Bolle Rosé, Twice Fermented Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
$30
With the surge of interest in nonalcoholic beverages, nonalcoholic beer leads the way with plenty that taste similar to their alcoholic counterparts. That’s followed closely by faux spirits used to make virgin versions of cocktails. I find nonalcoholic wine, however, lags behind both these categories in terms of options that taste like wine with alcohol. That is, until I sampled the new sparklers from Bolle. A Europe-based company founded by Italian Roberto Vanin, this pink fizz looks stylishly elegant and tastes delicious — making you want another glass, or three. Enticingly delicate red berry fruit aromas lead the way with this crisp, flavorful bubbly (clocking in at a mere 15 calories per serving). It’s an ideal option for savvy sippers of all sorts.
Thacher 2022 Grenache, Homestead Hill Vineyard
Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, California $65
One of my favorite red grapes is Grenache. It’s a unique variety responsible for the likes of hearty French Rhône reds and spicy Spanish stunners. In Paso Robles, California, however, it has found its American home. One Grenache that’s a shining star is a small-production version from Thacher Winery. This family-owned spot specializes in handcrafted, terroir-driven wines. Their Homestead Hill Vineyard Grenache is hand-harvested, hand-sorted, gently basket pressed, then aged in concrete tulips, and finally bottled unfiltered and unfined. Exploding with medium-bodied freshness and complexity, it showcases wild strawberry and maraschino cherry succulence, followed by a spicy kick and vibrant yet plush texture. A perfect partner for braised meats or fiery veggie chili.
Chateau Montelena 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California $85
When it comes to California classics, look no further than Chateau Montelena. I adore this winery, its story, its wines and its people. The historic winery, begun by Alfred Tubbs in the 1880s, is one of Napa Valley’s most beautiful properties to visit, with gorgeous grounds and a grand chateau. Nearly 100 years after its founding, it became even more famous when their 1973 Chardonnay bested French versions in the benchmark “Judgement of Paris” wine competition of 1976. They are, however, known for their Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings — and for good reason. The 2021 Cabernet is structured and age-worthy, but also ready to drink now with a few hours of decanting and alongside a sumptuous grilled steak. Sporting dark berry fruit notes layered with hints of toasty oak spiciness and a lush finish, this collectible wine is yet another reason to love Montelena.
Episode Transcript
Leslie Sbrocco: An old-school pizzeria in San Jose…
Laurel Valaris: It was just such a heartwarming experience.
Leslie Sbrocco: …a cozy brunch spot in El Sobrante…
Charles Tsang: This dish defeated me.
Leslie Sbrocco: …and fresh seafood by the Bay in Marshall…
Luis Ferguson: It’s definitely ingrained in my soul.
Cecilia Phillips: Never seen anything like this before.
Leslie Sbrocco: …just ahead on “Check, Please! Bay Area.”
Leslie Sbrocco: Were you slurping?
Laurel Valaris: We slurped.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay.
Luis Ferguson: [Laughs] [music playing]
Leslie Sbrocco: Hi, I’m Leslie Sbrocco. Welcome to “Check, Please! Bay Area,” the show where Bay Area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants. Now, we have three guests, and each one recommends one of their favorite spots, and the other two go check ’em out to see what they think. Joining me at the “Check, Please!” table today are product marketing executive Charles Tsang, FDA inspector Luis Ferguson, and Deputy Director with the City of Oakland Laurel Valaris. Welcome, everyone. How are you?
Charles Tsang: Doing great.
Laurel Valaris: Great. Thanks for having us.
Leslie Sbrocco: Alright. Charles is throwing it all the way back to 1968 with his nostalgic pick, a pizzeria that’s been serving up their signature crispy crust pies for more than five decades. Tucked away in West San Jose, it’s Cicero’s Pizza. [music playing]
Rik Jones: When someone new comes into Cicero’s Pizza, I think the first vibe they’re gonna get is this is an old-fashioned pizzeria.
Rik Jones: Rhiannon, your pizza is ready. Rhiannon.
Rik Jones: We’re not trying to be fancy, but we excel at what we do. So, Cicero’s Pizza’s recipe originally started in Niagara Falls, New York. There was a fellow named Pee-Wee—it was his mother’s recipe from Sicily. And eventually, when he moved from Niagara Falls to Cupertino, Nunzio Cicero bought one of the pizzerias. So he ran the place from 1968 to 2001. I worked for him going through college, and then carried on the legacy for the last 20 years at this location.
Rik Jones: You guys gonna eat here or take out? Our tagline is “The Pizza with the Secret.” Everyone asks me, “So, Rik, what’s the secret?” And as I tell them, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret.”
[Scraping sound]
Rik Jones: Unlike any other place in the Bay Area that I know of, Cicero’s Pizza cooks the pizzas in a pan with oil, so it kind of fries the bottom, makes a nice, crispy crust, which you don’t find very often. A lot of people that start pizzerias are able to just get off-the-shelf—cans of tomato sauce. That’s not what we do at all. We make our own spice mixture. It has some sweetness to it, and it’s a very unique and great taste.
Rik Jones: The key is getting the cheese on. My favorite pizza is probably just a plain old cheese pizza. I like cheese. That’s how you can really tell whether a pizza is any good or not. Toppings can vary. The pizza itself—cheese—you’re always gonna know. [music playing]
Rik Jones: It is a family business, very family-focused. We have photos on the wall of many of our customers. For example, we have Steve Wozniak, whose family has been coming here long before he started Apple Computer. But we have a lot of what we call Cicero’s babies. And they’re either customers who met here or their first date was here—they end up getting married and having children. We have a number of employees who’ve met here and have had children, so we got a lot of little Cicero’s babies out there. We have great history, and I’m glad about that. But the real reason people come here is ’cause they know they’re gonna get a great pizza—every single time.
All: ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
Leslie Sbrocco: Alright, Charles, how old were you when you had your first bite of Cicero’s Pizza?
Charles Tsang: I was 16 years old. My friends and I, we all grew up in Cupertino, so it was like a local spot for us. After my first visit, I was hooked, and I’ve been going ever since.
Leslie Sbrocco: And do you have a pie that you just love?
Charles Tsang: So, I’m a big eater. There’s multiple pies—I usually get a couple for myself, and my wife will share a little bit of it. So I’m a big fan of the Belly Buster pizza. It comes with pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, a ton of different vegetables, mushrooms, peppers. It usually comes with onions, but I’m not an onion guy, so I forgo that. It’s a delicious pizza.
Luis Ferguson: It was actually one of my favorite pizzas that we had there. And the Italian sausage isn’t chunks of Italian sausage—it’s more like chopped-up Italian sausage.
Laurel Valaris: It’s like a fine crumble.
Luis Ferguson: Exactly.
Laurel Valaris: It’s really good.
Luis Ferguson: Well, it was one of the four pies, actually, that we had, so…
Leslie Sbrocco: We’ll be here a long time.
Charles Tsang: Yeah. [Chuckles]
Laurel Valaris: We ate a lot, too.
Luis Ferguson: So, we went with four people. So we each kind of like got our own thing. We also had the Baker’s Pride, which was like your typical supreme pizza—your vegetables, and I believe it had a different type of sausage than was on the Belly Buster, which was cool because we got to try both of the sausages.
Leslie Sbrocco: So, veggies—you had, like, mushrooms, bell pepper, onions.
Luis Ferguson: Exactly. Exactly.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay.
Man: Blue-cheese salad.
Laurel Valaris: And it was a really classic pizza place. Like, there’s no appetizers except for two massive salads—one house, one Caesar—and we tried both, which was perfect because they’re like $5…
Luis Ferguson: Nice.
Laurel Valaris: …for this big, heaping plate of salad, which justified the pizza for us. And it’s exactly what you would imagine your local pizza place’s salad to look like—like, big hunks of lettuce, one or two vegetables, and those little square croutons from your childhood.
All: [Laughter]
Laurel Valaris: But it was really yummy.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, nice.
Charles Tsang: Nice. My other favorite pizza that I get there is the All Meat Combo. It’s delicious. It’s hearty. It’s got a ton of different meats on it—pepperoni, salami, Italian sausage, ham. But they don’t overdo it with the composition of meat. It’s really, really well-balanced. It’s super, super savory, super delicious. And the thing that really elevates the pizza overall—and this goes for all the pizzas, not just the meat lover’s pizza—is the crispy crust. It is like one of a kind. I’ve never had a thin-crust pizza quite like that before.
Luis Ferguson: I was even, like, trying to think of, like, New York-style pizza. I mean, I know it’s like a New York-style pizza spot, but the crust is completely different than any New York-style pizza that I’ve had before.
Leslie Sbrocco: Right. It’s not foldable, right?
Luis Ferguson: Unh-unh. No, it’s—and it’s good, too. I actually really enjoyed the crust. I usually leave the crust behind, but this one, I ate it.
Leslie Sbrocco: This one you ate the crust.
Luis Ferguson: I ate the crust. Yeah.
Laurel Valaris: So, we took a page out of your book. We had five small pizzas. So, we all got to try a little, and we had Hawaiian, which was really good, like unexpectedly a favorite of ours. Really thin ham.
Luis Ferguson: Nice.
Laurel Valaris: And the owner actually talked to us a little bit about the sauce.
Luis Ferguson: That’s awesome.
Laurel Valaris: And they make it all there, and they always have. She told us all of the ingredients except for one, which is a secret. [Laughter] And the sauce was really, really good, really tangy, and on top of that cracker crust, it made for a really great pizza.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, we also got the Spicy Vegetarian, which surprisingly enough, I actually liked more of any of the pizza that we had there. The fresh tomatoes that were on there, the jalapeños that were roasted, the onions. It just all complemented themselves. And then my sister-in-law actually got a pepperoni and jalapeño pizza. She custom-made it. And even though she got the medium of that one, but we got the smalls of the other three, we literally almost finished everything. That’s really what made it—
Laurel Valaris: When they said spicy on that spicy vegetarian, they meant it.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah.
Laurel Valaris: It’s really spicy. I even took off the jalapeños, just to kind of get the essence of it. And it was really spicy.
Leslie Sbrocco: So, be aware.
Laurel Valaris: Be aware.
Leslie Sbrocco: Yeah? Do you drink anything there?
Luis Ferguson: We got a pitcher of Modelos, which I feel like goes hand in hand with pizza. Yeah, the beer, they got a nice local beer selection.
Laurel Valaris: Yeah. It felt like a really nostalgic place. Like, we all have our hometown pizza place, and this felt like the kind of place that if you were from that area of San Jose, you would, like, go off to college and come back and have to have Cicero’s.
Luis Ferguson: It’d be on your list, for sure.
Laurel Valaris: Totally. So, it felt like it was a special place for a lot of families.
Charles Tsang: You’ve described me, like, right there. Like, to this day, every birthday, my wife will be like, “What do you want for your birthday?” I’m like, “Can we just go to Cicero’s?” That’s all I want.
Luis Ferguson: Right.
Laurel Valaris: That was the vibe, for sure.
Luis Ferguson: That’s awesome.
Laurel Valaris: It is. And the service was exceptional. I mean, it was fast service, but even above that, the owners were so happy to see me and my young family there. I actually brought my five-day-old to the restaurant along with my two toddlers. And some folks may, like, shy away from that much kid activity in a busy spot. But the owner actually was so pumped that my baby—it was their first restaurant experience at Cicero’s—that she brought out a little red onesie that said Cicero’s Pizza and two T-shirts for my two little boys. And it was just overall such a heartwarming experience for us that I wouldn’t normally drive down to San Jose just for pizza, but I totally would, just based on that experience alone.
Leslie Sbrocco: Alright, well, if you would like to try Cicero’s Pizza, it’s located on Bollinger Road in San Jose, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $20.
Leslie Sbrocco: As a mom to three little ones, Laurel is a huge fan of classic diners where the menu, service, and vibe is all-around family friendly. Luckily, her neighborhood hangout checks all those boxes. Located in El Sobrante, it’s Cafe Soleil. [music playing]
Server: Chicken fried steak.
Laurel Valaris: Cafe Soleil means to me sun, light, love, community.
Todd Arrouzet: A lot of people that walk in the door are kind of amazed, because it looks like a little hidden place. And they come in, and it’s such a nice big open spot.
Jennifer Arrouzet: There’s just something about starting someone’s day with a good breakfast. Cafe Soleil has been here since 1997. At 18, I had the opportunity to open my own small café. I was the cook, the waitress, the dishwasher, the prepper, the busser, and Todd was one of my customers. He used to order French toast, bacon, and over-medium eggs.
Todd Arrouzet: I was always going around and trying to find the best breakfasts everywhere I could go.
Jennifer Arrouzet: And he was like, “I’ve always wanted a little café.” And I’m like, “Great, I’m going to teach you to cook.”
Todd Arrouzet: We serve steaks, burgers and fries.
Jennifer Arrouzet: Salads, homemade soups, and we even have a vegan menu. I love the vegan avocado toast—fresh-shaved radish, arugula, fresh jalapeños, fresh cherry tomatoes. It’s just garden fresh.
Todd Arrouzet: Our portion sizes are actually very large. Our customers, when they leave here are very satisfied.
Jennifer Arrouzet: I hope they just feel full and happy and content and energized, but not so much where they’re like, “I need to go sleep.”
Server: Alright, you guys.
Jennifer Arrouzet: I would say 99% of every employee that we hired in 1998 still works for us, to this day. We all grew up together, and we all built this business. They are so intertwined with these customers. It’s amazing. It’s family.
Leslie Sbrocco: Now, Laurel, obviously you need a family-friendly spot, right?
Laurel Valaris: Right.
Leslie Sbrocco: And this one is your favorite.
Laurel Valaris: It is my favorite. Not only is it super kid-friendly, but also the food is really, really good. I feel like it’s hard to find a neighborhood diner where everything is consistent, and for me, Cafe Soleil is that.
Leslie Sbrocco: So, what do you get when you go in?
Laurel Valaris: One of the things I really like to share with my family is the Workers Special. It’s biscuits and gravy with a little bit of spice to it. It has kind of a smoky taste, and then you can get a meat side or egg side, anything of your choosing—over-easy, sausage, bacon. And so, that’s something that we all usually share. And then this time around, my husband got the Chicken Fried Steak. And it was a very thin-sliced piece of steak, really crispy. And the eggs over-easy serving as, like, an additional sauce was a real win. So, yeah.
Luis Ferguson: I actually got the same thing, and I didn’t even have to cut it with a knife, actually.
Leslie Sbrocco: Oh, really? Cut it with a fork?
Luis Ferguson: Cut it with my fork.
Leslie Sbrocco: Oh, that’s awesome.
Charles Tsang: Oh, yeah. Super juicy, super tender. It wasn’t dry at all. Sometimes you go to places with chicken fried steak, and it might be a little dry. Definitely not the case here. My wife, she was blown away by this restaurant. She actually literally said it was the best breakfast place that she’s been to in the Bay Area.
Laurel Valaris: Wow.
Charles Tsang: And she is kind of like a breakfast potato connoisseur. And she loved the home fries. They had this nice, thin, crispy layer, perfectly seasoned. She loved it. The Workers Special, like you said, was great. And I know I mentioned earlier, I’m a big eater. No, this dish defeated me.
All: [Laughter]
Charles Tsang: I was defeated after this dish. But it was great, and the biscuits were very, very fluffy. It was amazing.
Charles Tsang: We also got a side with the pancakes. Sweet Cream Pancakes.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, Sweet Cream Pancakes. Yeah, they were super good, actually. That was, like, one of the highlights for my breakfast.
Laurel Valaris: Didn’t it taste just like the sweet cream you would put in your coffee?
Luis Ferguson: Exactly. And, like, even with syrup over the pancakes, the Sweet Cream Pancake itself shined through no matter how much syrup you drenched on it or dipped onto it, which was really nice, was refreshing.
Leslie Sbrocco: Were they big pancakes?
Luis Ferguson: They were plate-sized. We only actually got one because of everything that we got. I mean, I wish I would have gotten more.
Leslie Sbrocco: So, this is also a lunch spot, right?
Laurel Valaris: So, my standard order is usually the Cobb Salad. I wouldn’t normally send someone to a restaurant specifically for a salad, but this is, like, a big, epic meal salad. But then it has really hearty elements like chicken. It has bacon, it has boiled egg, it has a really beautiful house-made blue cheese, and together it makes for at least two meals for me.
Luis Ferguson: Nice.
Laurel Valaris: We also had the Green Chili & Jack Burger, which is a really beautiful charbroiled burger, and it has this thick piece of Jack cheese on it with grilled Ortega chili. And that Ortega chili really adds some heat to the dish, and it makes it super yummy. You can get all kinds of sides there, too. We like the sweet potato fries. We like the regular fries. They have potato salad. But I really like that, like a diner, there’s a lot of options.
Luis Ferguson: We did get a burger. We got the Mike’s Burger. It’s got the pepper Jack cheese and the jalapeños on it. Juicy burger, bun was great. The ratio of just, like, burger to vegetables to everything kind of played off of each other. And then you obviously got a side with it. We went with the chili. Probably would have opted for something different than the chili, maybe a salad. But overall, like, the burger was actually really, really good.
Laurel Valaris: It was good.
Leslie Sbrocco: And what did you get to drink?
Laurel Valaris: We had mimosas, and they were really yummy. They were the exact color that I like them. Barely orange.
Luis Ferguson: Yep.
Laurel Valaris: Almost an eyedropper of orange juice.
Luis Ferguson: Yep.
Laurel Valaris: Mostly champagne, but they have a wide variety of different drinks there.
Leslie Sbrocco: And in terms of value, you said the size is —
Charles Tsang: 100% great value. The price to portion, and quantity and quality of food ratio is outstanding.
Luis Ferguson: I would go back, especially for the pancakes. For the pancakes and the burger, I would stop by again.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay. If you would like to try Cafe Soleil, it’s located on San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $25.
Leslie Sbrocco: It’s a bit of a journey for Luis to get to his favorite seafood spot, but he says that’s all part of the fun. And once he’s there, it’s no holds barred as he slurps down fresh oysters by the dozens. Luckily, there’s always plenty more where those come from, in the Tomales Bay town of Marshall, which is home to Tony’s Seafood Restaurant. [music playing]
John Finger: Tony’s Seafood is a restaurant started in 1948. It was started by a Croatian fishing family. We first started at Hog Island in 1983, and they were one of our first customers for oysters.
Man: Alright.
John Finger: We all started talking a few years ago that if they ever decided to get out of the business, to let us know, and they did. [music playing]
John Finger: I mean, Tony’s was always just this classic West Coast seafood house, you know, where the views were incredible, the beer was cold, you got fresh, local seafood.
Man: Oh, man. Check those out.
Man #2: Oh, yeah.
John Finger: There are not many places like this anywhere. We feel just so honored to be able to carry on the tradition. We feature a lot of local halibut, a lot of local rockfish, a lot of crab out of Bodega.
Woman: I think that one.
John Finger: Of course, we have oysters and clams on the menu. But it’s really about those classics, like the fish and chips, clams and pasta. The sort of comfort seafood definitely is a big part of it. So, Marshall is a really unique place. This might feel super far away, but it’s really not that far. It’s an easy drive out here. I mean, we have incredible sunsets out the windows here, and I think it’s a really special place because of that. I mean, I love this. I love growing food in the bay. I’ve got saltwater in my veins. This has always been something that’s near and dear to me. And then to see people enjoy the food that you’ve grown is just a tremendous opportunity and tremendous honor.
Leslie Sbrocco: Now, Luis, there are so many seafood spots in the Bay Area. How did this become your favorite?
Luis Ferguson: To be honest, I don’t even know where I found out about this spot, but we’ve been going there for, I want to say, five years now, at least. Of course, it’s kind of a journey. It’s kind of a trek, but once you finally get there, you’re just relaxed. It’s just a part of the vibe, getting the beer, getting the fresh oysters, being on the coast, like, the sun in your face.
Leslie Sbrocco: It’s just the atmosphere.
Luis Ferguson: Exactly.
Leslie Sbrocco: The vibe. Now, is it true that you eat dozens—
Luis Ferguson: Dozens.
Leslie Sbrocco: …of oysters? Dozens?
Luis Ferguson: Dozens. We literally will. We know—
Leslie Sbrocco: Is that like 24 or 36?
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. When we get the beer and the champagne, it’s like, bring us a dozen. When they bring this dozen, they come and check on the beer and champagne. We’re ordering another dozen, you know what I mean? They just keep coming and coming. It’s awesome.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay. And is there a particular type of oyster you like?
Luis Ferguson: So, the smaller, the better, in my opinion. But the Kumamotos are honestly our favorite. They’re from Humboldt. They’re local. The brininess, the saltiness. You add a little bit of lemon on top with Crystal’s or Tabasco, whatever hot sauce is to your liking. They’re just really are amazing.
Leslie Sbrocco: Just take your time.
Luis Ferguson: Just take your time.
Leslie Sbrocco: Take your time slurping. So, were you slurping when you went there?
Laurel Valaris: We slurped.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay, okay. Alright.
Charles Tsang: Definitely. We got a dozen just for ourselves. They’re fresh, tasty, delicious.
Luis Ferguson: Nice.
Charles Tsang: And I like the Sweetwater one in particular.
Laurel Valaris: And I totally agree, when it comes to oysters, the smaller, the better.
Luis Ferguson: Yep.
Laurel Valaris: And the batch of dozen that we got, we just got tiny, beautiful, flavorful oysters. We ordered the 12 that they basically chose for us, and it did not disappoint.
Luis Ferguson: Nice.
Laurel Valaris: But we started with the Route One bread starter, which is half of a loaf of bread covered in black sesame seeds, and it almost had a bagel-like quality, and I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy bread that much. I really came for the oysters, but it was really good, and it came with this big honking piece of butter that was gone instantly. We had to ask for more, but it was sweet, and it was a really great addition to the rest of the meal.
Leslie Sbrocco: And did you get anything else?
Charles Tsang: We got a lot. We got a lot. We ordered the grilled oysters. My wife and I loved. We got two of the garlic butter one and two of the miso butter one, and they were delicious, super savory. It was just novel, like a little bit of a Japanese twist to it. I got the Fish Tacos for myself. Very, very fresh and tasty.
Luis Ferguson: They do have a seasonal rotating menu. Which tacos did you get?
Charles Tsang: It came with rockfish, a little bit of cabbage, chipotle aioli. My wife got the mussels, and the thing that she was pleasantly surprised by is it had a little bit of chorizo in the mussels, which she liked.
Luis Ferguson: And then a pro tip that I definitely personally recommend, especially for the mussels and the fries, you got to use the mussel as a spoon to get the broth and then slurp it up. It just makes it a part of the experience. It’s really what makes it.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay, pro tip. We got it.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah.
Leslie Sbrocco: Did you get something else?
Laurel Valaris: We did. We ordered several other things, but the standout for me was the Fish & Chips. It was a really light fry, and they had this beautiful white rockfish, super flaky. My husband is an expert fisherman, worked on a boat for many years. And so, I’m always kind of nervous when we eat the fish. Is it up to par? And he loved it, I loved it. A beautiful house-made tartar sauce. I would totally order that again.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay.
Charles Tsang: We also ordered the clam chowder. We loved it. The clams still have the shell on, so they were really, really fresh, and the aromatic vegetables that were added in there, great composition. There was a little bit of potato, celery, carrot, and even a little bit of bacon. The one thing to keep in mind is I’m not quite as used to having clam chowder that’s not, like, New England style and chunky. The one they have here at Tony’s is a little bit more soupy and liquidy.
Leslie Sbrocco: Okay.
Laurel Valaris: We had an It’s-It. It’s their only dessert item, which for a Bay Area restaurant, I respect that, the Bay Area treat, and that was really nice to have at the end of a big meal.
Charles Tsang: Yeah, when we went, they actually also had a second dessert option, which was a pie, but unfortunately, they ran out, and I was like, “Oh, my God, I really, really want to try that.” So, the next time we stop by, hopefully they’ll still have it on the menu.
Leslie Sbrocco: Value-wise, is it worth it?
Laurel Valaris: It was worth it for me. But I would say next time, I would definitely consolidate my pennies on just the oysters.
Luis Ferguson: There you go.
Laurel Valaris: The oysters themselves were so outstanding. I would do what Luis did and maybe order five dozen of them, as opposed to just the one, and spreading it out over the menu.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, I can honestly recall, like, in the first times that we had gone there, we had went there literally for two months straight every weekend, just because of the oysters. We tried everything we possibly can. The specials are always changing.
Leslie Sbrocco: It sounds like it’s part of your life.
Luis Ferguson: Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely ingrained in my soul now, you know?
Laurel Valaris: I would make a day of it. It was a great drive. It was a great experience.
Leslie Sbrocco: If you would like to try Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, it’s located on Shoreline Highway in Marshall, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $75.
Leslie Sbrocco: And now, reporter Cecilia Phillips hits the Marin County coast for a little oyster shucking 101. [music playing]
Cecilia Phillips: So, we’re here up north in this beautiful bay with the water behind us and a ton of oysters around. What are some of the things that you love to educate people on about oysters?
Gary Fleener: Tomales Bay is a fascinating place, both historically and environmentally. It’s one of the only bays left in California that is clean enough to grow food-grade oysters. We actually harvest about 3, 3.5 million oysters a year. So, the whole Hog Farm experience is a special tour that we created to give the super fan a little extra look. We look at both the natural history and the aquaculture processes. This tank is called a nursery tank, and this is where we keep baby oysters. Check them out. About two millimeters.
Cecilia Phillips: Oh, my gosh.
Gary Fleener: Right? And so, it takes us about a year and a half to get that lovely raw bar-sized oyster. So, this is our stock in trade. This is a Hog Island sweetwater. It’s a Japanese or Miyagi variety. This is its close cousin, the Kumamoto, also from Japan.
Cecilia Phillips: Well, this one is just so interesting to me because I’ve never seen this before.
Gary Fleener: This is the European flat oyster. This is what the Romans were eating. It’s one of the rarest oysters you’ll see in North America. And then these are the wild natives of the West Coast. Even though they’re different species from different parts of the world, we grow all these right here in Tomales Bay.
Cecilia Phillips: Okay, so, let’s taste some oysters.
Gary Fleener: Let’s go shuck some oysters and see what you’re made of.
Cecilia Phillips: I’m ready. I’m ready to show you. Let’s go. [music playing]
Gary Fleener: Cecilia, I’ve got a dozen oysters here.
Cecilia Phillips: Okay.
Gary Fleener: Are you ready?
Cecilia Phillips: Alright, my goal is to start here with the hinge and begin here. Okay, so here we go.
Gary Fleener: Did you go to med school?
Cecilia Phillips: [laughs] Oh, I got some shell. Aw.
Gary Fleener: Here’s a little pro tip, Cecilia. I like to think of it as the Tomales Bay three-step. Right? So, when you put the knife in the hinge and apply pressure, just use a side-to-side motion. And that’ll keep you from breaking up the shell. I like to let the knife do the work for me. Do you notice you broke a sweat?
Cecilia Phillips: I was struggling.
Gary Fleener: You were struggling. So, if I just twist the knife, that action of the blade standing up will lift that shell. Now I’m going to slide the knife under the top shell. This is the second step. And free that top shell from the adductor muscle. Third thing is to separate the adductor muscle from the bottom.
Cecilia Phillips: And so, it’s easier to come up the side here and kind of release it versus digging straight in?
Gary Fleener: That’s right.
Cecilia Phillips: Alright. So, I’m up underneath and then… oh, my gosh, that was so much easier.
Gary Fleener: Well done. See?
Cecilia Phillips: So, after someone comes and does a full, whole-hog tour experience, you get to eat.
Gary Fleener: That’s right. [music playing]
Cecilia Phillips: Is slurping permitted?
Gary Fleener: Of course.
Cecilia Phillips: Mmm. Did you have as much fun with me today as I had with you?
Gary Fleener: I had more fun, Cecilia.
Cecilia Phillips: Aw, shucks.
Gary Fleener: Oh, my…
Cecilia Phillips: [laughs] I did it. I had to do it.
Gary Fleener: You got to do it.
Leslie Sbrocco: I have to thank my great guests on this week’s show — Charles Tsang, who busts his belly with the crispy pies at Cicero’s Pizza in San Jose; Luis Ferguson, who zips up to Marin every chance he gets to Tony’s Seafood Restaurant in Marshall; and Laurel Valaris, who’s crazy for the Cobb Salad at Cafe Soleil in El Sobrante. So, join us next time when three more guests will recommend their favorite spots right here on “Check, Please! Bay Area.” I’m Leslie Sbrocco, and I’ll see you then. Cheers, everyone. Cheers.
Laurel Valaris: Cheers. [music playing]
Cecilia Phillips: [high-pitched voice] We’re here at Hog Island… [laughs] Is there a best way to eat oysters?
Man: Raw.
Woman: Oh, yeah. Raw with a lot of Hogwash is the best.
Woman #2: Raw with horseradish.
Woman #3: I like them grilled.
Woman #4: I’ve tried it in an oyster pot pie.
Woman #5: I’m going to say raw, but a close second is the barbecue here.
Woman #7: You know what? We haven’t quite worked up to solids yet, but when we do, I think oysters are at the top of our list.
