9.03.2014

sunlight & SEAFOOD: Hog Island Oyster Bar


RER 8.21.14
Hog Island Oyster Bar does not serve as much reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the Ferry Building Marketplace. Lunchtime crowds swarm and flock, attracted to the oysters, the view and the sunshine pelting in from the wharf. It’s busy, there’s a wait, but breathing in the outdoors and fresh water induces some calm. Once seated and the menu hugged, time slows and the sun can be enjoyed.

The gorgeous light makes everything taste more fresh, more whole, and more dreamy.
Emerald gems of oysters Rockefeller rest quietly on a bed of crystals, inviting the earthiness of spinach and sweetness of onions to play with the brightness of lemon and illumination. Fresh hot Old Bay fries bask in afternoon rays and bring smiles to faces. Jade padron peppers and amethyst leaves glisten, shiny with oil and studded with salt, ushering the fresh tastes of moments to come.
RER 8.21.14

A pretty swirl of thick pasta snakes around heart-shaped clamshells, animated in the Californian sun. Bright green leek tops entangle summer flavors, soaking up wet wheat broth and corona bean bodies. The open steamed clams, calling to be devoured, are paired with the subtly of fennel sausage, a different kind of salty in the clear broth. Each element is a little slippery, but the faint summer sun eliminates murkiness and provides a hearty glow.

RER 8.21.14
RER 8.21.14
Blue skies transform the clam chowder into summer memories, sunny with sweet and briny clams, chewy but just right. They are a bouquet of eerie, symmetrical gradient grey shells as graceful as petals, that moves with the glitter of the sun. The water-thin broth reflects a golden hue, like a rinse, just enough to tickle the eager clams. It’s creamy and rich, like lucid dreams, sticking to your tongue with flavor not heaviness. Dark red rashers of salty bacon are almost poached in the milky liquid, which is fervently speckled with green herbs and spicy black pepper. Fat potato pieces bob as the clam meats are plucked from their shells. A perfect combination of just enough.
RER 8.21.14

Something about the eatery is more than just oysters and beautiful seafood. There is a kind of escape with each bite, a reflection of the origins of each pure ingredient.
RER
8.21.14
RER 8.21.14

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