Last fall I had the opportunity to spend a day shucking oysters with a local legend, Xinh Dwelley. We found ourselves on the South Bay of Grays Harbor at Brady’s Oysters, enjoying the sun and breeze with fresh oysters harvested that very day.

I chose Westport because I love its authenticity, affordability, and community, and I know I'll leave with enough seafood to last the year. It's a genuine fishing town with a rich maritime history and fishing culture. The local charter boats are run by some of the most knowledgeable and experienced captain and crew teams I have ever been around. Going out to fish early in the morning and watching the sunrise is one of the best ways to start the day, and it doesn't take long to reach the offshore fishing destination, where "Fish on" will be heard before you know it.

As a chef, when I think of Westport, the first thing that comes to mind is seafood. However, I had heard that there was good foraging in Westport, so when we were getting the Taconite ready for our journey to Mexico, I poked around the pine forest, hoping to find some mushrooms, but it was still too dry, and I didn't find anything. So, I vowed to return in the Fall once we were back from our trip, and I'm so glad we did.

To follow a successful dig, it doesn't get better than a fresh razor clam dinner. After clamming together, the best way to incorporate family or friends is by having them join in on the dinner process with a homemade pizza!