Merging sex appeal and locally-harvested oysters, Petaluma residents Aluxa and Jazmine Lalicker want to educate Sonoma County gourmands about why the mollusk is not only tasty, but also good for the environment.
Four years ago, Aluxa Lalicker was working as a sea kayak guide in Tomales Bay, when she started bringing oysters along on her trips and serving them to her guests.
The treats were a hit, and lo and behold, a new business was born.
Today Lalicker is part of the Petaluma-basedThe Oyster Girls, a traveling oyster bar that is injecting femininity into a culinary sub-culture dominated by men.
“People think that oysters are dirty and hard to open, but that’s not true,” says the 30-year-old Lalicker. “It’s all about the technique.”
Lalicker runs the business with her 23-year-old sister Jazmine and their mom, often assisted by a group of girlfriends, serving up the tasty mollusks at Sonoma County wineries, galas, weddings and other events.
Often wearing dresses and high heels, the Lalicker girls ooze sex appeal that’s become part of their brand. (Their business card features a pin-up girl sitting inside an oyster shell.)
But they’re a lot more than just pretty faces.
The Lalickers take the time to travel to local oyster farms (Tomales Bay Oyster Company and Drakes Bay Oyster Company), going out on small motorboats to pick up the product, bring it back to land and spray wash it before taking it to a party.
“We don’t get paid for that part of the job, but we wanted to create that farm to table experience,” says Jazmine Lalicker. “It’s an important part of our business.”
For the full article, click on the link below:
Drakes Bay Oyster Company & the National Park Service. Watch the video, "THE FRAMING OF AN OYSTER FARM" at http://vimeo.com/52331881 