What's in Season
The sea is full of late spring bounty. As the waters on both coasts warm, a colorful and delicious array of fresh, diverse seafood options come out of the oceans and rivers and into our store. With the opening of the Alakan and Pacific Northwest Salmon season, along with the soft shell crab season out east, the choices are seemingly endless, ushering in an abundance of new, delectable springtime seafood flavors.
Fresh Catches
+ Soft Shell Crab - We wait all year for this moment, when the waters of the Atlantic begin to warm up and the Chesapeake Bay starts teeming with soft shell crabs. Sweet and delicious, these crabs are typically served lightly floured or breaded and eaten whole, either by themselves or as a “po boy” sandwich. The season is short - from May to September – and we now have a fresh, steady supply coming in, so get ‘em while you can!
+ Local Halibut – This has always been an extremely popular catch at our store, and fortunately, local wild stocks remain plentiful and healthy. We typically alternate between the local variety, which is generally leaner, and Northern Halibut out of Alaska and Canada. If you’re looking to really wow your dinner guests, try cooking either it in parchment paper with fennel, leeks, red and gold peppers, wild mushrooms, and tarragon.
+ Wild Salmon- Fresh local King Salmon, that Bay Area rite of spring, will yet again not be an option this year. Although there state has allowed limited catches, supplies are far too low for any real commercial sales. And as much of a shame as that is, the Pacific is vast and generous in its alternatives. As we've done in years past, we'll be offering fresh wild catches from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and British Columbia. Salmon from these areas is still one of the West Coasts’ most prized fish, renowned for its wonderful texture, distinct flavor, and abundance of omega 3 oils that make it an extremely healthy seafood option. In terms of cooking preparation, you can’t really go wrong: grilled, poached, baked, in salads … it’s all good!
+ Head On Gulf Shrimp- Despite the tragic oil spill in the gulf, these delicious catches are still brought to us weekly from our father-son shrimping operation in New Orleans, whose main catch area remains to the west of the spill's damage. These shrimp are the finest quality you can get your hands on, with rich, delicious flavor and a superb texture. Try the traditional New Orleans “Barbecued Shrimp" preparation, and you'll make some new friends - guaranteed.
Other fresh, seasonal offering include:
+ Locally caught Black Cod (Sable)
+ Bay Shrimp from Oregon
+ Florida Octopus
+ Locally caught Smelt (aka: "Fries with Eyes")
+ Locally caught Sand Dabs
+ Plenty of whole fish for grilling, including: Huachinango, Bronzini, Striped Bass, and Dorade
Oyster Bar
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays we offer a variety of fresh shucked oysters from three different locations on the West Coast and British Columbia. They include: Fanny Bays, Oystervilles, Hood Canals, Evening Cove, Skukoms and Oregon-Pearl Points. These oysters are among our favorites and can now be enjoyed with an ice cold beer or a chilled bottle of wine. Our beverage list currently features fine West Coast brewed beers, including Alaskan Amber, Blue Star, Scrimshaw Pilsner, and Stone Ale.