A Fresh, Seasonal Dinner Straight From the Source

Oystermen beckoned us to the water as boats revved their engines.

“Let’s go, pond people!” 

Drinks in hand, a group of 30-some excited foodies hopped aboard and began to chug across the water. We were heading towards the first dinner in Walrus & Carpenter’s third annual Oyster Farm Dinner Series. Organized by Eat Drink RI, the series invites chefs from some of the state’s top restaurants to accept the challenge of cooking and serving for a crowd on a decidedly off-the-grid sandbar marooned in Ninigret Pond.

The first dinner featured chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, with wine pairings designed and supplied by Eric Taylor of Bottles Fine Wine. Bracing winds and a rising tide added some adrenaline to the sandbar’s kitchen and table, but the guests reveled in the experience regardless. We started with a tour of the oyster farm, followed by a glass of something bubbly and plentiful fresh oysters as we stood knee-deep in the pond. Then our group waded towards pristine East Beach to swim and walk in the surf. As an overcast day gave way to a stunning, cloudless evening, we re-entered the pond and made our way to the sandbar.

Chef Wagner and his team had made a four-course feast that starred local, in-season delicacies: a smooth corn and mushroom chowder, a hearty salad with fresh herbs and toasted sesame seeds, Point Judith fluke on a bed of lentils with zucchini, peppers, and mussels, rounded off by a delicate, mint-and-honey-garnished peach cake with cream.

Served anywhere, it would have been a dinner to remember. On Walrus & Carpenter’s little desert island, it was one of the most charmed evenings of the year.