Oysterfest 2025

"Gimme oysters and beer, for dinner every day of the year, and I'll be fine." 

-- Jimmy Buffett, Tin Cup Chalice

That old Jimmy Buffett song may become my theme song, especially this time of the year. One of my most favorite places in the State of Maryland -- the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) -- holds a festival dedicated to my favorite bivalve in the entire world ... the oyster. It is an ideal location for an oyster festival. The CBMM is located on the shore of the Miles River, just a short boat ride from the Chesapeake Bay. But, not just any part of the shore; the museum is in St. Michaels, Maryland, a city that has a long history tied to the oyster. 

We have been going to the Oysterfest since 2018, although I seemingly only wrote "book-end" posts  for my blog in 2018 and 2024. Each festival has an oyster stew competition, where several local restaurants and caterers present their very best oyster stew to be judged by the attendees, with the winner getting bragging rights for a year.  There are also a range of other events, such as an oyster slurp-off, boat rides along the Miles River, and Chesapeake Retriever demonstrations.

The Talbot Watermen Association Oyster Booth

Every year we enjoy a wide range of oysters from the different vendors.  Oysters are served by both companies, like the Choptank Oyster Company, and, the Talbot Watermen Association, who are the go-to stop for oysters. I have a special place for the Talbot Watermen Association, because of the fact that they are an association of watermen who work the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, but are also committed to preserving not only the way of life, but also the fisheries through sustainable methods. 

Steamed Oysters

This year, I sampled some raw oysters from Choptank, but also some steamed oysters from the Talbot Watermen Association. The raw oysters were good, but, with a little grit and shell in them. But, the steamed oysters were out of this world. First, the oysters looked like they had been just harvested out of the water. Some of the oyster shells had little clam shells still on them (which are usually brushed off during processing. All of the oysters were large in size, even after the steaming process. 

I also finished off the oyster eating by participating in the Oyster Slurp Off. Three rounds of three competitors, with the winner of each round participating in the championship. I was in the first round. I won that round, but came in second in the championship. The winner used some questionable tactics, such as not raising his hand when he won and turning away when he finished. Still, I got twelve additional oysters when all was said and done, which is enough for me. 

Turning to the oyster stew competition, my beautiful Angel and I have judged several of these competitions. I am always struck by the different approaches that one can take with an oyster stew. This year's competition presented those varied recipes. There were five different oyster stews in the competition: 

Oyster Stew A: This oyster stew was more like an oyster bisque, a smooth cream base with no hint of any of the vegetables used in the recipe. This oyster stew was the only one that used only whole oysters, although they were a little on the small side. Overall, a very good effort, but I think a stew should have more texture to it. 

Oyster Stew B: My thoughts about texture were answered by this one. This entry was more of a stew, with little bits of onions and potatoes in each taste. I could also get the herbs used to prepare this stew, which is also something a little lacking in the prior one. This stew used chopped up oysters.

Oyster Stew C: It seemed my notes about texture were being heard more clearly. This entry was even chunkier, thicker and creamier. The oysters were also chopped up, but it was a little hard to find them. While it was thicker, this entry, like the prior one, did come through with the herbal elements. 

Oyster Stew D: This one took a slightly different approach. There was less of a texture, less chunks of potato or onion, but a more bacon flavor came through. The bacon added a subtle smokiness element that set this entry apart. It also used chopped oysters, but I thought I got a small whole one toward the end.

Oyster Stew E: The last one was a stew, with potatoes, onions and even corn, as well as a more yellowish color than the other entries, almost as if turmeric was used in the recipe. While this entry also used chopped oysters, the pieces were larger and more plentiful than in other stews.  

As for the judging, it was a close one for me, but I ultimately chose D as the best oyster stew. And, for the first time in all the judging that I have done, my choice was also the winner overall, as D, which is the oyster stew prepared by Oaks Waterfront Inn, took first place. Second place went to A (the more bisque like oyster stew), which was prepared by Chesapeake Chefs. Third place went to B, which was prepared by Theo's Steakhouse. In the end, I think everyone likes a little bacon hint in their oyster chowder. 

The Oysterfest is perhaps the event enjoyed the most by the  Savage Boleks. This year's event was perhaps the best Oysterfest of all. And I did not even get to the part where we learned about the Pocomoke nation, the indigenous people who lived on the eastern shore long before the area was colonized. I was very appreciative of hearing about the history and culture of the Pocomoke people from members of the nation. There will be more about that in future posts. Until then ...  

PEACE.