AngrySarah wrote:I think Chicago will never be a great seafood town. We have many good dining experiences but fish and seafood does not rank up there.

Sounds like you've never been to Oceanique.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Cynthia,

I dont think that anybody can argue that Chinn's turns over more fresh fish than almost any other free standing restaurant in the country. Only the largest of convention hotels exceed Chinn's in quantity of covers.

But what you're saying is that when Chinn's kitchen gets an order for let's say, a grilled grouper fillet, a butcher reaches into the "giant fish tank" and grabs a live grouper, kills it, guts it, scales it, fillets it, removes the pin bones with his trusty needlenose pliers, portions the fish out, and then sends it over to the grill station to be cooked. And they do this with much of their fish?

I can safely say that these "giant tanks" exist only in your imagination.

Well, first of all, they don't exist only in my imagination, simply because a Google search reveals that, even if they are imaginary (other than, of course, the several tanks that you can actually see when you walk into the restaurant), there are others who have "imagined" these tanks, as well. So I'm not alone, even if we have all been misinformed. And I didn't say that everything comes in live -- of course there are going to be fish so large (groupers probably fit in here) where it's pretty obvious that one wouldn't be able to keep them alive during transportation.

And as for having everything as fresh as if you were catching it yourself and eating it within the half hour -- well, there has to be some advantage to going somewhere else to eat. I really look forward to going places where I can get things I can't get at home.

But, of course, because I can't always be on the road, I'm also glad that O'Hare is there, and that stuff that's pretty darn close to fresh can reach me fairly easily.

Hi,

I just recalled a restaurant in the western suburbs which has a trout farm on sight:

Fishermen's Inn
43w901 Main Street Rd
Elburn, IL

http://www.fishermens-inn.com/

I suspect they collect fish only once or twice a day, though I'd be interested to learn if they were fresh enough to be served au bleu. I only had this preparation once in my life at a trout farm near Zagreb, then Yugoslavia in 1977.

au bleu - The French term for the method of preparing fish the instant after it is killed. Used especially for trout, as in "truite au blue," when the freshly killed fish is plunged into a boiling court-bouillon, which turns the skin a metallic blue color.

Regards,

Cynthia said:

Well, first of all, they don't exist only in my imagination, simply because a Google search reveals that, even if they are imaginary (other than, of course, the several tanks that you can actually see when you walk into the restaurant), there are others who have "imagined" these tanks, as well.

Cynthia,

You must be referring to the lobster tank next to the cashier's station, near the Bob Chinn's Crab House tee shirts and baseball caps. It looks like it might hold all of several dozen lobsters. Based on the volume that they're known for, those lobsters might last them...twenty minutes? That tank is strictly for eye appeal. Go to Chinn's website and try to find the giant fish tanks in the kitchen. An operation like Chinn's which pumps out a plate every seven seconds runs on the principle of having product in refrigerated bins on every station, pre-portioned, and ready to be fried, sauteed, grilled or whatever, along with station specific prep, such as sauces, garnishes, etc... or as the French say, "mise en place".

I've purchased fish for twenty years, at four and five star hotels and for two private clubs. Other than lobsters, crab, and perhaps scallops in the shell, the option for live fin fish in general just doesn't exist. Many large seafood purveyors in major cities do have large lobster tanks in their facilities , but the lobsters are shipped in cardboard boxes, and can stay alive for up to three days with proper refrigeration.

I'd like to see those delivery trucks, not to mention planes, with the giant tanks.

Evil Ronnie wrote:I'd like to see those delivery trucks, not to mention planes, with the giant tanks.

Evil,

Here are a few pics I snapped outside Richwell Market. There were, if I remember correctly, two types of fish and some very lively eels.





Not commenting on Chinn's, aside to say I quite like the place, especially the King Crab, but live fish delivery trucks do exist.

Enjoy,
Gary

Richwell Market
1835 S Canal St
Chicago, IL 60616
312-492-7170

Learn something new every day on LTH. That's amazing!

G Wiv wrote:Not commenting on Chinn's, aside to say I quite like the place, especially the King Crab, but live fish delivery trucks do exist.

Now, hold up there, pardner!

I once asked the driver of a similar tank truck making deliveries in the Argyle neighbourhood about the provenance of his "catch," and he told me that the tanks are carried from aquaculture farms in the Southern Illinois/Eastern Missouri area.

These are all fresh-water, "pond-farmed" fish, including the eels, and a far cry from the variety of fish we are talking about in the case of establishments like Bob Chinn's.

E.M.

Erik M. wrote:These are all fresh-water, "pond-farmed" fish, including the eels, and a far cry from the variety of fish we are talking about in the case of establishments like Bob Chinn's.

Erik,

Evil asked to see fish delivery trucks, I obliged.

No picture of fish delivery planes, but I do have, courtesy of RevrendAndy, a picture of a pig delivery scooter.



Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

Evil Ronnie wrote:I'd like to see those delivery trucks, not to mention planes, with the giant tanks.

It's a Fish Ninja!!

A Google search about transporting live fish (1.4 million hits) reveals that it is common and widespread, both on trucks and by jet. Here's just one web site I found for a company that creates systems for air transport of live fish.

http://www.floatpac.com/fishtank.asp

The FAO of the United Nations has massive documentation on the transportation of live fish, so this is not an aberration of some sort. This is now big business.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/af000e/af000e00.htm

Now, one might argue that the quality of the fish so transported is compromised, being in such close proximity to other fish for the duration of the time they are being transported, but the fish are alive when the arrive at their destinations. Not too surprisingly, Asia is a major market for live fish being delivered -- as well as Asian communities in the US (have you ever seen that store in Chinatown where they fillet the fish alive?). But the technology exists, and it can fly.

Dined at Nick's tonight on the company dime (VP of sales came out to woo a client). The original poster had a $300 bill for a couple, we came to $500 (incl drinks but not tip) for six people, with two bottles of wine and several other glasses at the start, so I don't know what he bought, but it's really not that bad.

I was pretty impressed with the place. Food in general was very good, service outstanding (they won't let a water glass get more than a half-inch empty, f'rinstance). Their bread is what Red Lobster's garlic rolls aspire to be: light, flaky and full of butter, not buttery.

I started with a Manhattan, which I found a little too strong and not sweet enough for my taste, but as it melted the ice a bit it was better.

For starters, we got the sampler platter: two shrimp with cocktail sauce, an oyster, a tiny cup of tuna tartare, a smoked salmon lollipop and a tiny melba toast with crab salad for each of us at the table ($14 pp). The shrimp were spot on: firm and sweet. The salmon was perfect: a small glob of cream cheese on a lollipop stick wrapped with perfectly seasoned smoked salmon, giving the visual impression of an evil Charm's Blo-Pop. The oyster I skipped (not my bag). The crab salad was sweet but I'd have liked a little more of it, it seemed kind of skimpy. The tuna was the only disappointment: pretty much unseasoned, it was very bland. A little sea salt would have done the trick.

Several others raved about the lobster bisque (one of their signatures), but on a hot, muggy day like today, gaspacho was my preference. Tangy, mildly spicy, scant-er on cukes than other versions I've had (which have approached salad in their chunkiness), with several bay shrimp. I liked it.

My main course was one of the daily specials, so I'm not sure exactly what was in it: Grouper in parchment, with what he said was cilantro pesto and chile jam over couscous, but it came out very Morrocan: sweet and savory spices, I think some fennel in there, along with shrimp and scallops atop a piece of fish that flaked into pieces the size of the end of my thumb. Outstanding. Some of the couscous got a little crispy on the bottom, providing an interesting texture.

I saw at the table some beautiful copper river salmon, a huge roasted lobster, and mahi-mahi in a chipotle cream sauce. Everyone seemed quite satisfied.

Dessert for me was, natch, key lime pie. It was topped with a very, very sweet (and probably gelatined) whipped cream, and a very sweet and thick graham crust, the key lime part was overpowered and under tangy. The elements were all good, just needs some reapportionment.

So I wouldn't write Nick's off. Especially if someone else is paying, and you need fine-dine in the Loop, I'd keep it on my list of places to go back to.

Cathy2 wrote:
Maybe I wasn't clear, I stated "fresh with a pause," because we get nothing like fresh fish available on the coast. While there is a best effort in most cases to get it to us as fresh as possible, that "pause" can vary greatly.

I'm still not the keenest fish eater from long experience in eating not so great fish. I generally prefer fresh frozen to fresh with a pause. The frozen skate purchased at H-Mart after Burt's recently was really very good.

Regards,

Although this is a old topic, thought I'd add my two cents based on my recent Fresh Fish seminar I took in Alaska last month and the Hubby's recent fresh fish education in a seafood restaurant.

While in Alaska, I was told by the natives fishermen that by law, anything labeled fresh had to be caught in the last 72 hours. After that, they would have to change the label to comply .

My hubby, who was recently hired by Dais Street's new Schaumburg location, was given the same definition.

Also, I was told in my class that most coastal cities only received their fish 24 hours before inland locations , making any differences minimal.

FWIW,
Kim

Thanks, Kim. Welcome to LTHForum. The definition you've heard accords with what I've heard, as well.

Given some recent exposes that have shown that a lot of fish served in restaurants in Florida isn't even the kind of fish they say it is, you have to wonder if even on the coasts they're actually getting fresh catch.

But Cathy2 has a point: Much frozen fish is processed and flash frozen on ships right after it comes out the water, which can make it fresher tasting than seafood caught three days before it gets to a restaurant and then held who-knows-how-long there. Whether it suffers from being frozen depends a lot on the way it's frozen and the kind of fish it is.

We get much better frozen fish than we used to, too.

I should never let other people make the plans. Aargh. Anyway, we're heading to Nick's in Deerfield tonight, didn't find mention of it on the board so I'll give a report when we get home.

sujormik wrote:I should never let other people make the plans. Aargh. Anyway, we're heading to Nick's in Deerfield tonight, didn't find mention of it on the board so I'll give a report when we get home.

Looking forward to your report and I'll keep my fingers crossed on your behalf. I drive by this place all the time but I've never bothered to try it.

=R=

New to the board, so just wanted to put my two cents in on great seafood in Chicago....all I know is that Catch 35 had the BEST king crab legs ever when I went there earlier this month....I've been craving them ever since!

Nicks used to be one of my favorite restaurants in the loop. When i was a brand new lawyer they used to put a telephone on your table so the court could call you when the jury reached a verdict and you could high tail it over to the daley center and find out how you did. I waited for my first jury verdict at Nicks back when judges used to keep the jury until ten or 11 at night and i remember having to stop at the mcdonalds on randolph and deerborn to go to ther bathroom before walking into the courthouse because i was so nervous.

Sadly, Nicks Fishmarket now is not the Nicks of the past. They are in a new room which is nice, but not the same. Remember the high backed booths and ugly murals in the old place. Also and more importantly the menu is completely different and last I inquired Nick and his sons sold the whole group of restaurants and now the place is Nicks in name only. The old menu was huge with a large assortment of hawaiian inspired dishes and the new menu is just sad in comparison. They dont even serve Kona coffee anymore, at least not like Nick used to. I have eaten at Nicks more times then i can count and after my last regrettable meal i will never return. I enjoy Catch 35 much more

jen965ddd wrote:New to the board, so just wanted to put my two cents in on great seafood in Chicago....all I know is that Catch 35 had the BEST king crab legs ever when I went there earlier this month....I've been craving them ever since!

What made them the best? How did they differ from other king crab legs you've had?

I appreciate your nostalgia for the atmospherics of the old Nick's, iblock, but re the food--and I go back to the 70s with Nick's, which is probably about as far back as Nick's goes--I think it was always awful. Well, not retchingly bad, but not what we later discovered fish could be. When I think Nick's I think dry, overcooked and flavorless, and I think they've maintained that standard over the years.

nr706 wrote:

jen965ddd wrote:New to the board, so just wanted to put my two cents in on great seafood in Chicago....all I know is that Catch 35 had the BEST king crab legs ever when I went there earlier this month....I've been craving them ever since!

What made them the best? How did they differ from other king crab legs you've had?

Perhaps they were extra crabby?

=R=

I passed one of those fish delivery trucks on the NW Tollway last week. It was substantially larger than the one pictured above; while it might not have been able to hold truly large fish, it could definitely have taken something bigger than bass or trout.

True to my word, I'm here to give a report on Nick's in Deerfield. Let me start by saying, if you want to try it, get in there soon! It was pretty dead for a Saturday night and when we left at 10 we literally were the last people out the door.

OK, so the decor is nice, modern but comfortable with mostly neutral colors. We were brought into a secondary room, not nearly as attractive as the main dining room but thankfully they dimmed the lights from full brightness and that helped.

Bread was nice, warmed with a hint of garlic, a kind of yeasty roll but with a nice crusty top (not like french bread crusty), I don't recall seeing butter on the table.

Wine list nothing special, our friend chose a Geyser Peak Sav Blanc and it actually worked fine but nothing spectacular.

The two guys ordered the lobster bisque, I think it was $7. Served in a really lovely bowl and the waiter brought extra spoons at the wives' request. This was a very fine lobster bisque. The flavor was smooth and creamy without being too rich. It had a reddish color but did not have any artificial aftertaste as many places versions seem to have. Not a ton of lobster in it but it was definitely the highlight of the night.

Their fish is served in about 8 styles; you choose the fresh fish off the evening, sources listed on the menu, and pair it with the style/sauce you prefer. Then you choose 2 sides.

Fish c hoices last night were king salmon, halibut, tuna, maine sea scallops and tilapia. Saucing choices run the gamut...there's a blackened option, an asian style option, a few butter/garlic/caper/lemon choices (more on that later), sort of hawaiian with a pineapple salsa. There were also maybe 4 specials that do not allow you to choose the sides as they come with veggie and starch.

Our table had a salmon ($28), scallops ($25) and 2 halibuts ($30). The portions were not enormous...certainly satisfactory but everyone cleaned their plates. The salmon looked nice, my husband didn't love the salsa. Our friend had maybe 6 scallops, blackened, he said they were good, his wife did too. She ordered halibut with the lemon/butter/caper sauce. I ordered the halibut with a "rici" sauce, described as having fresh dill, baby shrimp, asparagus and a butter/lemon finish.

Food took a LOOONG time to be served, especially considering the place was near empty.

I was served the lemon/butter/caper sauce. It was salty. The waiter did come by and when I mentioned the missing shrimp/dill/asparagus he offered to bring me a side of the sauce. It was tasty, and I liked it better than the lemon butter caper that was salty.

We all had some sauteed mixed veggies, very nice squash, peapod, sugarsnap, some julienned carrot strips, maybe a grape tomato or two. Then everyone had a different starch.

Now I'm not a mushroom eater, I know that casts serious doubt on my cred as an lth member but I'm honest about it after all. I ordered a risotto side dish and specifically asked the waiter if there were any mushrooms in it, I didn't want them. He confirmed no shrooms, everyone's happy. The risotto was not good. Aside from not being served hot, the flavor was not really discernible and it was not cooked long enough. It wasn't al dente, just crunchy.

The capper: when he finally did bring me the "rici" sauce that he offered after NOT getting the original order prepared right, it was LOADED with mushrooms. I professional pulled them out and passed them across the table, at which point the waiter happened by and commented that, oh yes, you didn't want mushrooms. Points lost for not paying attention to what I was ordering earlier in the evening to warn me about the copious amount of (definitely NOT mentioned-in-the-menu-description) shrooms in that sauce.

I was really bummed about that risotto too.

The coffee was Lavazza. For dessert we shared a "30th anniversary" mousse duo of white and chocolate mousse cakey things ($14), very pretty plate but honestly we didn't think they flavor or texture were great. There was also a creme brulee trio ($9), supposed to be 3 different types but I think they served 2 of one sort and the third was different. I didn't have the plate near me so I couldn't compare but the garnishes on the 2 creme brulee's were identical.

Bill came to $120/couple inclusive. Our friends liked it, my husband and I both thought we could get much better meals for the price. I really want to try Gabriel's in Highwood. I guess that's a different thread.

I will say that some of their sandwich offerings looked nice...I was tempted! I'm guessing it'd be a lot more reasonable at lunch. Would definitely not run back there, but wouldn't refuse to go back if some friends wanted to go.

Thanks, sujormik, for the report. Your experience pretty much lines up with my expectations, although the entree prices are a touch higher than I would have guessed. We'll probably head over there sooner than later, since it is so nearby our house.

As for Gabriel's, last time I was there I thought it was just ok -- not such great food -- and pricing at the high end of the spectrum, for what it was. We too, had a problem with our risotto that night, as well. It was supposed to be wild mushroom and truffle oil (which probably sounds horrible to you). Instead, we were served a version with rock shrimp and bell pepper -- with no advance notice. Not only was this annoying but the restaurant was darned lucky that none of us had a shrimp allergy. That kind of mistake is potentially dangerous. But even as the plates were being placed in front of us, no mention of the change was ever made.

FWIW, that was almost 2 years ago and I will say that when management eventually learned about the gaffe (through the grapevine), they went out of their way to find me and apologize for it. Still, I haven't really felt the urge to return. The food's just about as good at Gabe's Miramar Bistro and generally speaking, it's about half the price. And for nearly the same money, you can dine at Carlos' Restaurant, which I think offers a far superior dining experience, across the board.

=R=

Nick's Fishmarket - Deerfield
483 Lake Cook Rd
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 412-4800

Gabriel's Restaurant
310 Green Bay Rd
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 433-0031

Miramar Bistro
301 Waukegan Ave
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 433-1078

Carlos' Restaurant
429 Temple Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 432-0770

sujormik wrote:True to my word, I'm here to give a report on Nick's in Deerfield. Let me start by saying, if you want to try it, get in there soon! It was pretty dead for a Saturday night and when we left at 10 we literally were the last people out the door.

OK, so the decor is nice, modern but comfortable with mostly neutral colors. We were brought into a secondary room, not nearly as attractive as the main dining room but thankfully they dimmed the lights from full brightness and that helped.

Sujormik, your description of the food doesn't surprise me, but I'm curious about the above. Since the place was near-dead, did you wonder why you were being seated in the less desirable of the two rooms? From the sound of it, there were plenty of tables available in the more attractive room. You were sensitive to the difference (enough to take notice and report it to us), so that's a "logic gap" in the story that I'm curious to have filled in.

I've been in some situations where I knew a table in a nicer location was available but didn't pipe up about it, mainly because of not wanting to be "one of those people who is always asking for a better table." Ironically, though, when I've kept silent, I've always regretted it! So, obviously, at heart, I'm one of those people who always wants a better table (when available). I'm working on being more assertive about it in the moment, and am getting better at it.

(Let me add, for clarity, that I'm not "princess and the pea" about it--I don't make fine distinctions between tables that would score a 10 and tables that would score an 8.5, let's say. But I don't like being seated at a 3 when an 8 is available, and when it happens, I wonder why. For those who would say, "Who can define what a 'better' table is? It's subjective, and different for everybody," I would say that in this case I'm simply going by sujormik's own account of her experience.)

I'm also wondering why you didn't send your entree back when it arrived with the wrong sauce(not that the correct sauce loaded with mushrooms would've been terribly helpful, either). Receiving the incorrect dish falls completely within the realm of food that gets sent back.

Wow, thanks for reading my post! About the table, I have to admit the back room placement did make me wonder a bit. In normal circumstances I would have definitely asked why we were shunted, but almost immediately our friend commented, wow, this is so nice that we're not in the main room, it'll probably be loud. So. That's why we stayed. It was a carpeted room so it wasn't loud, that was a plus.

As for sending back the entree, I probably would have, particularly if the wrong sauce coming out had been something I really disliked (the irony of that mushroom sauce is that I would DEFINITELY have sent that back since the menu made no mention of the shrooms). I guess I figured the waiter should have immediately offered the take it back and instead he offered to bring out the sauce and I didn't really mind the lemon butter so it was basically just a non-issue. I'm usually pretty good about advocating for my restaurant rights. LOL

I was a little surprised that they didn't offer a dessert or drink or something since they didn't end up having to remake the fish, but again, turned out to be pretty much a non-issue for me.

I found myself at Nick's downtown for a business lunch recently.

I ate at Red Lobster earlier this year and I'd rate that meal significantly higher than my meal at Nick's in nearly every aspect.

I would not complain if I had to return to Red Lobster.

You might have to produce a weapon to get me to sit at a table at a Nick's again.

eatchicago wrote:I found myself at Nick's downtown for a business lunch recently.

I ate at Red Lobster earlier this year and I'd rate that meal significantly higher than my meal at Nick's in nearly every aspect.

I would not complain if I had to return to Red Lobster.

You might have to produce a weapon to get me to sit at a table at a Nick's again.

Michael,

Clearly, you failed to approach Nick's properly. You probably tried to have a meal, drink a little wine, perhaps ask the server for a recommendation or two. I bet you even had a reservation. That is so 2006.

Since they opened the upstairs bar, the winning approach at Nick's has been to stuff yourself into the cramped little area at Happy Hour, order a $13 fruity cocktail, and enjoy the scenery as well-heeled bankers intermix with well-heeled tourists. Nick's upstairs bar has almost replaced Gibson’s as the quintessential Chicago after-work pickup joint. Red Lobster wouldn’t even make the top 50

Kenny

Kennyz wrote:Clearly, you failed to approach Nick's properly. You probably tried to have a meal, drink a little wine, perhaps ask the server for a recommendation or two. I bet you even had a reservation. That is so 2006.

No wine, no reservations, no recommendations. Just a simple pop-in business lunch.

Since this thread has been revived and I have reread it I just want to mention that The Phoenix has a live fish tank full of actual fish that they prepare and serve immediately. I saw it with my own eyes several weeks ago when i took my little guy for dim sum on a Sunday morning. The tanks were not quite giant.(BTW he thought the fish tank was much cooler then anything he ate other then the "pot 'tickers")