Seattle / Taylor Shellfish: oysters for any palate

We are back in Melrose Ave, where in the range of 100 m you can find two restaurants that we had the opportunity to recommend on Hungry Italian in Town and among the most interesting in Seattle: Sitka and Spruce and Mamnoon.

It is time now to pay a visit to a Seattle’s institution: Taylor Shellfish and their oyster bar in Capitol Hill. The history of Taylor Shellfish dates back to 1890 when the family started farming farming Olympia Oysters in the waters of the Puget Sound.

In the last years the selection of oysters and shellfish has expanded – always with a focus on the Pacific Northwest – making it possible, for customer visiting the n. 1521 of Melrose Ave, to choose among 4/5 different types of oysters, clams and crabs unconsciously swimming in the large tanks located in the middle of the room.

The oysters, usually served with champagne mignonette, cover different kinds of flavor and texture, from the Fat Bastard, chewy and mineral but not too salty, to the Sumo Kumo, light in taste but big in size, to end up with the very meaty Shigoku or the buttery and creamy – but less mineral – Pacific.

Another attraction of the place is the Dungeness crab, a giant beast that will keep you busy for a while in the attempt to discover any secret cavity where the tender and sweet flesh is hidden.

As always in this part of the world, I strongly recommend to prefer an IPA over white wine to pair with the taste of the sea!

PS. Price of crab depends on the market but you should account for about 80 dollars for a full one.