Latest news with #Shuckers
Eater
07-07-2025
- Eater
Why Seattleites Drive Two Hours for This Oyster Bar
There's no way around it, oysters are indulgences. Seattle has many great oyster bars, each with their own charms but all embodiments of some vision of luxury: The Walrus and the Carpenter is the pinnacle of laid-back 2010s hipster cool, Elliott's is a touristy waterfront paradise, Shuckers is all dark wood and old-school class. Oysters at these places are presented like works of art, their exposed bodies glistening and wet, framed by their craggy, primordial, endlessly photogenic shells. You do a little dance with lemon and acidic pink mignonette, maybe hot sauce in an eyedropper, slurp down the briny morsel, and place the shell back down on the plate of ice. Oyster bars aim for elegance because they have to cast a spell. You must walk in and see yourself as a carefree epicurean, so unconcerned with money, you don't bother asking about market price before airily ordering a dozen for the table. But there's another oyster fantasy, one that involves getting in a car and driving south on I-5 toward Tacoma. If you hit midday traffic, Google Maps will tell you to peel off onto 16 near the Tacoma Dome, cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and go up to Gig Harbor before turning west, toward the Olympic Peninsula. Car dealerships with American flags and signs for Costco gradually give way to evergreens and sky. The highway shrinks to two lanes, sometimes hemmed in on one side by trees and the other by water. You hit 101 and head north, skirting the edge of the Skokomish Nation Reservation and passing a tribal-owned casino and grocery store, along with some fireworks stands in various states of disrepair. Two hours and a whole world later, you can finally pull into the gravel parking lot at the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon, maybe Washington state's best oyster bar and certainly the one that's hardest to get to. The Oyster Saloon looks the kind of place humans build after a zombie apocalypse. There's a food truck, a little farm store, Adirondack chairs facing a gently burning wood fire. Most of the tables are under weather-beaten A-frame structures that shield them, partly, from the rain. On a sunny day, you get a panoramic view of the Hood Canal — not a canal but one of North America's few fjords — tree-lined hills across it, and, directly in front of you, the tide flats that constitute the Hama Hama oyster farm, the reason you're here. You probably know the name Hama Hama; the company's oysters are served and celebrated all over the West Coast, and sometimes elsewhere (a few are exported to Singapore). Oysters taste like the waters they grow in, and Hama Hamas are generally described as tasting clean, or green and cucumber-like. In his book The Essential Oyster , Rowan Jacobsen says the flavor is 'nettle soup, with lots of vibrant, herbaceous spring greens and briny sea stock.' The Blue Pool varietal, which is 'tumbled' in bags rather than grown on beaches, has a deeper cup and a slightly creamier flavor profile; Jacobsen calls it 'white miso-shiitake soup.' There's no better place to linger over Hama Hamas and Blue Pools than the saloon, wood smoke in your nose, looking out at the beach where, at night, Hama Hama workers in headlamps harvest oysters out of the shallow, cold water. It's a farm-to-table restaurant in the sense that you can see the (oyster) farm from the table. If you're an oyster person, it's a different vibe than you get at a city oyster bar — more rugged, wilder. It's a way to remove oysters from the manicured restaurant context you usually find them in and get closer to their briny source. If you're not an oyster person, sorry someone dragged you here. The menu is essentially all oysters: raw, marinated escabeche-style, and roasted with chipotle bourbon butter. The last one is what you get if you insist you don't like oysters — they are smoky-sweet and flaky rather than gooey. (There are also crabcakes, salads, and clams; kids can get a grilled cheese sandwich, and adventurous kids can add Douglas fir jelly.) Hama Hama is a family business in its sixth generation. Lissa James Monberg, the company's vice president of shellfish, has told the story countless times. Her mother's grandfather, Daniel Miller Robbins, bought this land in the 1890s to log it. The logging company did well until the Depression, then fell on hard times; at one point, Monberg says, the company was selling scrap metal so it could afford to pay taxes. The family was determined to hang on to this strip of land next to the Hood Canal — Monberg's grandfather 'couldn't let such a good trout stream get away from him,' she says. He sold Christmas trees, logs, iron, shrimp, whatever he could find. Then he tried oysters. The beach in front of the saloon is an ideal natural oyster farm, Monberg explains. On sunny summer days the tide flats absorb heat from the sun at low tide; when the tide comes back in, the water warms up. Without wind mixing the shallows with the colder, deeper water in the middle of the Hood Canal, the water on the tide flats stays warm. It's too hot and sunny — and it gets too cold at night — for the native Olympia oyster. But when Pacific oysters were brought from Japan to Puget Sound in the early 20th century, they flourished: That warm water is just what they need to spawn. Oysters make more oysters by spewing sperm and eggs into the water, which then form larvae. The larvae, if they're lucky and changes in the water temperature don't kill them, eventually settle down on a rock or an oyster shell and start forming a shell of their own. Monberg's family 'always worked with the naturally occurring reproduction,' she says, putting oyster shells out on the beach to 'recruit' larvae during the summer spawning season. She compares it to 'farming dandelions.' They manage the population by not harvesting all the oysters at once. 'It's more like a food forest than a modern industrial farm,' she says. 'You're just working with what's there to try to grow more food than would be there otherwise.' The Oyster Saloon was a natural outgrowth of the family's evolving business. The Hama Hama company got into oysters in the 1950s and opened a retail store next to the farm in the '70s, since locals kept dropping by looking to buy a half-gallon of bivalves. Inspired by Hog Island Oyster Company in Northern California, Hama Hama opened the Oyster Saloon in 2014. Initially, the saloon was just a few tables close to the store. During the pandemic lockdown era, the company expanded it by setting up more tables and building those A-frames. The Oyster Saloon has become wildly popular despite a seeming contradiction. Peak oyster season is in winter, and the saloon is open — but since it's entirely outdoors, diners have to huddle around half-sheltered heat lamps and contend with the wind and the rain. (Granted, this is some people's idea of a good time.) The Oyster Saloon is at its bucolic best in the summer, when oysters aren't traditionally eaten, as spawning changes their flavor. These days, however, people have discarded the old 'only eat oysters in months with an 'r'' rule, and on busy summer weekends the saloon serves 700 people a day, who eat around 300 dozen oysters. These are oyster-obsessed city folk from Seattle and Portland, hikers trekking around the nearby national park, bikers taking a break from roaring their Harleys down 101. (There's a rural-urban divide when it comes to oysters, according to Monberg: City folk like raw oysters. People who grew up out here on the peninsula prefer them cooked.) This popularity has made the saloon more central to Hama Hama's business than ever before. A family of loggers turned into a family of oyster farmers, turned into the owners of maybe the only true destination restaurant in Mason County, Washington. Would Hama Hama ever get more fully into the restaurant game, following the footsteps of Taylor Shellfish Farms, another regional seafood producer, which has three Seattle oyster bars? Taylor is doing a great job, says Hama Hama head chef Dillon Pennell, but Hama Hama doesn't want to do that. The Oyster Saloon isn't just a place to get oysters. 'It's air, it's the wood smoke,' says Pennell. 'I don't think we'd ever be very interested in sterilizing it to the point of shoehorning it into the bottom of a condo in Seattle... It would lose some of the spirit.' You can take the oyster off the beach. You can keep it chilled and damp until the moment comes to carefully, expertly shuck it so that its belly and mantle are unbroken, glistening, ready to be served. But maybe something is lost along the way to that citified oyster bar at the bottom of a condo complex, and maybe you have to drive out to Hama Hama again to remember what that was. See More:
Business Wire
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
The Dairy Alliance Brings Milk's Got Game to the Plate for Biloxi Shuckers' 10th Anniversary
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit organization funded by dairy farm families in the Southeast, is proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Biloxi Shuckers' 10th Anniversary Game on June 6, 2025. The game, which also celebrates the return of the fan-favorite Biloxi Beach Chickens theme night, will be held at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Mississippi, as the Shuckers take on the Montgomery Biscuits. 'This partnership brings together our Alabama and Mississippi dairy farm families for an exciting night of baseball and a focus on fueling strength, performance, and hydration with real dairy,' said Geri Berdak, Chief Executive Officer at The Dairy Alliance. 'We're excited to be a part of this Shuckers milestone and showcase how our Milk's Got Game initiative helps athletes and fans perform at their best, both on and off the field.' Fans will enjoy an exhibit with free ice cream donated by Prairie Farms, branded giveaways, and the chance to meet local dairy farmers from both Alabama and Mississippi. Fans are also encouraged to arrive early to see a local dairy farmer throw the ceremonial first pitch, kicking off the game with a nod to the hardworking individuals behind every glass of real dairy milk. 'We're honored to support The Dairy Alliance and the Biloxi Shuckers by donating Prairie Farms ice cream for this special night,' said Gary Davis, Chief Marketing Officer at Prairie Farms. 'It's a fun way to celebrate local dairy farmers and help fans enjoy the game with a taste of what real dairy has to offer.' With game attendance consistently topping 4,000 fans, the Biloxi Shuckers are a beloved part of the Gulf Coast community. This partnership aligns perfectly with The Dairy Alliance's commitment to promoting health, wellness, and the nutritional benefits of real dairy, especially its role in supporting active lifestyles. To learn more about The Dairy Alliance, visit or follow them on Facebook or Instagram @TheDairyAlliance. The Dairy Alliance is a nonprofit funded by dairy farm families of the Southeast. We work diligently with dairy farmers, schools, sports teams, health professionals, local organizations, state leaders, the media, and the public to promote dairy foods and knowledge about the dairy industry. Our efforts center in eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Axios
10-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Shuckers fans confused by Clevelander plan to revive "subpar" menu
Shuckers Waterfront Bar & Grill was beloved for its laid-back vibes, bayfront views and historic status as a Miami staple before it closed last year. But the food? Many would say that came a distant second. Why it matters: An attempt by the Clevelander South Beach to revive classic menu items from the shuttered sports bar has received mixed reactions from longtime fans. "Nobody ever went to shuckers for the food," Miami food writer and editor Laine Doss wrote on Facebook. Catch up quick: Shuckers, which had a 35-year run in North Bay Village, closed last year after its parent company, Jesta Group, sold the property to make way for a mixed-use development. Shuckers was replaced by the Palm Tree Club, a restaurant and music venue, which received noise complaints from neighbors even before it opened. The latest: The Clevelander, which is also owned by Jesta Group, announced last month it would begin selling "beloved Shuckers favorites" like grilled wings, coconut shrimp and loaded nachos. The goal, a spokesperson tells Axios, is to honor Shuckers' legacy and attract its loyal customers. Between the lines: The revived menu items are more expensive at the Clevelander than on Shuckers' online menu. Five grilled wings will cost you $18, compared with $14 at Shuckers. A 10-piece is $35, compared with $24. What they're saying: Many Shuckers fans who responded to an Axios Miami callout on Facebook said Shuckers' secret sauce wasn't on the menu; in fact, some didn't like the food much at all. "I only went to Shuckers for the view. The food was overpriced and subpar," resident Sharon Weiss said. "The best part of Shuckers wasn't the food but the atmosphere," Alexandra Bassil wrote, adding that it was one of Miami's last oceanfront staples. Friction point: Some locals said customers who preferred Shuckers' laid-back atmosphere would probably avoid visiting the Clevelander, known for its touristy day club. "If Shuckers literally picked up and moved to Ocean Drive, I'm sure many locals would consider it," Christopher Jon Uriarte wrote. "But I'm sure the prospect of going to Clevelander just for a Shuckers Grilled Cheese is a hard 'no' for most people." "No local is going to the Clevelander unless they just moved into town," Joey Willig wrote. The other side: Some Shuckers fans said they enjoyed its wings and coconut shrimp and would stop by the Clevelander to check it out. "Shuckers was too far of a trek with Miami Beach traffic," South Beach resident Valerie Owen wrote. Caroline Gray, who also lives in the area, wrote that the Clevelander is "a great place for sports" and she's glad it's changing its menu. "I really liked Shuckers coconut shrimp, happy to see them back."
