Sunday, January 3, 2016

Packing in the bivalves at Blue Dog Oyster Roast, Richmond

Baker Ellett, political consultant and real estate broker, has held for 11 years the annual Blue Dog Oyster Roast to benefit the local food bank in Richmond.  Friday he was joined by hundreds of friends and acquaintances toting donations for the food bank.  It was held behind his business, Blue Dog Properties in the Scott's Addition area of Richmond, and they stayed for hours, throwing down hot steamed oysters and cold Founder's IPA and sampling Barnie Day's wrap-cooked ham and all kinds of other goodies.  Here are a few scenes from the festivities:
Baker Ellett rakes oysters off the cooktop that have steamed for about 8 minutes under wet burlap.

Old friends former Virginia Del. Barnie Day, ink-stained wretches Jack Betts, late of the Charlotte Observer and columnist Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and political consultant and real estate broker Baker Ellett, organizer of the annual event.

Some of J&W Seafood's finest oysters from down somewhere near Deltaville. Not sure if these are Rappahannock or Yorks, but they were all good.