Omayra O.
Yelp
I just had a wonderful experience at The Shuckery last night. I've driven past this spot so many times over the years, and I am glad that I finally decided to check it out.
We were celebrating a half birthday with seafood! We started with drinks and oysters. My partner tried all of the raw oysters and loved them. I tried the basked oysters, and they were all good, but the bingo and the one with the chili's were the best.
The drinks were all beautiful to look at and delicious. I got the equatorial something something (I forgot the name) it was yummy maybe a little sweet, but not very strong, so I switched to the mezcal cocktail, which was phenomenally refreshing and packed a punch.
We started with the spring mix salad and OMG this was one of the best salads I've ever had! There was so much flavor and texture in there. The goat cheese wasn't terribly tart, which was a nice change. I love goat cheese, but even people who don't like goat cheese would appreciate the soft herbaceous globs that graced this salad. There were very few pistachios but a lot of fried (?) chickpeas that were chewy and flavorful. There were also pickled red onions and sliced asparagus. This salad is SERIOUS. I would come back for this salad alone.
We finished off with the clam chowder and the poke bowl. Both were *phenomenal*. I wish that the clam chowder bowl was larger. When it arrived, I thought they had mistakenly brought me a cup. The creaminess and the seasoning were great. They got the herbs just right. However, there were not a lot of clams in the soup. The poke bowl looked spectacular. The tuna had a great color, and the sauce they tossed it in was delicious. The bowl was really pretty to look at as well. I liked the addition of Japanese mayo on the rice. It set off the whole plate right. I usually like mac salad with my poke, and the mayo replaced that without the extra carbs. There was also a fresh spread of edamame, wakame salad, sliced radishes, medium boiled egg, cucumber slices, and sesame seeds. The plate. I would definitely get the poke bowl again.
I watched the people next to us devour the whole fish meal for two, and I was very jealous. I'm going to have to get that the next time I stop in with a friend.
The service was fantastic. We sat at the bar, and our main server was a friendly and outgoing woman named Sina. She gave us great recommendations and was a joy to engage with. Her colleague Shen also helped us. I really liked watching how well they worked together and how everyone in the restaurant enjoyed each other's company. Everyone was bringing a great vibe, even the hostesses and the food runners.
The parking was a little tricky. You have to find street parking, there is no dedicated parking lot. Downtown Petaluma is a popular place, and we happened to make reservations on Butter and Egg Day (womp womp -- this is a big deal in Petaluma) which meant we drove around for a while before finding parking. Regardless, we'll be back to enjoy more of their delicious cocktails and plates.