Tides and Currents - 9/21/11

Good Afternoon Chef's, Buyer's, and lovers of seafood, here's what's happening in the marketplace this week.

BRONZINI/DORADE: This story is getting pretty stale but sourcing these menu staples continues to be a challenge. I just got off the phone with our importer who is now saying that he can't confirm that Greek economic instability is the culprit here, but rather he's blaming slower than expected grow-outs on the current crop (meaning the fish aren't as big as they'd hoped they'd be by this time) for the supply disruption. The good news is that we're seeing prices start to fall on the smaller fish (400-600g) and I'm now being told there will be plenty available by the end of the first week of October. In the meantime, our buyer is working overtime to source product where can - filling in the gaps for our orders that are being cut.

TUNA: The good news is that we're finally getting our hands on ruby red #1 loins from Big Eye's and Yellowfin with some consistency. The bad news is that prices remain elevated and are promising to stay as such through the next 6 weeks or so.

FRESH SQUID: We've been sourcing this product in the New Fulton Fish Market in Hunts Point for the past week or so after a 2 week hiatus. When the fresh supply dries up, we substitue a Frozen At Sea Dirty Squid that we refresh. Look for an RF on your invoice and you'll know the product is defrosted or "re-freshed."

OYSTERS: Now is as good a time as any to talk a little bit about our Oyster program here at The Lobster Place. We feature as many as 16 varieties of oysters from the mid atlantic up to New Brusnwick and PEI (Canada) as well as California up to Puget Sound. Right now we're featuring the following:

East Coast:
Beau Soleil (New Brunswick, CA)
Small and Large Malpeque (PEI, Canada)
Flying Point (Bagaduce River, ME)
Wiley Point (Demariscotta River, ME)
Pemmaquid Point (Demariscotta River, ME)
Indian Creek (PEI, Canada)
Blue Point (Norwalk, CT)
Pine Island (Long Island, NY)

West Coast:
Hammersly (Hammersly Inlet, WA)
Kumamoto (Humboldt Bay, CA)
Baron Point (Baron Pt, WA)
Eld Inlet (Eld Inlet, WA)
Little Skookum (Little Skookum Inlet, WA)

Give us a call for prices.

LOBSTER: Here's some background info on how the lobster industry works. The Canadians fish off shore in the colder waters off nova scotia and PEI and as a result they land harder shell lobsters. They're not fishing right now so anything coming from canada is "tubed" or "pounded" - meaning it's been held in a man made facility for som extended period of time waiting for the market to peak. Meanwhile, the domestic fishermen fish near shore in the warmer waters from New Jersey up to Maine. 85% of their catch is new-shell and goes directly to processors who cook and shell the meat and sell it to Red Lobster (and other similar outlets.) The remainder is deemed "road-worthy" and will survive the trip to New York and the subsequent scrutiny of our customers (who may be a little more picky than the good folks at Red Lobster.) That remainder is preciously scarce right now - and hence - the price of lobster is high. We hope that Maine fresh caughts are going to "firm up" their shells in the coming weeks. With that the supply of good lobster will rise - and, you guessed it, prices will fall.

That's it for now folks. Stay tuned - because as sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow, so too will the Tides come in....