California teeming.

Sorry for the short hiatus in posts, I've been out and about in beautiful Northern California.  We rented a car and took to the forest, exploring Sonoma for the better part of a week.  This is a very lovely part of the country, and my first time visiting.  Totally awed, I had many favorite moments, but one of our final days certainly tops the list.

Fork.  Oysters.  I love oysters.  I love the entire process of eating an oyster.  Shuck, season, slurp, swallow.  Don't forget to chew.  They can range from briny like the sea to clean as a cucumber.  Salty punches or mild pleasures.  Texturally, the differences between any two varieties is also amazing.  Some are creamy and relaxed, others gigantic and plump.  I prefer the oyster in the middle - ones with enough bite to remind me I'm eating an animal and enough sweet flavor to encourage slow chewing.  Nothing too salty please.

I've eaten oysters all over the place and found different rituals everywhere I go.  In Tallahassee they arrive on ice in a bucket, accompanied by tobasco, saltines and plenty of pitchers of PBR.  Many restaurants in New York City offer discounted oysters in the afternoon (thank you thank you), where the mignonette dressing and a squeeze of lemon are all you'll need.  New Orleans serves them fried, all spiced up, Creole-like.  And on the coast in Northern California, they encourage making use of the barbecue, a completely new concept for me.  

It turns out, oysters on the grill are fantastic.  And incredibly easy to prepare.  Take your oyster (choose a fatty), place it curved shell down (pictured below) directly over your hot coals.  Give them a few moments and they'll begin sputtering seawater and hissing loudly.  Be careful!  They tend to pop and spew very hot water everywhere.  When they are done, some will snap open, but others just won't, so grab them from the grill when they start getting very noisy and bubbly.  Let them cool a moment, then pry them open and eat with your favorite spicy barbecue sauce.  It's a revelation - smokey, tender, and a little crispy.  Oysters never get boring.
 

Glass.  There is an array of beverages that pair nicely with oysters, both raw or cooked.  Light beers and dry white wines are the most common.  I love sipping on Muscadet while enjoying a few raw on the half-shell.  The stoniness of the wine allows the individual flavors of the oysters shine.  But, as we were in California wine country and it was only 2pm in the afternoon, we decided to pop open a bottle of bubbly.  Let the festivities begin!

Although there is no shortage of sparkling white wine in Sonoma, one of the favorites is produced by Iron Horse, a vineyard tucked away in the Russian River Valley.  Drinking through their tasting flight while gazing at the endless view of yellowing vines and rolling hills, you feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  Of course we bought their Classic Vintage Brut.  A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it is everything you want out of a bubbly - fresh and dry with a touch of cream and fruit.  A classic indeed.

Iron Horse vineyards.  Do visit.

Play.  The best way to prepare yourself for an afternoon of grilling oysters on the beach is to whet your appetite for the sea with a long long drive down the Pacific Coast.  We met up with Highway 1 just outside of Jenner, at the Sonoma Coast State Beach (home of the Goat Rock, which we failed to identify).  Keep driving south and you'll find amazing views of the ocean, the beaches, and the craggy cliffs.  Tiny seaside towns keep popping up, begging you to stop in for souvenirs, oysters, ice cream.  The land here is unlike anything on the East Coast, and reminded me most of the grand seascapes of Southern Ireland.  Lots of rocks and greenery, all spritzed with that cold cold ocean mist.

 

Go with lots of people for the best deal.

 Continue south until you hit Tomales Bay, just north of Point Reyes Station.  Be sure to bring napkins, forks, lemons and barbecue sauce.  Everything else can be purchased on site.  Oh, and don't forget the bubbly.  Plastic cups, a must.