Market Report
March 1, 2010
Shellfish
Scallop prices are on the rise again. This is mainly affecting larger, fresh, drypack scallops. There are definitely some monster savings in switching to a u-12 scallop or a 10-20. There are only a few more weeks left of the scallop crunch, and we should begin to see some relief in the market near the end of March.
Oysters, hard-shell clams and mussels are looking great right now! Please ask your rep for a full list of our oyster offerings! We typically carry a great mix of East and West Coast varieties.
Lobster prices have come down just a bit after the recent holidays. We will hopefully see more significant drops in the coming weeks, if weather and everything else cooperate!
East Coast
Groundfish availability looks pretty good this week. There may be some inclement weather heading that way, however. We will keep you posted if there are going to be any shortages from the ensuing storm. Haddock is in good supply right now and pricing is very reasonable! Along with the haddock, we have skate wing, market cod fillets, lemon sole, monkfish and sushi flukes available off the E/C this week. We are carrying a fantastic new item: fresh, wild-caught Point Judith T&T calamari. This is the freshest, most tender squid you will ever have in your life and perfect for menus with year-round availability and a consistent price. Ask your rep for more info.
West Coast
Alaskan halibut season is coming up very soon. Saturday, March 6, is the slated opening date! We are looking to have product available for sale the following weekend (weather dependant, of course). Early indications are pointing towards a good season, even with the quota being reduced this year. Expect opening prices to be high, which is very typical.
Great Lakes
Walleye and whitefish availability seems to be fine; however, prices are up this year due to the Canadian exchange rate. We buy the premium walleye and spec a v-cut fillet, which takes out all the bones and makes the fillets a lot easier to work with. Perch and bass are hit and miss.
Gulf/Hawaii
Mahi is starting to creep up as halibut season grows near, but even so it’s still one of the best price options out there. Snapper, swordfish, cobia and escolar are all available for specials. The Hawaiian auction is also finally starting to see some fish after a very poor last month. We should see albies, monchong, marlin, walu, ono, spearfish and opah, but they are spendy.
Salmon
As I mentioned before, we are in the middle of Lent, and this is putting a lot of demand on the market. Prices have gone up slightly. I anticipate seeing minimal price increases over the next few months.
We carry a variety of farm-raised salmon, including Loch Duart Scottish salmon (Atlantic), Tasmanian salmon (Atlantic), Norwegian, Chilean, Canadian and premium whole Scottish Atlantic salmon. Please talk to your rep to find out what would best suit your needs!
Sustainable Options
Ask your rep about our long list of sustainable items – Atlantic Loch Duart Scottish salmon, Gigha Island halibut, New Zealand abalone, sustainable Chilean sea bass, Colorado hybrid striped bass, sturgeon, Australian hiramasa, laughing bird shrimp and the list goes on. If you are looking to make any menu changes and have questions about sustainability, ask the experts. We would be happy to help you put together a menu that will help highlight these items.
New Items
We have recently partnered with a Japanese company and added a few items that are perfect for sushi bars and white-tablecloth restaurants. We now have an eel sauce and tempura batter that are staples for every sushi bar. Additionally, we brought in the company’s all-natural, wasabi-and-yuzu Japanese ponzu-style dressing, along with an incredible, one-of-a-kind dried seaweed mix. This mix is six different types of Japanese seaweed that makes a one-of-a-kind salad, or the perfect garnish for seared ahi. These items are a great addition to any order, so ask your rep for samples and more information.