Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/977271
RESTAURANTS ENJOY THE PERKS OF FARMING OYSTERS YEAR ROUND The latest farm-to-table craze goes beyond fields and orchards. Underwater oyster farms now provide a fruitful bounty of briny bivalves. We used to avoid oysters during warmer months due to bacterial concerns. Today the old capital-R rule has been…well, shucked. Diverse species and careful harvest management allow us to slurp in any month. More discriminating foodies have added oys- ters to their plates — and Instagram feeds. And local restaurants — from high-end Seventh & Dolores in Carmel to the more downhome Abalonetti on Fisherman's Wharf — make the world their oyster. A new restaurant in Marina even added "oysterette" to its name. "It made sense to highlight oysters," says Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette Chef David Baron. "But we're doing them on another level." Salt Wood dresses oysters with "Bloody Mary" mignonette, fresh horseradish, apple-finger lime gelée, and pomegranate-pear-mint. Grilled 122 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 Chef David Baron of Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette uses creative preparations such as a Blood Mary mignonette and spicy sausage. Due to different harvesting techniques, oysters are now safely available to eat year round. Photo: Kelli Uldall food for thought Oyster s Appear Ever ywhere; Wild Fish Opens in PG; Tor ibashi Ramen Bubbles with Flavor B Y L A R R Y H A R L A N D