The Jolly Oyster

The Jolly Oyster sells oysters and clams at Ventura State Beach.  They just opened a few weeks ago and John, Peter, Dad and I decided to check them out:

I met Mark, the owner, at the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago and he greeted me with a warm hug like we had been friends for years.  Like John and Peter, he also grew up in Africa - how strange is that?

The oysters and clams are farmed in Baja - see their website http://www.thejollyoyster.com/ for more info and a video of the farming.  Mark sells a couple sizes of Pacific Oysters, Kumamotos and Manila Clams.

Mark giving us a lesson in oysters and shucking:

John was a pro and we kept him busy, slurping the delicious oysters as fast as he could shuck them:

Peter giving John a break:

Trying to light the BBQ for steamed clams:

I didn't come prepared to cook clams but Mark was kind enough to give us some red onion and garlic that we sauteed before adding some Sauvignon Blanc and tossing in the clams:

They were absolutely the most delicious clams I have ever eaten:

We topped some of the oysters with a bit of  mango margarita and some with a bloody mary mix & vodka, but our favorites were slurped straight from the shell with nothing added to interfere with the natural briny taste- incredibly good:

We were at the park for hours, eating oyster after oyster, after clam after clam, soaking up the clam juice with french bread and washing it all down with a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc. What a fun afternoon.  We can't wait to go back.