Rocky Island Oyster Co. is coming to Oakland with whole crabs and dollar oysters
A briny hole was left in the East Bay seafood scene this year, when Rocky Island Oyster Co. – which specializes in oysters from the West and East coasts, as well as lobster rolls and local crudo – abruptly left its home on the Richmond waterfront.
Well, lovers of raw oysters and delicacies like whole, roasted Dungeness crab can now rejoice, because the restaurant is planning to return in a bigger form at Oakland’s Jack London Square.
The Salty Pearl, as it’s now called, will move into 550 Second St. and will likely open in September or October, pending beverage-license approval.
“It’s this cute little spot on the corner,” says owner Danny Pirello. “There’s a 10-foot bar with a cool green tile backsplash, a little bit of an outdoor area and then a dining area. The whole place seats about 50 people. It’s supposed to be like an Irish pub/oyster bar, but a little nicer, with a neighborhood-bar vibe.”
Pirello doesn’t want to say much on the record about the circumstances that caused Rocky Island to leave Richmond. But he notes the shared kitchen there limited what they could serve, and the new digs will let the chefs open up the menu more.
“It’ll be just like the core of our Rocky Island menu, but with a couple seasonal items,” he says. “At Salty Pearl, I might bring in a whole salmon and break it down, maybe smoke some and serve other parts as fillets. We’ll have steamed clams and moules-frites. There will always be crudo on the menu, whether that’s local halibut or scallop or salmon, and occasionally a sea urchin. And always Dungeness crab, when it’s in season – a whole, roasted crab you can crack at the table or maybe crab pasta.”
There will, of course, be plenty of oysters, including ones served during $1 specials.
“I’ve been bringing a portion of oysters in from Island Creek Oysters from Massachusetts, because it’s right in my home town. That’s going to continue,” Pirello says. “But then we have local companies from the Bay Area and also British Columbia, Morro Bay and Baja California. Basically, it’s a diverse selection of East Coast and West Coast oysters.”
Don’t want to wait to slurp those Royal Miyagis, Farewell Buffs and barbecued oysters with miso butter? Rocky Island Oyster Co. is operating as a food truck with a full menu (including dollar oysters) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at Windchaser Wine in Richmond. Check rockyislandoysterco.com for dates and times.
“It’s been super fun. They make incredible wines with grapes from California and the Anderson Valley,” says Pirello. “We sometimes have a DJ spinning vinyl, and kids and dogs are welcome.”