Where do you buy your fish? Do you have a favorite mom-and-pop shop in your neighborhood? Do you patronize one of our local Citarella stores for volume, variety, and value? Maybe you prefer one-stop shopping and buy it at your grocery store or a gourmet market like Schiavoni's in Sag Harbor or Red Horse Market in East Hampton.
Some of us make specific pilgrimages to buy fish from the Seafood Shop in Wainscott, Gosman's in Montauk, Stuart's in Amagansett, or the Amagansett Seafood Store. Perhaps your weekly neighborhood farmers market has a fish vendor, such as Jermaine Owens's North Fork Seafood at the Sag Harbor Farmers Market on Saturdays.
I stopped by a good number (13) of establishments recently to compare prices, variety, cleanliness, and more. I chose these places randomly, simply trying to ensure that I covered enough from Southampton to Montauk. I also utilized my favorite "lazy research" tool, Facebook, to ask East End friends where they buy their fish. I learned a lot. Some people don't read such inquiries accurately so I now know the best fish mongers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, in case any of you are interested.
I visited Gosman's, Montauk Seafood Co., Stuart's, Bostwick's, Amagansett Seafood Store, Schiavoni's, Serene Green, Red Horse Market, Citarella, Seafood Shop, Multi-Aquaculture Systems, Nat Miller's, and North Fork Seafood. Maybe you know a fisherman or woman who sells direct.
On Facebook, a lot of friends recommended the tried and true Seafood Shop. Keep in mind that it has some stupendous soups and prepared foods as well. Its prices are mid-range to expensive, striped bass for $36.95 and tuna for $35.95. All prices in this story are by the pound.
The new Bostwick's Seafood Market got quite a few recommendations, as did Montauk Seafood Co., both supplied by Wes Peterson. At Bostwick's, tuna was $30.99, striped bass $29.99. At Montauk Seafood, striped bass was $29.99, same for tuna. The selection at both locations was small, probably because they are primarily selling what has just been caught. Bostwick's had some beautiful wahoo as well for $27.99.
Irish Mike O'Rourke's Amagansett Seafood Store got a lot of shoutouts, and this is my favorite stop for some "craic," Gaelic for "good fun," striped bass dip, baked clams, and whatever fresh fish is available. His striped bass was recently $32.95, and yellowfin tuna $34.95. Keep an eye out for the occasional pumpkin swordfish ($31.95) which is considered a rare treat. The swordfish feed on shrimp and krill, giving their flesh a pale salmon hue and delicious flavor. Approximately 1 in 3,000 swordfish are pumpkin swordfish and the fishermen don't know it's a pumpkin until it is cut. Kind of like the current fad of a baby's gender reveal party, you don't know what it is till you cut the cake! Mike also offers monkfish livers on occasion, which are considered a big delicacy in Japan, where they are known as "ankimo."
All of my friends in Springs raved about Nat Miller of Amagansett Fish. He catches fish, and either you text him early in the week to see what he's got or he sends out a text with what he expects, then you can pay via Venmo or old school cash. His prices are exceptionally reasonable: striped bass is $25, sea bass $22, and I got some cleaned and gutted porgies (over a pound each) for $4 apiece.
Mr. Miller suggests that you consider your fish purchasing the same as the seasons for fruit and vegetables: "We just had asparagus, now it's strawberry season and I'm going to eat as many as I can. It's the same with fish. Ask what's running. For truly fresh fish, ask what they're catching." He, too, is a big fan of Wes Peterson, Mike O'Rourke, and Gosman's.
On Abraham's Path in Amagansett, the Lester family also sells its own fresh catch.
Although it may have had some growing pains after it was sold a few years back, Stuart's had a wonderful selection of fish on my recent visit, including blowfish for $14.99. Its striped bass was $24.99 and tuna $26.99.
Serene Green on Noyac Road outside of Sag Harbor can easily be your one-stop shopping as it has breads and flowers, produce, prepared foods on the healthy side, local cheeses, and so much more. Its fish selection is pre-packed in Ziplock baggies in coolers outside the shop, easy-peasy. Tuna, fluke, and swordfish were all $30 per lb.
I have never been inclined to get seafood at a grocery store but when I see the Gosman's or Braun's truck pulling into the parking lot at Schiavoni's in Sag Harbor or Red Horse Market in East Hampton I can be assured the product is as fresh as at the fish stores. At Schiavoni's tuna was $29.99, striped bass $39.99, fluke $26.99, all Montauk wild caught. At Red Horse Market tuna was $38.99, striped bass $41.99, and fluke $26.99.
Citarella's prices on the day of my visit were: tuna $29.99, striped bass $19.99, fluke $19.99.
I usually buy fish from Jermaine Owens of North Fork Seafood on Saturdays at the Sag Harbor Farmers Market. His prices last weekend were fluke for $21.95, black sea bass for $23.95, and weakfish for $18.95.
You should always call your fish market ahead of time to see what it has, preferably fresh and locally caught. Prices vary so much that they will never be posted on its website.
I did the massive research for this story in bits and bobs, a Citarella here, Red Horse there, but then I tackled seven locations in one morning and it was the most fun, revealing of our community, educational, and tasty few hours I've had in a long time.
The next time you want to take a tour with friends and family, showing them what our East End is all about, skip the Lighthouse and Mulford Farm and the windmills. (I don't really mean that, you should do that, too!) Start at the glorious Gosman's Dock and work your way west, checking out Montauk Seafood for a pristine and curated selection, Mike's Amagansett Seafood Store for some humor, free samples, and super fresh fish, Multi-Aquaculture Systems for the funky factor, Stuart's for old fashioned charm, and Nat Miller's for how it used to be done and still is in a few neighborhoods out here. And if you see a hand-painted sign on the side of the road offering fresh fish, stop and check out the selection. There are quite a few of these neighborhood gems.
Today I am going to cook some striped bass in parchment paper with black bean sauce and julienned vegetables to serve over rice. I'll remember who caught it and when and give thanks for the great good fortune of living here.
Striped Bass in Parchment Paper
Sometimes a beautiful fresh fish just needs lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper. Midsummer, almost any fish is wonderful with some fresh cherry tomatoes, black olives, and garlic. Here is one of my favorite ways to prepare striped bass when I want to make it a bit more exotic and interesting. These measurements are vague and approximate; you can play around with the recipe.
Makes approximately four servings.
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. striped bass filets
4 sheets of parchment paper, large enough to tightly wrap around fish
About 5 oz. black bean sauce
2 Tbsp. julienned or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup each julienned sugar snap peas, carrots, scallions or onion, sweet red pepper
1 tsp. grated garlic
3 Tbsp. any oil
Preheat oven to 425.
Place each fish filet in middle of parchment paper sheet.
Combine black bean sauce with garlic, ginger, and oil. Drizzle one to two tablespoons over each fish filet.
Sprinkle about a quarter cup of the julienned vegetables over each piece of fish. Wrap the parchment paper tightly around fish so no steam escapes. Parchment paper is very agreeable and holds its shape well.
Bake approximately 15 to 20 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Open packets carefully. You can plate the fish and vegetables with steamed rice on the side, or give guests the paper packets to open themselves.
