Island Creek Oysters

In July I went East for a friend's wedding and had it in mind to try and find a story I could produce for Current TV while I was out there. Earlier in the Spring I shot Jonathan Benno's wedding in NYC and thought it would be fun to shoot a story on his famous restaurant Per Se. As I tossed around story ideas a friend called and told me about these amazing oyster farmers just south of Boston. It turn out that Per Se used the oysters in one of their signature dishes "Oysters & Pearls" and my story was born!










The show was shot over a four day period starting at Per Se with Jonathan Benno. Having an admiration for top chefs like Jonathan and true respect for their craft, I felt incredibly privileged to be invited into his kitchen to film and ask questions. As you might imagine, the kitchen was immaculate with everything running like clockwork. With Jonathan at the helm, everyone moved harmoniously around him executing their individual jobs to perfection. Although I was a bit intimidated, Jonathan made me feel as though I had carte blanche. He and the staff could not have been more accommodating and welcoming. After six hours of shooting and filling up during family meal I headed out into the bright lights of NYC to catch up with old friends.


The next three days I spent in Duxbury Harbor with the Island Creek Oyster Company. What I wanted to do with this show was to follow these "Per Se" oysters from sea to plate. Shooting at both Per Se and on the bay with the oyster farmers gave this story an interesting juxtaposition.

Duxbury is a charming little fishing town about 35 minutes south of Boston and happens to produce some of the best oysters in the country. Island Creek Oyster Company was started by Skip Bennett and includes 10 other farmers, all of whom he grew up with in Duxbury. I'd never met any of these guys before I showed up but by the time I left I felt like I'd known them forever. I can't begin to tell you what a great group of guys this was. One of the original farmers, Don Merry, put me up at his place and before long I was heading out for guys night. I shot a ridiculous amount of footage in three days. I knew better but I couldn't help it. There are so many facets to this company to look at: the way Skip started and grew a successful co-op, the farming techniques he's figured out to produce these sought after oysters, and the science behind it. Growing oysters is like growing grapes. It's like making wine. Skip would refer to "merroir" when explaining how the sea shapes the taste these oysters. The salinity of the water, temperature, oxygen, type of plankton, circulation of the harbor all are important factors in determining their taste.

The best thing about doing these stories is getting to know the people. Four days felt like a summer and I can't wait to get back. Of course the shooting opportunities were terrific.









The show should be airing on Current TV sometime in November but here is a rough cut you can check out!




Next stop is a visit and some surfing with my friends at Grain Surf Boards in York Maine. Mike's company has really taken off since I profiled them a couple years ago when they were still shaping boards in their basement.