Event Recap: 3rd Annual San Diego Oysterfest

June 19, 2012

We at SanDiegoVille.com are just now recovering (three days later, mind you) from the 3rd Annual San Diego OysterFest, which rocked out Seaport Village's jam packed Marina Embarcadero North this past weekend.  It was a long day of beer, music, eats, and good times with some friendly folks.  Although we somehow didn't eat any oysters, we do recall consuming a bunch of other tasty treats.  Let's recap!

This is our second year attending the San Diego Oysterfest, and we must say that the organizer SDO Productions really got their 'ish together for the 3rd installment.  This year, lines were shorter, the food was tastier, and even the VIP peeps seemed contented by their smorgasbord (they were NOT happy last year).  We were lucky enough to get backstage passes to the event, so we got to party with Iration, Vokab Kompany, and the amazing crew from local production company, Rowlberto Productions, who were in charge of filming the event.

Unlike last year, where the focus was on local microbreweries, this year's beer offerings consisted of Pacifico and Victoria.  We're not complaining though - if Stone IPA was on tap, we wouldn't have made it past mid-afternoon.  For the sacrilegious who don't love beer, there were also bikini-clad bartenders offering mixed drinks at several Grey Goose bars around the event.  Besides the oyster offerings from a variety of harvesters, local restaurants, including barleymash, Searsucker, Ciro's, and Dirty Birds were offering a variety of enticing options.

barleymash's delicious citrus ceviche

We got a late start to the festival after making the journey from PB to downtown via a Car2Go (way cheaper to take this on the one-way sober route than a cab).  By the time we got to Oysterfest, we were hungry.  Luckily, not long after we arrived, we ran into our dear friend Chef Kevin Templeton from barleymash.   He offered us a sampling of his citrus vodka ceviche with sea bass, fresh squeezed citrus juice, citrus vodka, cucumber salsa fresca, guacamole and house made, spiced barley chips.  This dish was so refreshing and tasty with the acidity of the citrus being cut and balanced by the creamy, spicy guacamole and the cool crispness of the cucumber.  Stacking it atop the perfectly seasoned barley chip made for a layered taste sensation that was quite uncanny for a festival offering.  Chef Templeton also impressed us with his hippie ways - rather than the typical festival styrofoam and plastic, Templeton's dish was served in recycled cardboard and forks made from plant starch!  You know how sustainability in honor of our planet's livelihood makes our hearts sing, especially in the face of profitability.  Thank you! And great job!

I'm gross/awesome

After inundating my belly with Pacificos, I also sampled not one, but two TJ dogs from La Puerta (Okay, so it's not 'sampling' per se if you scarf down two in a row).  It was my first time chowing down on a Tijuana hot dog, and I must say that La Puerta's were pretty freakin' delicious - albeit obviously gluttonous and unhealthy.  A hot dog, wrapped in bacon, and topped with peppers, onions, and mayo?  I know that Chef Templeton saw me putting those things down as his tent was next door.  Don't judge me!!

Little Hurricane

Of the musical acts, we were most impressed by the big sounds from the San Diego blues-rock duo, Little Hurricane, consisting of members Celeste "CC" Spina on drums and lead singer and guitarist Anthony "Tone" Catalano.  Big ups for the slide guitar performance!  While Vokab Kompany and Iration really had the crowd on their feet, it didn't much compare to the attention given to the Miss Oysterfest competion, which really wound up the event goers (and the bands backstage).

Being that Oysterfest benefits a good cause in supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training and the Veterans Research Corporation, and since it is always a fun time with amazing food and music, we hope that the event continues in San Diego for many years to come. Keep up the great work, as this year was truly an improvement over last year.

Keep yourself updated on Oystefest associated happenings by visiting the website at www.oysterfestsd.com and following Oysterfest on Facebook and Twitter.  And be sure to join SanDiegoVille.com's social networks (Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest) to be the first to know about exciting upcoming San Diego news and exclusive contests.