Author Archives: Tim

Thank you for inviting us to shuck & serve at Camp Grom’s Ground breaking Ceremony

Posted on by under Photographs, Tasting

Learn more about the awe-inspiring Camp Grom here.

JT’S CAMP GROM
Everyone needs an adventure.

And camp is definitely an adventure—one that can help forge lifelong friendships, build self-confidence, and change lives for the better. But for adults and children living with disabilities or special needs, camp is an opportunity that’s often frustratingly out of reach.

Pulled & selected at high tide in Broad Bay Friday morning

Pulled & selected at high tide in Broad Bay Friday morning

One last tumble by hand in the Lynnhaven to polish the oysters

One last tumble by hand in the Lynnhaven to polish the oysters

Secret mignonette recipe from Shucked

Secret mignonette recipe from Shucked

Before old friends & new come together to celebrate ground breaking ceremony

Before old friends & new come together to celebrate ground breaking ceremony

Thanks to First Landing Woodworks for supplying the oyster knives

Thanks to First Landing Woodworks for supplying the oyster knives

We're happy you love The Lynnhaven On The Half Shell

We’re happy you love The Lynnhaven On The Half Shell

Some were serious about their love for the Lynnhaven's oysters

Some were serious about their love for the Lynnhaven’s oysters

Learn more about the awe-inspiring Camp Grom here.

We’re honored to be the cover of the inaugural issue of Coastal Virginia’s Green Magazine!

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Photographs, Press

So support our local watermen and waterways by eating oysters. Eat them raw. Eat them . . .

CoverofHRGreen

Thank you!

Enjoy reading and sharing Coastal Virginia’s Green Magazine.

Be sure to turn to page 16 and check out Understanding the Oyster – Our most Eco-Friendly Entree by Patrick Evans-Hylton.

From Let’s Talk Green | The Ask HR Green Blog

You’ll also find a food feature on our area’s beloved oyster, shedding light on why consuming local food straight from our waterways benefits more than just our taste buds.

View link over at CoastalVirginiaMag.com.

“Groups of up to 12 people can climb aboard with Pleasure House Oysters to tour their working oyster farm, learn the history of…”

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Press

Seaside Group Getaway: “Live the Life” in Virginia Beach at Leisure Group Travel April 2015:

. . . Virginia Beach’s famous Lynnhaven oysters and restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, and sip the wine of their choice as they slurp bivalves straight from the water.

Oyster farm tour at Pleasure House Oysters. Credit: Virginia Beach CVB

Oyster farm tour at Pleasure House Oysters. Credit: Virginia Beach CVB

The Oysterman Timelapse

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Video

Common Ground | Oystering on the Lynnhaven in The Virginian-Pilot January 2015:

More than 40 percent of the river is now viable grounds for oyster farmers like Chris Ludford…

“Pleasure House Oysters, based in Virginia Beach, offers a couple of ways to venture onto the Lynnhaven River.”

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Press, Tasting

The Southern Agenda: December/January 2015 at Garden & Gun November 2014:

There’s no denying that Southern oysters are at their best straight out of the water in late fall and winter. Discover that flavorful fact for yourself during an Oyster Farm Tour on the Lynnhaven River…

Read the rest of the article about Pleasure House Oyster Tours in this issue’s Garden & Gun!

“Eating an oyster is an art form, really. For the best flavor, aficionados say, the shellfish must be eaten raw.”

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Photographs, Tasting

Science of Oysters by Diane Tennant with photography by Eric Lusher for Distinction Magazine Food Issue October 2014:

“You’ve got to remember, there is no food we consume that is more emblematic of the place from which they come,” says Dan Lewis, chef and owner of Coastal Provisions on the Outer Banks.

“What we call an oyster taste, that doesn’t really occur until about eight or 10 chews into the oyster. Then it blooms at that point.” Texture plays a big role in the whole oyster-eating experience, they say.

Ludford Brothers Oyster Company & Eric Lusher working in the Lynnhaven

Ludford Brothers Oyster Company & Eric Lusher working in the Lynnhaven

Chris & Eric Lusher working in the Lynnhaven

Chris & Eric Lusher working in the Lynnhaven

Lee Gregory with what it's all about - the oysters

Lee Gregory with what it’s all about – the oysters

Thanks to John Fall & Distinction for having us work with Eric Lusher on the photos for this incredibly detailed & entertaining article.

Be sure to check out the entire article entitled Science of Oysters at Distinction.

“Pleasure House Oysters is a new farm that’s dedicated to cultivating local oysters. After years of depletion, Chesapeake oysters are returning thanks to operations like this one.”

Posted on by under Press

Virginia Beach’s New Foodie Focus by Andrea Poe at HuffingtonPost.com September 2014:

Visitors can bring a bottle of wine aboard an oyster boat for a tour of the hatchery and sample oysters.

Virginia Beach Oysters — called Lynnhaven –are said to be among the sweetest thanks to their unique habitat at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where it opens into the Atlantic Ocean. If you’d rather try these oysters on land, they appear on the menus of area restaurants like Terrapin and A.W. Shucks Raw Bar and Grill in nearby Norfolk.

The Virginia oyster is back

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Tasting

Lydia Wheeler from Inside Business August 29th 2014:

“There’s a revolution happening,” said Chris Ludford, owner of Ludford Brothers Oyster Co., a boutique oyster grower in Virginia Beach. “In the last four to five years we’ve regained a foothold in a younger population of oyster eaters.”

“The salinity of the water, whether it’s grown in a bag or in a cage, whether it’s in a marsh or in the middle of a salt flat, contributes to the different merroir of an oyster,” Ludford said. “In Virginia, we have seven regions and seven unique flavors.”

Ludford describes the Pleasure House oysters he raises in the Lynnhaven River as slightly briny with a sweetness that comes to the palate with the body of the oyster.

“It’s like jumping through the wave at the beach,” he said. “It’s all-encompassing.”

Be sure to read the entire article entitled The Virginia oyster is back at Inside Business – The Hampton Roads Business Journal.

“AS AN OYSTER-INSPIRED ROADTRIP ENTHUSIAST, VIRGINIA HAD BEEN ON MY RADAR QUITE SOME TIME. SO WHEN WE GOT A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL…”

Posted on by under Lynnhaven, Press, Tasting

VIRGINIA OYSTER ROAD TRIP:LYNNHAVEN by Julie Qiu at InAHalfShell.com July 2014:

Before you think oyster farming is a breeze, just consider this: a few ounces of 2mm oyster seed can net out in thousands of pounds of heavy lifting down the road. For Chris and his crew, it’s a backbreaking labor of love.

They also harvest and deliver same day, year-round. By keeping his distribution local and limited, Pleasure House Oysters has been able to enjoy premium brand status and pricing.

Photo Credit: Julie Qiu InAHalfShell.com. Gorgeous!

Photo Credit: Julie Qiu InAHalfShell.com. Gorgeous!

“Take it from me, the best place to slurp an oyster is right where it’s grown.”

Posted on by under Press

Lorraine Eaton’s pick of the week | Pleasure House Oysters July 2nd 2014:

It’s surprising how much goes into raising great oysters, and the taste is totally Tidewater. Two-hour Tasting Tours for up…

Learn more about our Tours.