Burhop's Seafood, Wilmette...wonders of the seas, etc.

Folks who live in the northern suburbs are well aware of Burhop's Seafood in Wilmette, which has been around for over 80 years. While the place is certainly no secret, they offer a surprising and convenient range of high-quality items, which I 'discovered' when I stumbled in there a while back while looking for some wild salmon (they had 3 different kinds of it that day). Since then, it's become a regular stop for me -- and a great resource. I try to stop in there at least once a week to take advantage of their many offerings. And because there is no dedicated thread about Burhop's, I thought I'd start one . . .


Burhop's is located in the Plaza del Lago shopping center in Wilmette at 1515 Sheridan Road.



In business since 1926, the Burhop family opened the Wilmette shop -- their first retail outlet -- in 1973. In 1991, the store was sold to its current owners. It's not affiliated with any of the other Burhop's shops.



This "pond" is located directly inside the front door.



It's home to live lobsters, which are almost always available.



The selection of fresh fish and seafood offerings is substantial. I'm told that on some days, 7 or more separate deliveries are made to the shop. 3 large refrigerated cases comprise the back of the store. They're stocked with a very nice variety of products. One of the 3 cases is dedicated to fresh fish and seafood . . .





















Whole Scottish salmon (farm raised) is one of many varieties of salmon -- farmed and wild -- available at Burhop's, depending on season, etc.









On this day, a shipment of prawns had just arrived.


A second case is dedicated to smoked and other specialty products, some of which are made in-house . . .











This sturgeon, made in-house, was fatty and delicious.








My very favorite item at Burhop's is the hand-sliced, cold-smoked salmon, of which a couple different varieties are available . . .


Both Banner (NY) and Ducktrap River (ME) brands are offered.



Burhop's slices their lox to order, only by hand . . .



. . . perfectly thin.


The third case is dedicated to prepared foods, most of which are made in-house . . .







The front of the store is essentially a small grocery with, yet again, a wide and convenient range of products . . .


Needs some bagels to go with your lox? No problem. Deliveries from New York Bagels and Bialys are made daily.



Extensive pantry offerings.



A useful selection of high quality produce is also available.



Not only can you pick up a nice bottle of wine to go with your meal but the cases behind the wine racks are stocked with an array of refrigerated groceries, such as butter, creme fraiche, horseradish, a variety of cheeses -- including a great chive cream cheese that's made in-house -- and many other items. Also available are house-made soups and bisques that are quite tasty . . .





Abdul and Sam (left to right) are just 2 of the guys who help me when I go to Burhop's. But everyone I've dealt with there -- whether it be Kevin, Eugene or one of the other guys -- has been pleasant and professional. I particularly enjoy Kevin's taste in music. A couple of my recent visits were soundtracked with Led Zeppelin and Gram Parsons. He's also a big fan of Paulina Market.

When they're not busy, Sam and I will usually chat for a while about cooking. A few evenings a month, he teaches some cooking classes at the Backyard BBQ Store, which is also in Wilmette. When the weather's decent -- and sometimes even when it's not -- he'll fire up the Weber in front of the store and cook lunch -- to order -- for customers who want it.

I really love this store. Being somewhat of a neophyte when it comes to fish and seafood, shopping at Burhop's has really helped me expand my horizons. Not only can I get my lox and bagels there but I'm now cooking fish and seafood much more frequently than I used to. The lox I've made myself, from salmon sourced at Burhop's, has been very well-received, too. Burhop's is a store for just about everyone. A casual shopper could easily pick up a weeknight meal there (prepared or to cook) and more serious shoppers will find the store remarkably well-stocked. Heck, not pictured above are the bags of Royal Oak lump charcoal that are leaning up against the front window. This place is a real gem.

=R=

Burhop's Seafood
1515 Sheridan Rd
Wilmette, IL 60091
847 256-6400

Great pictorial post! Beautiful seafood always brings a tear to my eye.

The prices are what I'd expect from such a nicely presented non-Asian / non-Hawaiian market, but the tilapia at $9.00/lb was the only item that left me aghast. I don't eat tilapia as a rule, but at $9.00/lb one should be eating (medium-sized) king crab legs from Costco instead. I sincerely hope nobody pays $9/lb for farm-raised tilapia filets (or wild for that matter - anyone fished in the Ala Wai canal recently?).

Again, thank you for the beautiful post.

This post wins the "Make Me Incredibly Hungry" award.

Wow, great stuff. The North Shore Burhops' certainly puts the former Chicago and Darien/Westmont locations to shame. Your essay makes Dirk's look like the most comparable place.

I agree about tilapia. I hate tilapia not for what it is (a flavorless lake fish that tastes like nothing, especially compared to things such as perch and walleye), but for what it stands for. The marketing of this pond-chicken (no offense to chickens) is nothing short of astonishing. I was just at a seafood restaurant with a perfectly smart and educated person who believed that tilapia is an ocean fish, which she assumed given the critter's place and price on the menu. The margin on tilapia must be huge for restaurateurs. And, apparently, fish mongers.

Jay K wrote:The prices are what I'd expect from such a nicely presented non-Asian / non-Hawaiian market, but the tilapia at $9.00/lb was the only item that left me aghast. I don't eat tilapia as a rule, but at $9.00/lb one should be eating (medium-sized) king crab legs from Costco instead. I sincerely hope nobody pays $9/lb for farm-raised tilapia filets (or wild for that matter - anyone fished in the Ala Wai canal recently?).

Thanks for the kind comments.

Unfortunately, I believe there are people who not only seek out tilapia but actually believe that by paying a premium for it, they are getting something better than the "regular" stuff. This is a mindset that exists more commonly than one might expect on the north shore . . . the more it costs, the better it is, right?

I've actually been in the store and heard other customers expressing a preference for tilapia because of its "mildness." I compare them to people who prefer tenderloin over other cuts of beef. It's the most expensive cut, so it must be the best, of course. These people aren't discerning enough to notice the relative lack of flavor. And across the north shore, there seems to be a strong (restaurant) preference for "a broiled piece of whitefish and some steamed or grilled vegetables." For those who prefer that scintillating combination, I'm guessing that tilapia is the ideal fish to cook at home.

Whatever, those types of customers/preferences only make it easier and cheaper for me and my ilk to get our hands on the good stuff.

Edited to add: right on, JeffB!

=R=

Ronnie,

Do you know how this Burhops outlet compares to the one on Waukegan and Lake around the corner from Hackney's? I've seen that store for years, but I've never gone in. If it's anyting like the Wilmette store, it's worth checking out.

stevez wrote:Ronnie,

Do you know how this Burhops outlet compares to the one on Waukegan and Lake around the corner from Hackney's? I've seen that store for years, but I've never gone in. If it's anyting like the Wilmette store, it's worth checking out.

The one on Lake is my regular. It's a little smaller, I think. (I haven't been in the Wilmette one in ages.) Same high quality and staff who like to discuss seafood and cooking. Definitely worth a stop.

Edited to add: I think tilapia is hellacious. If it's a nice piece, it's the fish equivalent of boneless skinless chicken breasts from Perdue. If not, it tastes like soap.

stevez wrote:Ronnie,

Do you know how this Burhops outlet compares to the one on Waukegan and Lake around the corner from Hackney's? I've seen that store for years, but I've never gone in. If it's anyting like the Wilmette store, it's worth checking out.

It's been some time since I checked in at the Lake Avenue store but since it is much closer to my house, a couple years ago when I wanted some lobster, I called that store and was told that they only carried frozen. I haven't contacted them since then.

Now, that may have been temporary or it may have changed since that time but I just haven't bothered to check back. Since I'm near the Wilmette store a couple of times a week, I just make sure to throw a cooler and some freezer packs in the car on those specific days.

Again, the stores are definitely not owned by the same entity, which isn't to say that the Lake Avenue store doesn't have its own selling points. I just don't know for sure.

=R=

The Lake Street location usually has a weekly sale special which can be a great deal if it's something you want. Sockeye salmon and halibut occasionally make the rotation. Think we got some outstanding Yukon or Copper salmon for around $13 a pound during one week in the season. Wilmette seems to have a wider variety of items and Lake Street is best avoided on Sunday when the selection, for some reason, is particularly meager.

The Burhop's Glenview location at Lake and Waukegan is closing after tomorrow, 9/26.
--Rich

I am not surprised. All of the new supermarkets in the area with fish counters plus Trader Joes next door selling frozen wild cod, salmon, etc had to bite into its profits. Fresh fish is really special and wonderful but requires a lot of turnover.

Elfin wrote:I am not surprised. All of the new supermarkets in the area with fish counters plus Trader Joes next door selling frozen wild cod, salmon, etc had to bite into its profits. Fresh fish is really special and wonderful but requires a lot of turnover.

For as long as I can remember, the Glenview store always sucked in comparison to the Wilmette/Plaza Del Lago store. As is posted upthread, they were not affiliated and were run by members of the same family who'd had a falling out. The Glenview store had a crappy selection of mostly frozen items and in today's market, that's a really outdated approach, especially with a store in such a relatively affluent area.

=R=

Elfin wrote:I am not surprised. All of the new supermarkets in the area with fish counters plus Trader Joes next door selling frozen wild cod, salmon, etc had to bite into its profits. Fresh fish is really special and wonderful but requires a lot of turnover.

I'd believe that Heinen's certainly helped kill Burhop's Glenview. I had some dry pack scallops a couple nights ago from Heinen's that were out of this world.