Hog Island Oyster Is Back; See the Expanded Space

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Closed since January, Hog Island Oyster Company is officially back in action today tomorrow, with a Cass Calder Smith redesign that allowed the popular Ferry Building restaurant to expand into the space that previously housed Ferry Plaza Seafood. The operative word in this revamp is more: more space (it now has 65 seats inside and another 65 outside), more drinking (a full liquor license is in play for the first time), more menu items (thanks to a bigger kitchen), and more time (it's introducing longer hours).

Chef Christopher Laramie (Brasa, eVe) is heading up the kitchen, and the star of the menu continues to be the company's own oysters, farmed in Marshall and available raw and in three different grilled preparations. There are also oysters from Washington state, sustainable halibut and geoduck clam dishes, grilled squid, and for the seafood haters, steak frites. A lot of the produce comes from the company's own farm in Marshall, and two things the restaurant is known for, its excellent grilled cheese sandwich and its Monday and Thursday half-price oyster happy hour, continue to be in play. Here's the opening menu; take note that due to an issue with the ventilation system, it might be drastically reduced in the restaurant's first few days back.

Consultant-about-town Scott Beattie and his partner Michael Jack Pazdon (Goose & Gander) are responsible for the cocktails, which will utilize produce from the farm as well. Affordable, seafood-friendly wine (including a sparkling wine and white wine made just for Hog Island), five draft beers, and draft cider and soda from Boylan round out the beverage selection. Smith incorporated oyster shells and lots of nautical details into the design, which includes communal tables for big groups. The expanded hours are now Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9pm, Friday, 11:30 am-10 pm, Saturday, 11 am-10 pm, and Sunday, 11 am-9 pm.

Update, 12:36 pm: Hog Island made a last-minute decision not to open today. They will likely reopen either tomorrow or Saturday.

Update, 2:01 pm: Owner John Finger says that Hog Island will open tomorrow, but with a limited menu and limited seating. They'll move into full service next week, but will be closed one day next week to repair that pesky ventilation hood; which day it will be is still TBD.

· Hog Island Closes For Revamp [~ ESF ~]
· Hog Island Expanding Into Ferry Plaza Seafood Space [~ ESF ~]
· Ferry Plaza Seafood Leaving Ferry Building [~ ESF ~]