Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Marshall Store Review: Total Oyster Bliss

The drive from Muir Woods to Point Reyes, close to Stinson Beach
The entire trip was wonderful, but one of the all-time highlights was our stop at the Marshall Store, near Point Reyes. We drove from Muir Woods directly to the Marshall Store, a very scenic and fun drive with windy roads and sheer cliffs to the sparkling ocean. It reminds me a lot of Big Sur, one of my favorite drives ever. At this point we had been on the road for quite a few days, traveling from place to place and driving a lot, but once we arrived and sat down, we were instantly relaxed and once our food arrived and our champagne opened, blissfully happy. The Marshall Store is a no frills place on a dock right on Highway 1, serving all sorts of fresh seafood, but the specialty is definitely the local oysters. It's nothing fancy; we ate at tables just outside of the store by the road facing the bay because that's the only area where alcohol consumption is permitted. It was just fine by us as we could pop open our traditional bottle of 2005 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs, our wedding champagne that we open once a year, for free, the perfect effervescent accompaniment to all the delicious oysters and the gorgeous and serene setting. Champagne, amazing oysters, a waterfront seat in the fresh air with a beautiful view, under the sun on a bright blue cloudless day...what could be better? We pretty much tried all of the oysters that they had on the menu: 1/2 dozen raw, 1/2 dozen smoked, 1/2 dozen bbq, 1/2 dozen rockefeller, 1/2 dozen chorizo. I could have had more, they were all so delicious. The accompanying grilled garlic bread was amazing: thick, smoky, garlicky, buttery and delicious. It's really hard to pick a favorite, while the raw was excellent, I think I would go with the BBQ and the Rockefeller just because they are unique preparations that I can't get around home and they are so savory and delicious. I think K. liked the chorizo the most. I really love this place; the prices are excellent, the food is amazing and the setting can't be beat.
Raw Oysters from the local waters. Deliciously fresh and on the milder side (not overly briny or fishy), which I prefer.
Smoked Oysters on toast with a little cream cheese
Rockefeller on the, BBQ on the right. Pure bites of heaven: the slightly warm oyster with the rich savory fillings. Any leftover juices to be sopped up with the amazing garlic bread
Chorizo oysters
All done (almost, we actually went and ordered more because we couldn't get enough)
I swear, this is a statue of the guy who brought us our food
The Marshall Store
19225 State Route 1
Marshall, CA

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