Funny, Fanny Bay Oyster
We, from time to time, enjoy Vancouver Island Fanny Bay oysters at the Oyster Bar at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City, especially in the cold months. I was very excited that on one day we would pass Fanny Bay on our way to Tofino (a West coast tiny village where nature still feels like the one that I enjoyed when I was small). I was determined to try the Fanny Bay oyster in the location where the oysters come from. There could be no more perfect place than this, I thought. While driving the coastal road in the village of Fanny Bay we saw a couple of signboard next to the buildings which advertise local oysters. These buildings looked like oyster processing factories, but not the store where they shuck and serve oyster on order. So, we kept driving until we drove out of the town with no success. So, we drove back to one of the building and were promptly told that there are no Fanny Bay oysters available in August. Oyster spawn then and the water is too high temperature resulting in higher bacterial contamination. Later when we moved to Vancouver city we read a small article about a contaminated oyster scare on Vancouver Island. Now I am back to New York and am in the month with an “R”. I will go back to the Oyster Bar and eat Fanny Bay oysters while my memory of the village becomes too distant.
I just received e-mail from Rob Tucker (see my previous blog) and he has reported that he bought the first season Fanny Bay oysters for his supper two days ago. Wish that I was there….