Pins - Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Cultivating oysters in the gulf is a relatively new practice. Steve Crockett and his wife Dema are pioneers of the industry. They started farming Point Aux Pins in 2009 which has since become nationally recognized for putting the gulf south on the map for oyster farming. Their technique has since been mimicked by other gulf farms. The urbane black and white polish common in shells comes from the cylindrical mesh containers that tumble the oysters with the tides. The Crocketts also showed the importance of finding algae rich waters to give the oysters plump meat. They really did change the game for oysters.
Salty Bird - Spring Creek, Florida
Cainnon Gregg is the fun loving poster child of the next generation of sustainable Gulf oyster farmers. Before starting Pelican Oyster Co, Cainnon was an artist. Now the Salty Bird is his canvas. Salty Birds are grown in floating bags so they can ride the brackish waves. He hand sorts these oysters by size and are harvested once they reach three inches. This is a labor of love and homage to his wife’s late grandfather who was nicknamed Pelican in the Navy.
Saucy Lady - Apalachee Bay, Florida
Saucy Lady is sexy and sustainable. Their logo is a lady in short-shorts paddling down the pristine waters of Panacea. These waters are so clean because the coastline is underdeveloped and federally protected. Maintaining an environment free from hazards is important to owners Tim Jordan and Walt Dickson. Together they started the Saucy Lady Oyster Co. from an environmental initiative and they are committed to maintaining the purity of these waters.
Skipper Sweets - Skipper Bay, Florida
Aquaculture in the panhandle of Florida has been a slow rise but Serenoa Shellfish is in it for the love of the game. Their flagship oyster Skipper Sweets proves it. Serenoa is Latin for “palmetto” which is a plant that covers the pine flatwoods across Skipper Bay. The palmetto is a symbol of home for producers John and Emily Prairie and they treat these waters accordingly with a focus on sustainability.
Tidal Guide - Pensacola Beach, Florida
The Tidal Guide is named as an homage to how the waters change the flavor of the oyster. And there is a lot going on at this farm. Grayson Bay Oyster Co. is a family run farm off the white quartz sandy beaches of the Emerald Coast. Their mission is to put out a quality oyster with an emphasis on sustainability which is why the farms also serve as a nursery for fish and crabs. It really is a perfect oyster to taste merroir.
East Coast
Beach Plum - Westport, Massachusetts
Kerian and Kristin Fennelley started Riptide Oyster Co. in his hometown with aspirations and an aquaculture grant. This grant was key. It allowed this hardworking couple to set up longlines where no other farms are located. Isolation has allowed them to test and develop specialized techniques. So the Beach Plums and their sister oyster Riptide hangout all alone in the mineral rich, active waters of Buzzard Bay. Sometimes not having a neighbor is pretty cool.
Beausoleil - Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
Beausoleil translates to “beautiful sun” which is a funny name for an oyster that spends most of its life under ice. The cold Atlantic tides rustle this oyster into a perfectly manicured shell for seven years before it reaches market. The Beausoleil is traditionally one of the best oysters to pair with Champagne and so if it’s a special occasion, we recommend you pair a dozen with a bottle of bubbly.
Black Magic - Thunder Cove, PEI
Thunder Cove is known for its rich sand, stunning greenery, sandstone cliffs and these delicious oysters. Black Magics are grown in floating cages that get tossed by six foot waves up to four times each day. We do not know much else about this elusive oyster but we do know it’s a house favorite. And besides - a good magician never reveals their secrets.
Cape Breton - Cape Breton Island, NS
Our staff fell head over heels in love with this oyster. It wasn’t until later that we learned how coveted they are. Cape Breton oysters are a catchall name for any oyster off this island. In 2024, this oyster has been absolutely decimated by a parasite. But when a crop works, it’s perfect. They grow on cold gravel beds where large lakes connect to the ocean. Lightning occasional strikes at Sidecar. Get ‘em when you can.
Conway Royal - Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island
This here is a better grade of an already prize winning Malpeque Oyster. If you see this on our menu, consider yourself lucky and order a dozen. The Crown Royal is a wild oyster from Five Star Shellfish Co. Tradition lives on in this family farm. Three brothers work alongside their sons to tong these oysters off the hard-packed red clay rocks beneath the water. This is a super old school method but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Dixon Point - Boutouche Bay, New Brunswick
Dixon Point is located at the mouth of the world famous Boutouche Bay. The bay is enclosed by a dune which protects the abundance of phytoplankton in the waters from harsh weather that comes with Canadian winters. This spot was specifically chosen by biologist Serge LeBlanc who founded Great Little Harbor Seafood Co. Dixon Points are the little sister of their best known oyster the Belle du Jour. It’s a whole family of quality oysters!
Dukes of Topsail - Topsail Sound, North Carolina
The N. Sea Oyster Co. is located on the blue-green nutrient waters that run over spartina grass and sandy mud-mixed oyster beds. They pull their oysters from the Atlantic water for a rigorous dry and tumble schedule that results in thick shells and large abductor muscles. Their ideal location and precision of technique let the N. Sea Oyster Co. boast that they are the “Napa Valley of oysters.” That is quite the claim for an oyster that is named after pirates! Merchant sailors would look for the top sails of pirate ships that were stalking them from shallow areas of the sound behind the island. We love the Dukes of Topsail and believe it is an oyster worth plundering.
Eel Lake - Ste. Anne du Ruisseau, Nova Scotia
Nolan D'Eon moved to the shores of Ste Anne du Ruisseau to raise his family. He followed his dreams and finally started Eel Lake Oyster Farm in 1996. This is a true success story of following your dreams. He knew little about oyster farming when he started but has since built an empire. This oyster appears on high end menus across the country. While it sure took a lot of elbow grease, much of his success is because of the waters. Eel lake is part of an extraordinary lake complex in rural Nova Scotia. These tasty babies hang out in cages near the surface of the water before being dropped down to saltier depths for their last twenty days in waters. The final touch is quite literal. D’Eon and his team hand select every single oyster to make sure it meets the standards that he dreamt of all those years ago. Fun fact - 90% of them make the cut.
Fishers Island - Block Island Sound, New York
Fishers Island Oyster Farm was founded in 1981 by Sarah and Steve Malinowski.They moved to the island only a few years prior to live for free in a cabin. Looking for other ways to sustain themselves, the couple began farming oysters in a time when it was rarely practiced. This small, family-run farm continues to work by hand today in order to preserve the ecosystem of eelgrass, seals and schools of fish. In addition to their heavy buoys and bags, their only other equipment is a few skipper boats. They consider their farm a labor or love for both nature and their family.
HoneyMoon - Norththumberland, New Brunswick
These oysters grow for five years in the icy, Canadian water. In this time, it marries all the flavors of the plankton and algae for a quintessential New Brunswick oyster. Fall in love for the first time or all over again with the HoneyMoon. We sure did.
Indian River - New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The Indian River Oyster Co. is family owned and operated. These oysters are exclusively grown in the Indian River Lagoon which is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. The site's mangrove wetlands and salt marshes filter runoff, stabilize sediments, maintain water quality and protect shorelines from erosion. This company is committed to conserving the waters they take so much pride in working in.
Jack’s Point - Nobleboro, Maine
Glidden Point Oyster Farm boasts growing oysters “the old fashioned way.” And it’s true. They’ve been hand picking these oysters for over thirty years. Much of the esteem for Jack’s Point is due to its perfect location. They are raised for four years in the Damariscotta River which sits downstream of the prime food source of the Great Salt Bay. It really is a mighty fine oyster.
Malpeque Bay - Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is widely regarded as being the gold standard for oysters and that is because of the Malpeque Bay oyster. In 1900 at the Paris Exhibition, it was awarded the best oyster in the world. The tradition continues with the family-run Five Star Shellfish Co. who continue to farm these wild prize winners. Three brothers work alongside their sons to tong these oysters off the hard-packed red clay rocks beneath the water. This is a super old school method but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Marionport - Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Things are still wild on the east coast! Since most farms in the region have switched to cultivating oysters, Marionport is one of the last wild oysters left. Fishermen use hand rakes during low tide to harvest these oysters off seaweed covered rocks. This gives the oyster that old school green, ribbed shell. High tides from the Vineyard Sound tousle these oysters for three years before they get harvested. Go au naturale with this oyster.
Matunuck - Potter Pond, Rhode Island
Potter Pond is a brackish lagoon bustling with fish migrations and the celebrated Matunuck Oyster Bar. The Matunuck is their signature oyster and is farmed in bags attached to longlines just beyond this restaurant. All of these oysters are raised from seed by Perry Raso. Potter Pond is a brackish lagoon which makes for a healthy home for not only these oysters, but also many fish and eelgrass beds.
Moonlight Bay - Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is famous in Cape Cod for its dramatic barrier beaches. Moonlight Bay oysters are suspended bags off the sandy bottoms before being moved to growout trays. Ten foot tides exchange freshwater from the nearby creeks for a clean oyster. These oysters are sure to taste like all the romance of being under the moonlight.
Moshier Island Royal - Casco Bay, Maine
Moshier Island Royal oysters are cultivated in cold ocean waters by the Butterfield Shellfish Co. What started as a fun learning project for this father and son team grew with altruistic hopes of building protected oyster reefs in Casco Bay. These plentiful waters are certainly worth protecting. You’ll taste all the flora and seagrass that the oyster spent its life with.
Northern Belle - North Lake, Prince Edward Island
East Cape Oyster Co. carries on the legacy of the site’s original farmer Tommy Joe MacDonald who originally acquired a number of leases on the easternmost north side of Prince Edward Island. These are rough waters that bring in ocean tides twice daily. Northern Belles are hardened and shaped by these waves in floating cages for the majority of their life before being brought closer to the shore in bundles for harvest. MacDonald chased his passion for farming oysters while simultaneously working as an educator. East Cape Oyster Co. adapted his “good vibes” with their tight knit crew when they took over these prized waters.
Pink Moon - New London Bay, Prince Edward Island
The Pink Moon is a house favorite sure to seduce any oyster eater. Raspberry Point Oyster Co has held down their farm for over twenty years. The twice daily three foot tides from the nearby Hope River tumble their oysters with the eelgrass that fills the water. Cold Canadian waters make it so Pink Moons can take up to six years to reach the market. During this time they develop hard, glistening shells and manicured shape. Always a solid choice.
Red Beard - Fortune Bay, Prince Edward Island
Red Beard Shellfish Company is a small, family owned operation. They take pride in owning every step of the cultivation process from spat collection to market. Between start and finish, these oysters spend three years in floating bags before being sent to the bottom of the bay. Here they live out their lives among the entire ecosystem giving it a thick, distinctive green shell. Because they have to work harder for their food, the oyster meat is always rich and firm.
Salutation Cove - Salutation Cove, Prince Edward Island
Five Star Shellfish Co. is a family legacy. It is owned by three brothers whose father raised them in fishing boats. Today the company is operated by their sons. Tradition certainly runs deep in these waters. These oysters are from wild seed and are grown on the hard packed red clay and eelgrass bottom of the cove. After three to four years, Salutation Coves are harvested by the old school method of tonging. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Sand Dune - Souris River, Prince Edward Island
You know a Sand Dune oyster from its uniquely jade green shell. This coloring and its deep hard shell come from the many years the oyster takes to mature on the sandy bottom of the Souris River. Johnny Flynn continues to cultivate this legendary oyster on one of the oldest leases in the area. It’s only available August through January so get it while you can!
Savage Blonde - Savage Harbor, Prince Edward Island
Farmers Russell and Jacob Dockendorff sure know how to handle a savage blonde. They flip these oysters regularly to give the oyster its signature smooth, blonde shell. It is the gold standard for a Prince Edward Island oyster. Slurp some of these oysters down in honor of the savage blonde in your life!
Seal Cove - Damariscotta River, Maine
Thirty five years ago the modern farming of east coast oysters started on the Damariscotta River. Today it is still regarded as the premiere spot for farming oysters. This is with good reason. These oysters grow in the perfect mix of fresh and sea water, with no industry upriver to create pollution. Ocean tides bring in salinity twice daily to mix all the hearty phytoplankton from the warm bays with the deep, cold waters where the oysters are raised. It really is perfect breeding grounds for an oyster.
Sebastian Silver - Sebastian, Florida
Nicolette Mariano is the coolest gal in the game. She grew up on the waters of the Indian River Lagoon off the Atlantic Coast. Refusing to just watch the deterioration of the waterway, Mariano started the Treasure Coast Shellfish Co. She is on the forefront of sustainable aquaculture practices to restore biodiversity and water quality using the mighty oyster. Sebastian Silvers are always a house favorite!
St. Simon - Shippagan, New Brunswick
The Mallet family has been growing and innovating with the oyster for over forty five years. For three generations they have embraced new techniques but it is still no match for Canadian winters. Saint Simon oysters are reared in floating bags on trays which are sunk below three feet of ice during the winter months. The summer months however are ideal as the oyster gets all the benefits from the peatlands, salt marshes and pristine eelgrass beds.
Sugar Shack - Barnegat Bay, New Jersey
Barnegat Bay sprawls over nearly a million acres of dense forest and sugar sand. What’s sugar sand? We wanted to know too. Sugar sand is the local name for a type of fine sandy soil in southern New Jersey. Forty North Oyster Farm starts the Sugar Shack in floating cages but finishes them on ocean floor trays. Getting all up in these sugar sands is what gives this oyster’s shell cool its signature pattern.
Village Bay - Bay of Bedec, New Brunswick
The King family has been in the seafood industry for six decades. In the mid-nineties they shifted from lobsters to oysters. Today they run the largest oyster farm in Canada by acre. Although the operation is large, Danny King -son of the founder- and his team still harvest the Village Bay by hand. These oysters feed off the nutrient rich waters fed from the Northumberland Strait for up to six years before they reach market.
Walrus and Carpenter - Jamestown, Rhode Island
Walrus and Carpenter Oyster Farm has grown from a small passion project to a beloved brand in Rhode Island. They were so successful by ingratiating themselves to chefs and other culinary leaders of the region. Brad Boehringer now owns and runs this operation. His oysters are raised in floating cages in the middle of Dutch Harbor. This creates a hardened and shuckable shell that he is proud to deliver to his admiring chefs. They got a slogan on their farm, “It don’t matter if it’s snowin’ or blowin, we’re still goin!” There really is nothing more precious than reliability in the restaurant industry.
Wavelength - Mobjack Bay, Virginia
The Wavelength is the signature oyster from the Matheson Oyster Co. The name is an homage to owner Sarah’s parents who left her with a lasting impression to take care of the planet and community. This family operated farm uses an adjustable longline system so that the waters of the Chesapeake are constantly tumbling the oysters for deep cups and a lot of meat. Leave it to a lady to create one of the most unique farming techniques in the Chesapeake!
Whitecap - Dennis, Massachusetts
Davenport Oyster Co. is a family business nestled in the waters of Cape Cod Bay. Lead farmer Jamie Davenport began working on his father’s farm once he had three sons of his own. The Whitecap starts its life in mesh bags before being moved to Aquatrays for growout. Freshwater from the nearby Quivet Creek stirs up the sandy bottom. This family takes pride in producing environmentally sustainable oysters while being surrounded by nature everyday.
West Coast
Aphrodite - Kilisut Harbor, Washington
This here is one of our absolute favorite oysters. You’ll taste all the sediment that settles into the shallow waters of Kilisut Harbor. We get them farm-direct from Hama Hama Oyster Co. which is why the Aphrodite is always fresh. Science may still be out whether oysters are actually an aphrodisiac but we know this oyster will make you fall in love.
Baywater Indigo - North Hood Canal, WA
Baywater Shellfish Co. is a husband and wife team that sold their first oyster in 1990. Everyday since then marine biologist Dr. Joth Davis and his wife Karen have worked hard to serve quality oysters while being true stewards of the environment. The Baywater Indigo is grown in the cold, fast moving water of Hood Canal with suspended cages. These waters double as a sustainable kelp farm. The result is an oyster that reflects the pristine, biodiverse waters it is grown in.
Blue Pool - Lilliwaup, Washington
The Blue Pool is a perfect example of how growing techniques affect the flavor of an oyster. They are the tumbled version of Hama Hamas. This gives them deep shells and a full body. We get these oysters farm-direct from Hama Hama Oyster Co. It is one of two oysters grown in their home waters. We love Hama Hama because they have been family run for six generations and always deliver on pristine oysters.
Buckley Bay - Denman Island, Vancouver, British Columbia
Denman Island is located on the busy waters of Baynes Sound between Vancouver and British Columbia. This area is home to an abundance of oyster farms making it the shellfish capital of Canada. That’s really all we got for this elusive oyster.
Calm Cove - South Puget Sound, Washington
Calm Cove Shellfish Co. are grown in Hammersley Inlet not too far from the mouth of the Hama Hama River. These are earthy, nutrient rich waters. Calm Coves are therefore well fed for consistently plump meat. They live the good life as they age on the beach shore. This gives the Calm Cove its beautiful, characteristic shell. It is not to be missed.
Disco Hama - Discovery Bay, Washington
During the whole summer, the North wind does its thing, blowing down the strait and stirring up the water nearby. That cold, nutrient-packed water comes up to the surface, making it the perfect spot for growing Disco Hamas. They're cultivated in bags right on the rocky beaches, giving them this cool deep cup look with a bit of frill, all happening on the western side of the bay. The farm's got swift currents serving up plenty of chow and hefty southwest winds for toughening up those shells.
Eld Inlet - South Puget Sound, Washington
Eld Inlet is one of the oldest locations for oystering in the southernmost waters of Puget Sound. For over a century this area has been revered for its great oysters that are rich in glycogen. We get these oysters farm-direct from Hama Hama. Hama Hama has been family owned for six generations. They teamed up with Ian Child of Sound Shellfish to bring us the Eld Inlet. Child raises these oysters bag-to-beach so they always look like frilled beauties on your plate.
Hama Hama - Lilliwaup, Washington
This here is the signature oyster of the family-owned farm for six generations. Hama Hama means “stinky stinky” which is the native name for the river. Don’t hold this against the oyster though. The waters have perfected this flagship oyster. The oyster is raised on gravel beaches where freshwater meets salty runoff. This enhances the gnarly, rocky shells. Tides expose these oysters twice daily for a natural tumble. It’s an old fashioned method that never gets old.
Hammersley Inlet - South Puget Sound, Washington
This oyster is extra special because they are farmed using two different methods. Known as “bag to beach,” the Hammersley Inlet spends most of its life out in the algae rich basin before being moved to a beach for six months prior to harvest. This toughens up the oyster giving it a stronger shell and firmer meat. It is exactly the kind of care you can expect from Hama Hama Oyster Co. which has been farming quality oysters for six generations.
Kumamoto - Baja, Mexico
The Kumamoto is its very own species of oyster native to the far southwestern tip of Japan. It stays small and deep cupped compared to other oysters along the west coast. You can find this favorite oyster from British Columbia all the way down to the Baja Peninsula. There they are raised in longlines in a bay opening up to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean. That is why this is by far the saltiest Kumamoto offered.
Oishi - Skagit Bay, Washington
Skagit Bay is one of the cleanest and nutrient rich bodies of water in all of Washington. It is fed by glacier melt rivers with lower salinity so you can really taste the nuances of the oyster. The Skagit Shellfish Co. is a family run business for over thirty years and has been dedicated to preserving these pristine waters. The Oishi is raised for two years in a flip-bag system on intertidal beds giving it a smooth, deep cup. This is an exceptional oyster.
Olympia - Lilliwaup, Washington
Meet the tiniest oyster packing the most flavor - the Olympia! Affectionately referred to as the “Oly”, this lil guy is its very own species and the only oyster truly native to the west coast. The Oly was renamed from “Native Western” in 1889 when Washington received statehood. This oyster was served at a dinner to determine the state capital. It was so delicious that Olympia won the bid to become the state capital. Now that is one persuasive oyster.
Mirimichi - Totten Inlet, Washington
With its characteristic fluted shell decorated with barnacles, the Mirimichi is your classic bag-to-beach oyster. This beauty is brought to you by Chelsea Farms. Linda and John Lentz began the company in 1987 and named it Chelsea which means “Port of Ships.” They emphasized sustainable farming and an outstanding product from the get-go making them a staple in Olympia.
Penn Cove Select - Samish River, Washington
Penn Cove Shellfish operates on the site of the oldest commercial mussel farm in North America. Today they harvest approximately two million pounds of mussels every year. But we aren’t here to talk about mussels. The Penn Cove Select oysters are grown in their own hatchery and live out their lives in the North Puget Sound. This is a prolific area to grow because of all the good minerals the rush down from the snow melt of the Cascade Mountains. These oysters are grown in state of the art SEAPA baskets. These baskets look like helixes and rumble the oyster for a consistent deep cup, hard shell and high meat content.
Pickering Passage - Puget Sound, Washington
The Pickering Passage oyster is grown in bags staked to the beach along the narrow channel of Puget Sound. These waters are famous for extremely swift currents which give the oyster a crazy amount of plankton to feed on. Hama Hama compares this to gavaging a goose foie gras. This is definitely one of Hama Hama’s best fed oysters!
Summer Blues - Skunk Island, Washington
Got yourself a Summer Blue? Consider yourself lucky. This oyster is only available in limited quantities. That’s why we love having a farm-direct relationship with the Hama Hama Oyster Co. The Summer Blue is the tumbled, more manicured result of the Summerstone. They benefit from spending lots of time under the cold waters and salt from the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
Summerstone - Skunk Island, Washington
This bag-to-beach beauty is another hit from Hama Hama Oyster Co. They bring six generations of expertise to harvest their oysters. Summerstone oysters are grown in the algae rich waters on the Olympic Peninsula in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. This is special because the waters stay cold all summer long. True to their name, these oysters are mainly harvested in the summer months. If you got one in front of you, give yourself a pat on the back for knowing oysters are perfect to eat all year.
Swinomish - Fidalgo Island, Washington
Hama Hama is a six generation family-run farm that understands tradition. That’s why one of their partner farms is the Swinomish tribe. This oyster might be new to the market but it has been grown by the Swinomish tribe for over a hundred years. It is all part of their attempt to reclaim their land from industrial destruction.