Arts and CultureEat & Drink

Here’s the Marina’s Finest Spot for Rich Oysters And Buttery Crab Rolls

Updated: Jun 06, 2023 12:23
The Bay's best newsletter for underground events & news

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY ANDY SAMWICK

I visit this hot new seafood destination a bunch now that the weather is cheering up (or something). I love that, when it’s sunny, the Marina offers up these front row people-watching seats at the corner of Steiner and Chestnut Streets. This corner belongs to the new oyster bar and restaurant Popi’s Oysterette which opened its doors on February 27th and has many familiar faces both in its kitchen and throughout the front of the house, so you know it is going to always be tasty. Chef Melissa Perfit, most recently from Sister in Oakland, is back shucking and grilling the freshest local seafood, similar to her days when she led the kitchen at Bar Crudo, only a few blocks away on Divisadero Street.

lobster roll and fries at Popi’s Oysterette

The crab rolls, stuffed until overflowing, is a smart order at Popi’s Oysterette.

I went on June 2nd for a dozen oysters with delicious lime-black pepper mignonette, cocktail sauce and yuzu tobiko, the Popi’s Oysterette’s Crab Louie salad and its luscious Shrimp Roll served on the most buttery Firebrand Bakery brioche, topped with mayo, chives, fries, and their house-made dill pickle.

Local Journalism for Working stiffs

We write for the poets, busboys, and bartenders. We cover workers, not ‘tech’, not the shiny ‘forbes 100 bullshit’. We write about the business on your corner and the beer in your hand. Join the Bay's best newsletter.

We started the feast with an order of crispy calamari and treated ourselves to a bottle of sparkling Terres Secrètes Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé. My guest and I received a fabulous gift of grilled oysters that seemed almost “supersized,” like made for the San Francisco Giants. Our server explained that all the grilled oyster dishes have comical Scooby-Doo names like the Daphne which is made with thyme, green garlic, smoked paprika, and sherry vinegar, and her sister, the Velma, dressed with nori, yuzu, and trout roe.

We ravaged both of these beauties quickly as we paired it with sips of wine. I had the other grilled oyster — the Fred —with Marina Meats Hunters’ sausage, orange, and charred spring onion on my last visit and raved about that dish, too. I have also tried the savory clam chowder which was scrumptious and a few items from their raw bar, like the shrimp cocktail. All three visits have been for lunch, but Popi’s Oysterette is open daily 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a happy hour that runs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. I suggest getting front and center for the warm, sunny summer vibes here soon and have yourself an in-season classic cracked crab with cocktail sauce and Louie dressing, I know I’ll be racing to get back and crack one there too!

Check out Popi’s Oysterette online right here and their instagram right here.

oysters at Popi’s Oysterette  

Correction: The article originally mentioned lobster rolls, but that has been corrected to crab rolls.

Previous post

The Freshest Styles We Saw at BottleRock This Year

Next post

Is Your Company Secretly Funding Anti-LGBTQIA+ Hate?


Guest Writer

Guest Writer

We write for busboys, poets, social workers, students, artists, musicians, magicians, mathematicians, maniacs, yodelers and everyone else out there who wants to enjoy life not as a rich person, but as a real person. Namely, we write for you.

We’re currently looking to expand our author pool. If you’re snarky, know what’s happening in your town, and good at making your fingers type out funny words, then you might be just the person we’re looking for. Email alex@brokeassstuart.com with some writing samples if you're interested. Cheers