Sip & Shuck at The Deck on Laguna Beach

Last week EatDrinkOC was invited to the first annual Sip & Shuck Oysterfest that was held at The Deck on Laguna Beach and The Bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel.This event benefited the Surfrider foundation, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches.

During the event guests enjoyed the finest and freshest oysters at The Deck’s oceanfront patio in addition to other delicious cuisine that was  sampled under the creative guidance of executive chef Rainer Schwarz. The event also included:

• Special guests Master Ecailler Christophe Happillon and Francois Beall, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Ambassador,
• A Ketel One Vodka & Grey Goose ice bar with luge and Grey Goose Mixologist,
• Live Reggae with James Eeday, acoustic guitar and vocals by Jonathan Salazar,
• A Photo booth hosted in the new beachfront private Bungalows, where partner brands like Hobie, Billabong, Fox and gorjana & griffin  showcased and sold retail merchandise,
• A Silent auction featuring a unique collection of art compliments of The Mint Art Gallery with renowned artists and photographers Heather Brown, Roger Merrill, Scott Carter, Rick Erkeneff, and James Parkhurst

When we arrived it was a beautiful day at the beach. My family and I stayed overnight at the pacific edge hotel and that morning we watched a sandcastle crew start building a sculpture for Sip and Shuck. It was an awesome wine bottle with champagne flutes. The kids were mesmerized and didn’t want to leave.

The event started at 2’oclock and it was absolutely beautiful out. When we arrived we were greeted with our own personal champagne glass to carry with us to all of the different stations. Since there were so many different kind of wines,  champagnes and vodkas to taste, each station had a dump bucket so you didn’t have to drink your entire glass.

We started by sampling some of the many oysters they had. These were the Holliewood Zen Oyster. They are grown near Denman Island East side of Vancouver B.C. They were mildly sweet with a fresh melon finish. They also had Penn Cove Selects from Samish Bay, Washington, The oyster meat was full with a salty finish.

Then we moved to the Vodka section. Grey Goose had a really cool Ice Sculpture and they were serving  delicious cocktails.

Kettle one had this killer vodka Luge that wasn’t to be missed. It’s a huge ice sculpture with a funnel and the mixologist pours the vodka through the ice and your drink comes out at the bottom of it. I have a video clip of it in action right below this picture.

The food samplings were simply amazing. The salmon was fantastic and had a crispy crust that just melted in your mouth.

They also had these clam ceviches that were to die for.

My husband could not get enough of the oysters. He must have had 12-15 of them.

For VIP guests there was a separate section upstairs where they had an open bar and more food. They had a charcuterrie platter, fancy cheese, fruit and crackers.

After we had our fill of food, we  walked back to the bungalows to check out some of the partner brands. My favorite bungalow yet  was the Fox bungalow. I just love the decor and everything about it. This was one of my favorite photos in there. I cannot explain why I love it so much, I just do!

There was even a photo booth in one of the private bungalows where you could dres up and take candid photos. It was so much fun and I plan to use this company for my son’s Bar Mitzvah.

It was such a beautiful afternoon and we even got to watch the sun set from “The Deck”.  I highly recommend this restaurant as it is perfect for so many things. Date night, meetings, moms nights out, holiday parties, the list goes on and on.

Special thanks to Veronica and Megan for such a wonderful day!

The Deck on Laguna Beach is located at 627 Sleepy Hollow Lane, nestled between the Pacific Edge Hotel and the Pacific Ocean, just off Pacific Coast Highway.

You can find them on Facebook and on Twitter.

Disclaimer: The Deck graciously hosted us at this event. All thoughts and opinions are my own.