Last week I had the pleasure of sharing a dinner table with "Oyster Bill" Whitbeck, a warm and bearded chatty wonder of a man. Oyster Bill is a familiar face to many—as market manager for Taylor Shellfish Farms, he can be found at farmer's markets throughout the year. Over a plate of geoduck sautéed with some of the season's first asparagus, Oyster Bill explained that the name geoduck comes from the Nisqually word meaning "dig deep," which is exactly what you have to do to harvest these crazy-looking mollusks.
I've been thinking about Oyster Bill and his fellow shellfish farmers, many of whom are carrying on a local family business and tradition that goes back many generations. (Taylor Farms has been growing shellfish for over 100 years.) While doing research into shellfish farming, I stumbled upon the Hama Hama Oyster Blog, a "guide to life on the Hama Hama Shellfish Farm" (in business since 1922). Part food blog and part nature blog, it's a wonderful, quiet celebration and look at everything that makes up a Hama Hama day—from shucking plants to the beautiful scenery of Hood Canal to other "tideland critters" such as sea cucumbers.
I capped off my week of shellfish dreaming quietly in West Seattle with two dozen late-night oysters washed down with cold Maritime Old Seattle Lager. From 10:00 p.m. to midnight every night at Ama Ama Oyster Bar, oysters are a mere 50 cents apiece. It's a dream come true.
Taylor Shellfish Farms: taylorshellfishfarms.com.
Hama Hama Oyster Blog: hamahamaoysters.com/blog.
Ama Ama Oyster Bar, 4752 California Ave SW, 937-1514, late-night happy hour 10 pm–midnight.
