You know it when you experience it. That feeling when you just know you’re at the right place at the right time. Where the lighting is just right. The atmosphere is easy, breezy. Where all your needs are met or, better yet, exceeded. This was it.
As another soon-to-be predominant theme in this blog—I love me some coastal views. Throw me a vista, some crisp, salty air, the odd seagull or dune, and you basically have me wound around your finger. Take me, I’m yours. My friend Heidi knew this about me…and had a little treat in store for me during my last visit out west.
It was an unassuming Wednesday afternoon in Seattle…early February. A shockingly sunny, stunner of a day, and a total bonus, given that normally this time of year, things are often cloaked under a lofty blanket of grey. Heidi was excited to take me up the coast to visit a tucked away gem she had uncovered on her own, a few years before. She said it was going to be about a two-hour drive, but it’d be worth it. I trusted her. We were off.
Needless to say, as we got closer to our final destination, I couldn’t help ooh-ing and ahh-ing. First, I was wowed by the strange combination of rural landscapes (think acres of crops, old barns, and cows) paired with sweeping water views. Nautical farms, if you will. What a combo. These scenes then gave way to even more jaw-dropping landscapes as we continued to wind our way up the famed Chuckanut Drive. Yep, that’s right. CHUCK A NUT. (Don’t think I didn’t say that at least 15 times in four different ways on the ride up.)
We had arrived.
After about five minutes of craning my neck while we snaked up the side of the mountain, we were finally there: The Taylor Shellfish Farms Samish Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market.
The Taylor Shellfish empire is no stranger to fans, as well as locals, in the Pacific Northwest. They have a handful of oyster bars in the Seattle area. They also harvest and distribute incredibly fresh seafood all over the world and have earned themselves the title of being “America’s Largest Shellfish Farm.” At this location, that seemed like a bit of a misnomer though, because honestly things couldn’t have been more quaint or unassuming.
The entrance and sign are wedged-in at a sharp bend in the road. The gravel driveway is one-way. And apparently in the summer, getting in and out of here is totally bonkers. Today we had winter, warm-for-February temps, and a Wednesday on our side. That said, if anything in this post piques your interest, maybe try to go mid-week or off-season, like we did, to avoid the hordes.
This location is comprised of a little seafood shop where you can order things to-go or to-stay, a covered (but not terribly insulated) room full of picnic tables, a back porch with more tables overlooking the bay, and then a few more picnic tables and first-come-first-served grills dotted around the active shellfish farm grounds. When it comes to seafood, you can’t get any fresher than this.
I won’t lie. I was admittedly a little reluctant to go nuts on the oysters. (I know. WHAT? I was at a damn oyster farm for God’s sake!) But here’s the deal: I am MUCH more of an East Coast girl than a West one when it comes to bi-valves. I like brine and minerality. The salt of the sea! Westies seem so cantaloupey…sweet and cucumberous. Not my jam. But, fear not! I knew I wasn’t going to leave without trying *something* here (nor was Heidi) and the young man behind the counter knew just the trick.
He suggested I try some Shigokus – a Virginica oyster (similar to the ones grown on the East Coast). Divine. I also opted for a luscious Dungeness Crab to share. And, naturally, the scene wouldn’t be set if we didn’t throw in a little Muscadet. A 40-ounce, naturally. We like to keep things classy.
Life at that moment couldn’t have been more perfect or pure. The bay. The salty breeze. The freshness. The crispness of it all.
If you’re into oysters, have never been to a shellfish farm, are into picture-perfect vistas, or just need a good excuse to sneak out of Seattle—do yourself a favor and go get some fresh air and fresh seafood up north. (Thank you to Heidi for sharing her secret spot and for helping me capture Taylor in all of its glory!)