Fresh off the boat: Where to get local seafood on Delmarva
This story originally was published in May 2015.
Chowhound is an online food discussion board that covers a wide range of culinary topics. Chats on the various regional boards run the gamut, covering everything from restaurant recommendations and reviews to ingredient sources for home cooks.
Not long ago, a chatter, planning a Delaware shore vacation, asked about the availability of fresh seafood — directly from regional watermen or indirectly at local retail outlets.
It was a predictable question. Because of proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and two bays, visitors and locals alike expect to find an abundance of fresh seafood — either at local restaurants, from retail markets or, in some instances, straight from a fishing boat at dockside.
"When they come here, people think the seafood is fresher and, for the most part, they are correct," said Sean Corea, executive chef of Fork and Flask restaurant in Rehoboth Beach.
And this is seconded by Douglas Ruley, executive chef of SoDel Concepts, which runs 10 restaurants in the region, including five specializing in seafood.
"Fresh fish is one of the calling cards of where we live," he said.
To meet that demand, the region has an abundance of fresh seafood sources, including some outlets that stay open beyond the traditional vacation season. Of those supplying fresh seafood, many also offer fully prepared dishes to eat in or carry out. And a number of local restaurants specializing in seafood are open all year.
"We generally follow the fish," said Ruley. "By that I mean, we generally add fish to our menus that are in season and plentiful."
Ruley's company operates a number of fish-centric restaurants including Catch 54, Matt's Fish Camp, Fish On, Bluecoast and Northeast Seafood Kitchen. The restaurants stay open during the offseason.
Corea's Fork and Flask is not a seafood restaurant but its menu usually has several fish options.
"And all of it is local," Corea said.
While some fresh seafood in the region comes from local watermen, most restaurants depend on reputable regional dealers. And even seafood markets that buy locally will supplement their in-store inventory by traveling to wholesale distributors in places like Philadelphia or Jessup, Maryland.
"We do try to get as much as we can locally," said Kay Copp of Copp's Seafood in Lewes.
And, by local, most seafood experts define an area along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey south to the Carolinas. It also includes the Delaware and Chesapeake bays.
Mark Lane, owner of Rehoboth Seafood, has been making a seafood buying trip to Philadelphia several times a week for 37 years.
"I pick it out myself," Lane said. "I have been doing it long enough that I am a pretty good judge of quality."
And then there are companies like Harbor House in Seaford, which even maintains its own oyster beds locally to supply wholesale and retail customers.
For consumers who insist on buying seafood directly from the source, both Martin Fish in Ocean City and Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em in Rehoboth Beach advertise the availability of fresh fish right off the boat.
But the consumer who only occasionally buys seafood will face a confusing array of choices. For example, some types of seafood, like lobster or hard shell crabs, are only available seasonally, generally when the water temperature rises. And some species, like wild-caught salmon, snapper, grouper, halibut or shrimp, are not harvested locally.
And seafood is like produce: Certain times of the year, it will probably be imported.
For example, hard-shell crab often is imported from Louisiana or other southern states during cold weather months.
Plus, more and more seafood is farm raised, a trend that helps sustain wild populations.
Experts all say that the best approach for most consumers is to find a reputable seafood dealer — and not someone selling from a cooler along the highway. Most local vendors have been around for years.
"The local fish business is tricky and it is very important you know from who and where your catch is coming from," said Ruley.
Lane agreed. "You need to find someone reputable," he said.
Part of the freshness problem is, seafood is a perishable commodity that spoils fairly quickly. And fish, like that found in some supermarkets, will already be several days old by the time it is placed in a display case.
Lane said it is easier to keep fresh fish on hand during the traditional vacation season because higher demand helps him maintain a good quality inventory. Even so, "we end up throwing things away that others would sell," he said.
All experts agree that fresh seafood will not have an odor. The colors also should be bright and, with whole fish, the eyes should be clear, not cloudy.
"Brown is not a color you would see on a fresh fish," Lane said.
Regardless of the source — restaurant or retail market — most agree that the region does, indeed, have a high quality supply of seafood.
"The bottom line is, we are a water-centric area that does have an abundance of fresh, affordable fish and shellfish," said Ruley.
IF YOU BUY
Where to find fresh seafood in the coastal Delaware region
(Call to confirm hours; some are only open certain days. All have fresh seafood; some also sell it cooked and ready to eat.)
Bailey’s Seafood
28653 Road 405 , Frankford; 302-732-9401
Harbor House Seafood
504 Bridgeville Highway, Seaford; 302-629-0244
28537 Sussex Highway, Laurel; 302-875-0700
Copp’s Seafood
34392 Copps Lane, Lewes; 302-645-9112
Lewes Fishhouse
17696 Coastal Highway, Lewes; 302-644-0708
Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em
39401 Inlet Road, Rehoboth Beach; 302-226-8220
Rehoboth Seafood
20238 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach; 302-227-3551
Big Fish Grill Seafood Market
20312 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach 302-227-3665
South Bethany Seafood
33260 Coastal Highway, Bethany Beach; 302-537-1332
Tom & Terry's Seafood Market
653 Cedar Neck Road, Ocean View; 302-539-4311
Rippon's Seafood
36644 Lighthouse Road, Unit 1, Selbyville; 302-436-2624
Rippon's Seafood
1911 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD; 410-723-0056
Martin Fish Co.
12929 Harbor Road; Ocean City, MD; 410-213-2195