October 27, 2013 — Most restaurants get their oysters from seafood wholesalers. But an increasing number are going to the source for oysters and many other products in what has come to be known as the "farm to table" movement in food consumption.
"At first I sold to people who sold to restaurants," says Leggett. Selling to restaurants directly "is more work, but I get a great deal of satisfaction talking to chefs. I like that interaction."
On the menu
An early customer was Kyle Woodruff, who worked at River's Inn Restaurant and Crab Deck in Gloucester and is now chef de cuisine at Waypoint Seafood and Grill in Williamsburg.
"I grew up going up and down the York River," says Woodruff. "I heard Tommy was growing oysters, and our paths eventually crossed.
"He is so passionate about what he does and the product he brings to you," Woodruff adds. "He knows a lot and he loves to share his knowledge."
On the day that Leggett delivers to Waypoint, usually once a week, the restaurant often schedules a $1-per-oyster menu special. Leggett sometimes will go into the restaurant and talk to the customers, Woodruff says.
The restaurant identifies them as "Tommy Leggett's York River Oysters" on the menu and serves them on the half shell, fried, or the "Waypoint way," combined with Virginia ham, crab meat, cheddar cheese and spinach, then baked and topped with hollandaise sauce.
"At this point, with the farm to table movement, if someone is serving oysters, they ought to have at least one Virginia oyster on their menu," says Woodruff. "I would never take his oysters off the menu."
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