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In early January, I had a wild idea. I wanted oysters. But not from a restaurant. I wanted to buy them from a local spot, take them home, and dive in.
Morro Bay's just the spot to find them. You've got a choice between two oyster farms: Grassy Bar Oyster Company or Morro Bay Oyster Company, both of which farm the hard-shelled delicacy out of Morro Bay's salty, silty bay. I wanted to try both, but we don't always get what we want. With all the storms rolling through, runoff had put things on hold.
The little ocean filters imbibe that runoff, which can bring with it pollutant-laden water—meaning, oyster farmers have to wait days to weeks to be able to harvest their mollusks after a big rain.
Lucky for me, Grassy Bar happens to run an indoor farming operation in addition to the one that's in the bay. So while I wasn't able to nab any Pacific Gold oysters from the Morro Bay Oyster Company, which is open most Saturdays and by appointment, Grassy Bar had some on hand.
The retail shop is located on the north end of the Embarcadero, next to all the fish houses. You can purchase your specimens to go or snag a table on the patio for service on the half-shell with a variety of toppings.
I bought two dozen and put them on ice for a journey to the backyard barbecue. The plan was to shuck a dozen and cook a dozen over oak wood. All you need is a shucking knife, hot sauce, lemon juice, and a mignonette (shallots, vinegar, salt, and pepper) to get the job done right. Oh, and someone who can do the shucking (there's a YouTube video for that).
The cashier recommended larger oysters for the barbecue and smaller ones to eat fresh. I didn't eat them all by myself. I had some help, and two dozen was almost too many for us, but these little beauties might have been the freshest oysters I've ever tasted. The oyster liquor was refreshing and a little salty, and the meat was a little sweet.
Grassy Bar oysters went down easy in both their purest form and with a little smoke on them. I can't wait to try some Pacific Golds from Morro Bay Oyster Company. If you're into shellfish, I highly recommend.
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