Dubbed the “Ironside Select,” these oysters are created from seed to delicious briny bivalve specifically for Chef McLeod, (industry icon, Chef Paul Kahan is also working on this with Island Creek Oyster Farm in Massachusetts) and made their debut this past weekend with 1,563 Ironside Selects sold within the first six hours of service.
West Coast and East Coast oysters vary drastically in flavor profiles. This is in part due to the oysters “merrior”, or various environmental aspects contributing to an oysters flavor. Chef McLeod’s future plans entail working with an oyster company on the East Coast to create another custom oyster with a different flavor profile from that of the Ironside Select. The production of these custom oysters highlights McLeod’s tight-knit relationship with some of the nation’s leading oyster farmers and, having opened doors just shy of 7 months ago, is a prime example of the quality and innovation the culinary industry can expect from Chef McLeod / Ironside Fish & Oyster.
About the Ironside Select oyster: Ironside Selects are are hand-farmed throughout the harvesting process. The oysters are then sorted, graded and placed in special trays. These trays are placed back in the salt water for a period of time allowing the oysters to regenerate any possible chips in the exterior shell. This reintroduction to natural salt water after sorting and grading minimizes the time out of the water prior to shipment. This careful hand-farmed process helps to ensure that the oysters will arrive fresh and strong. The flavor profile of the Ironside Select features a mild, sweet flavor with a smooth finish and a touch of brine.
*** Chef McLeod’s new Ironside Selects are available at Ironside Fish & Oyster during all hours of operation and are featured as the $1 happy hour oyster Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm.***
ABOUT IRONSIDE FISH & OYSTER: No longer absent in California’s southern-most city, is a rich oyster culture—one that is deeply engrained in other coastal communities spanning from New England to the Pacific Northwest. Filling the local void is Ironside Fish & Oyster, the latest venture from powerhouse San Diego hospitality collective CH Projects in partnership with Michelin-starred Executive Chef Jason McLeod. The approachable raw-bar concept is housed in a stunning 4,500 square-foot, 1920s-era warehouse located in the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. Renowned local designer Paul Basile packed the interior with experimental design elements including a massive wall adorned with hundreds of faux piranha skulls as well as conversation-starting accents such as a marquee “Shit Happens” lighting installation.
At the epicenter of Ironside Fish & Oyster, an impressive raw bar is one of three open-air culinary hubs, offering guests a daily changing menu of bivalves, oyster flights, crudos, and more. Fostering a shared space of communal interaction and education, an in-house bakery, led by Pastry Chef Donna Antaloczy, and European-style open kitchen each features their own unique chef’s table. McLeod’s culinary program features an extensive menu of seafood-heavy specialties while the cocktail menu, pays tribute to a resurgence of sherrys, ports and Madeiras. In addition, more than 90 different fortified wines and 50 unique cocktails proudly grace Ironside’s 14-foot overarching, steel bar trellis. Pouring from the bar’s 26 taps are 16 beers, eight wines, one draft cocktail and ice-cold coffee. Ironside Fish & Oyster is located at 1654 India Street, opens daily at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and dinner, with the cocktail bar and raw bar open late till 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, please call 619.269.3033 and visit www.IronsideFishandOyster.com.
