#17 - Eat a Raw Oyster

#17 of my list of 26 before 27:  Eat a Raw Oyster

It's really quite unbelievable that I have not enjoyed a raw oyster until now.  I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in a small town whose lifestyle revolves around the water and everything in/on it.  Whether taking a boat out for the day, having a crab pickin' or going to work on it, the Bay was a way of life for most people in my community.  So why in the world had I never had an oyster?  The answer escapes me but I have since remedied the situation!  Of course this was a west coast oyster so I'll have to reset my goal next time I visit back east and have a Bay oyster.

Mid February a friend was in town and we took our first Seattle ferry ride out to Bainbridge Island.  The trip was lovely and it seemed like sightseeing instead of a mode of transportation (I'm sure commuters have a different view on this matter).  Once there we went to the tasting rooms of a few Bainbridge wineries before heading to dinner at Hitchcock's.  Hitchcock's philosophy is localism, their service friendly and food superb.  Fresh raw oysters were on the menu a la cart and since I had recently compiled my bucket list I went for it.  I'm glad I got over my fear because it was delicious and I am looking forward to hitting up an oyster bar to try different varieties!  We went on with our meal where I tried pork belly for the first time which melted in my mouth and continued on to clams and giant octopus.  I wish I had written this sooner so that I could be descriptive but after 3 months all I can say is that everything was delicious and in the end our plates were clean.

In Seattle, on a ferry, with Starbucks coffee, could we be any more stereotypical?

Leaving Seattle in our wake.

It was gloomy downtown but sunny on Bainbridge, go figure.

Oysters!

Clean plates, the food was great.

I recommend coming in at night sometime on a ferry, it's quite stunning, this picture does not do it justice.