July 4th, Ceviche, and Tuna Special

 

Hey Y'all, Lots of comings and goings in the seafood world this time of year. The crawfish season ends sometime between late June and early July as the bayous dry up. If you love our boiled crawfish (and you should), you better buy it while you can. Soft shell crabs were a bust this year. The very limited availability meant very high prices - all due to labor shortages in the Chesapeake area. Salmon season update: King salmon is available on a very limited basis. Sockeye salmon runs through July and into mid-August. After that, its Coho from late August through October. The Georgia white shrimp season started a little late this year and is going along a little longer. I'm hoping that the "down time" in late July between spring whites and fall whites will be shorter than usual too.

July 4th Weekend Back in 2011, our first 4th of July in business we tried to make a flag in our case at Johns Creek. We had red tuna and white sea bass but blue fish isn't exactly blue so we froze some blue water into cubes to use for the background of the stars. They melted during the day and all our white fish were blue by noon. :/ Since then, we have foregone any attempts at red, white, and blue case decorating and just sell fish and other things to help you celebrate the holiday.    July 4th is a week from Sunday! Are you planning a small gathering? Let us help! We can do party trays, fresh shrimp, wild salmon and special order caviar. We're closing at 3pm on July 4th so get your orders in early. A Shrimp Recipe The weather has been perfect, but I guess humidity is on its way here this weekend. Consider this easy, cold dish for a cool pool/lake snack or a mid-week meal. Last Minute Ceviche Combine 1 pound cooked and peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped, 1 finely chopped red bell pepper, 4 thinly sliced scallions, 1 minced jalapeno pepper, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest plus 1/4 cup juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6 as an appetizer. Can I See a Menu? We've been getting this question a lot on social media lately. We would love to show you a "menu" - it's on Mercato! This is a great way to see our daily inventory as it's updated every few hours. While we do have some ready to eat items, our main goal is selling you the freshest fish in Atlanta!

Special Until 07/02: WHILE SUPPLIES LAST 6 oz. Tuna portions for $8.99 each Recipes For You: Sashimi Tuna Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Tuna & Potatoes

Catch-To-Go This Week Swordfish with Baby Red Potatoes and Green Beans topped with a Creamy Lemon Sauce

Next week's Catch to Go is Catch BBQ Salmon with Country Potato Salad.

And Finally We've been referring to that proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" so often lately as we struggle to the end of the pandemic. Next week, though, my family is skipping our way to the light at the end of the tunnel for Mr. Fish's long seafood career. The end of June marks his retirement and we are celebrating every way we can think of. Mr. Fish (aka Mike Hulsey) began his career in the seafood industry as a part-time seafood clerk at the Kroger in Snellville. Although I was in college, I held the lucrative position as an evening waitress at Denny's so, what the heck, we got married. It didn't take long for Mike to work his way up to store management at Kroger but his heart was always back in the seafood department. In 1989, when Inland Seafood came calling, he jumped at the chance to work in the field that he loved best. All these years later, he is the very best at what he does. I am so proud that the founder of Inland Seafood calls him the "conscience of Inland Seafood." That's just the kind of guy he is. He worked harder than anyone I know to provide for his family and to be an example to his children and grandchildren, and to me. I learned how to work hard and be the best from watching him. So now, goodbye Mr. Fish and hello Mike. The future awaits. Blessings, Kathleen

Hake, Lobster Tails, & Father's Day

 

Hey Y'all, I hope this email finds you right smack in the middle of summer fun. To go with summer fun, you need some extraordinarily good summer food, such as fish! This time of year, you need light meals that give you the energy you need to get up on those water skis or hike the Appalachian Trail or just to keep up with your kids. And no one wants to spend the afternoon in the kitchen - there's too much to do outside! A quick nutritious and healthy meal is the ticket. This is a delicious, healthy summer meal that comes together in 30 minutes! Horseradish-Crusted Salmon with Cucumber Salad Lobster Tails Our freezer stocks are lower than they have ever been. Why? Covid, of course. Now before you roll your eyes (I see you doing that), put yourself in the position of the supplier of these products. Fall is the time of year when most of the lobster tails are frozen. It's when many cold water lobsters are weak from molting and get picked to lose their tails since they are dying anyway. At this time of year, you, as a processor, would have to spend a great deal of money to buy the lobsters, hire the people to process them and then store them in freezers while you wait for customers to buy them. Last fall was COVID. Restaurants were closed. People weren't working. There was no vaccine. No one knew how long the country would be shut down. Do you really want to take the risk to pay your limited workforce top dollar to put up a bunch of tails when you have no idea how long you will have to pay to store them? Not if you are a savvy business person. You will wait to see how things pan out. Once the vaccine was widely available the restaurants opened with a bang ,but there was very little time left in the season to product the tails. So shelves are bare of lobster tails (and for that matter, king crab and snow crab as well.) The season for warm water tails (Caribbean or “rock lobster” ) starts in mid-summer so we should have those tails pretty soon, and we will slowly start to get larger cold water tails as the summer goes along. I promise I will buy tails as soon I see some on the market. You should probably get out all those pandemic pennies you have been hoarding as the prices could be pretty high. Lobster Roll Mishap A few of you reached out to say that the lobster meat you purchased this past weekend did not look anything like the below picture. Our new staff was accidentally cutting the lobster pieces too small. The issue has since been fixed so if you were not happy, please come back and give them a second chance - it'll be worth it! Also, thank you to all of you that answered "Yes but louder" in response to our best lobster roll in the USA question - we appreciate it!

What the Hake!? Have you seen hake in our cases but are unfamiliar with it? We're here to educate! First of all the word is pronounced just like it is spelled, like "lake". Hake is in the same family as cod and similar in many respects. It comes from the same cold waters and has a mildly nutty flavor. Hake is not quite as flaky as cod so it is a little easier to prepare and it has a nice mild flavor. Special Order Caviar When you think caviar, most people think of fancy parties around the holidays but what about getting some caviar to enjoy on a late night boat ride with your loved ones this June? It's always nice to play fancy during the summertime.

Check out our varieties that are available for pre-order from Highland & Menlo below. There is a price for every taste and budget!

Father's Day Weekend Father's Day is 06/20, just a week from this Sunday. We know the dads in your life love to grill so purchasing great seafood for grilling is a no brainer, but what about putting together a gift basket filled with everything he'll need? We have you covered! We have a lot of spices, sauces, grilling planks, and even gift cards to let him choose what he wants to grill! We also have fresh produce that will help elevate his amazing grilling skills. If you need anything special ordered, give us a call a few days ahead so we can guarantee availability. It'll be a busy weekend!

Linz Beef Fillet Price I know it seems like we're constantly mentioning price changes but we want to keep you informed when we aren't getting some of the normal items or why pricing has changed so much. The fillet price has skyrocketed so we won't be carrying them until the price gets back in line. If you absolutely HAVE to have them, we can special order a case for you for the bargain basement price of $___ I can't even say it. It's ridiculous. Call us if you want us to insult you with this price. Mercato Delivery Just a reminder, you can always get us delivered with Mercato! Right now for new customers, you can get $10 off $35+ with the code SUMMERTIME. It expires 06/30/2021. You can always place the order to reserve your fish and then schedule a pickup instead of delivery if you pass us on your way home!

Special Until 06/11: WHILE SUPPLIES LAST Kvaroy Salmon for only $13.50/lb Here are some great recipes from the Kvaroy (pronounced KWA-RAY) website: Salmon Fillets with Crunchy Savoy Cabbage For the kiddos - Salmon Nuggets

Catch-To-Go This Week Honey Jalapeno Salmon with Zucchini - have you tried this yet? It's fun to change it up!

Next week's Catch to Go is Summer Succotash with Hake topped with Salsa Verde.

And Finally I'm always looking for the bright side of things. To get up every morning I have to believe that if things are not already great, they are getting better and better every day. It feels good to be vaccinated and to take the mask off, but if you are still struggling because prices are climbing and products are scarce, you might need an emotional boost. If you, like me, are working seven days a week because there aren't enough people needing jobs, you might need an even bigger boost. I'm getting my boost next week - a vacation in Charleston, SC. In the meantime, take care, eat fish, walk the dog and read a good book. See you in a week. Blessings, Kathleen

Barramundi and Lobster Rolls

 

Hey Y'all, One of my all time favorite fish is back tomorrow - barramundi! Yes, it is a farmed fish but it is a truly wonderful fish that meets all my standards for healthy aquaculture. No preventive antibiotics, no growth hormones, big open pens with low pen density. What's not to love? If you have been around the block with me, you know that years ago I promoted this fish but lost my source. Barramundi fans were saddened by this but now I have found a good place to get it! If you're unfamiliar with barramundi, it's a fish that originates from Australia. Barramundi has pearly-pink flesh when raw and cooks up flaky white and firm plus it has a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids. It's very versatile as it is great roasted, grilled, sautéed, or steamed. Did You Know? You can peel and devein shrimp with just a fork? Chef Jon shows you how here. This past weekend, my daughter's neighborr was gifted some shell-on, vein-in shrimp. Apparently, she has never had to devein shrimp but this video was super helpful and easy to follow! Kvarøy Arctic Salmon from Norway Pronounced KWA-RAY, this gorgeous salmon is available in our stores now! Kvarøy Arctic salmon has double the omega-3 content of other farmed salmon. This has been achieved naturally by using fermented microalgae as a sustainable source of omega-3s. Kvarøy is from Norway and if you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

Lobster Rolls Are Back! Did you see our banners? LOBSTER ROLLS ARE BACK!! We are making them as fast as we can but the crowds got ahead of us in Johns Creek on Thursday. Never fear - more are on the way today! Only $14.99 each and as you probably know, they are worth every penny. One customer even stated: "The best ever!!!! I've tried them all over the USA and yours by far are the best!!" We agree but you be the judge ;)

Are our lobster rolls the best in the USA? Yes Select Yes but louder Select

Copper River Salmon Copper River sockeye will be in all stores today at a much more reasonable price of $29.99/lb. Stop by ASAP because we are only getting 10 lbs. per store and it will go fast!

Mercato Delivery Just a reminder, you can always get us delivered with Mercato! It's also a great way to see availability before you come in.

Special Starting 06/05: (Until 06/10) WHILE SUPPLIES LAST Barramundi $17.99/lb Barramundi with Lemon Butter Sauce This recipe for barramundi is high in protein, low in carbs, sugar, and sodium plus the rich taste of the recipe is the dieter’s perfect food to make them feel as though they are NOT on a diet.

Catch-To-Go This Week Rainbow Trout w/ Parmesan Broccoli Medley and Italian Pico de Gallo

Next week's Catch to Go is Honey Jalapeno Salmon with Zucchini. (A little switch up on the dish to keep things interesting! Cooking with Chopped Champion, Chef Jon Check out here how Chef Jon conquers a blender béarnaise. AMAZING!

And Finally I hope you had a chance to watch Chef Jon on Monday win Chopped. Seeing someone you know and love looking like a star on TV is so much fun. I don't know if you caught it during the show or on Jon's social media but Jon is a man who has truly battled some demons, namely addiction. When he came to work for me he had already started down the road to recovery and even then, at the beginning of the journey, he showed incredibly fortitude and self-awareness. From the day I first interviewed him (and asked the obvious question - Why on earth would YOU want to work for ME?), I have been profoundly impressed with the man that he is. I am proud beyond measure to know him and call him my friend. If you are struggling with your own addictions, take heart. Like Jon, the recovery process could bring out all that is good in you. Blessings, Kathleen