Humboldt Bay Provisions — Restaurant in Eureka

I really wanted to like this place. I really did. Unfortunately we were underwhelmed.

We went on a Sunday afternoon and were the only folks there. “Odd.” we thought, as Sundays are a big brunch day in our book… but Old Town apparently shuts down from Sunday-Thursday so maybe we missed the proverbial boat. We decided to try it anyway.

We ordered two glasses of house champagne. They were flat. We returned them but offered to buy the whole bottle since they were so slow. They happily popped the new bottle for us. Now, I run a lot of events and am very familiar with Wycliff (or as industry folks call it…Why Cliff?) Its a bottomless mimosa $4/bottle sparkling wine. I laughed when I saw it. Pro Tip: While it’s totally fine mixed with oj or peach juice it is not a stand-in for house champagne… especially if you’re running a classy joint. It’s also infamous for having unreliable character, oftentimes being cordial-sweet despite being labeled brut.

We got one of those sweet bottles…”oh well”, we thought, dessert-oysters it is!😂

But this is the sad part of the story…The oysters while fresh were splattered with mignonettes that had seen better days…probably a number of days. It was obvious that the sauces were not made fresh, they all appeared quite old, devoid of any of the vivid colors shown in the photographs in other reviews.

We next tried the char-broiled oysters thinking we perhaps mis-ordered…and they too were rather lack-luster, luke warm and covered in more visually unappealing sloppy grey-tinged sauces.

We gave up on the oysters and ordered a hummus plate that arrived to the table fresh from an ice cream scoop with an entire granny smith apple chopped roughly in what could only be described as kindergarten cafeteria style made more memorable (and frankly hilarious at this point) by the sticker which was left on it.

The staff was friendly enough but obviously not motivated to express any level of care or attention to detail in what they were serving.

And I get that we may have shown up on a slow day where the place may have been gearing down for slower days ahead… but when the concept is literally an OYSTER BAR the A-game should ALWAYS be brought with menu items...

We were passing through Eureka, returning from the northern edges of the state. We found Humboldt Bay Provisions in an Internet search. The menu looked good and had various items including non-oyster options. We found the restaurant in downtown Eureka and, despite it being a Saturday evening, we had no problem parking on the same block.

The restaurant appears to be fairly new with a warm interior decor. There are several tables where multiple parties can sit. The host met us, gave us a menu and explained that the oysters they served were harvested by his coworker, who was running the kitchen, the previous day. They also source other local supply when their own can't meet demand. "These will be the freshest oysters you've ever had!" He told us that coming up to the counter to order would probably be quicker as he and another gentleman were the only two there. Both guys were very friendly! Despite being a Saturday evening, we were able to grab an empty table with no wait.

We were disappointed to discover that what we found online about there being options other than oysters was not accurate. That was fine by me as I was planning to get broiled oysters (you can also get them raw), but my wife is not as into oysters as I am and was planning on other choices. I ordered a dozen broiled oysters, six with pesto sauce and six with Old Bay. I split a hummus plate with my wife. I expected to like the Old Bay sauce better, but I actually preferred the pesto. The oysters were delicious and juicy, presented on the half shell on a bed of rock salt. A great meal that was enough to fill (though I could have probably had another half dozen for...

Humboldt Bay Oyster Tour Terrific!

Humboldt Bay (and the Arcata Bay portion in particular) is home to some of the world's best oysters - and oyster farmers! The Oyster Tour is a terrific way to learn about how oysters are grown - a surprisingly hands-on process.

I'd say we are in the early stages of what may be called "the craft oyster movement" (like the craft beer movement of the 1980's and 1990's). Oyster farmers are experimenting with a range of variables to explore the resulting shapes, growth rates, and tastes. It appears that location has a great deal of impact, for example, and oyster beds just a few hundred meters away from one another may yield surprisingly different oysters - this is now known as "merroir".

Sebastian is both the tour guide and one of these local farmers. Full of facts and surprising anecdotes about oysters, oyster farming, clam farming (yes, the Bay producers millions of baby clams that are then raised elsewhere) and the Bay itself.

You'll see oysters that are just a few weeks old, to those ready to be harvested, to some approaching 30 cm in length (OK, a foot long) - and you'll choose a few to sample when you return ashore.

If you like oysters and have a desire to learn a bit more about them first-hand, this tour is highly recommended.

Bring waterproof boots (the higher the better), as you'll hop out of the boat at the farm to explore the beds. Bring several layers of clothing - and sunscreen, depending on...