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January 31, 2011

With Valentine’s Day being on a Monday this year deliveries will be a challenge. To help, we will be publishing an order guide in the next few days to help you plan your Valentine’s menu specials and coordinate the exceptional seafood, shellfish, and all natural protein options for this special weekend and Monday night! We will also give you a time line of when special orders need to be placed in order to be as sure as possible to get the items you need for the whole weekend.

As a reminder we will deliver as we always do on Saturdays and the 12th will be no exception!

This upcoming week, many of the boats that fish Tuna and Swordfish are owned and operated by fishermen who observe the Lunar (Chinese) New Year which begins February 2nd. We are seeing more Tuna and Swordfish finally show up in the marketplace and prices are finally coming down in the next week. Unfortunately, once these boats are in, it will be another 21 days before we see the next cycle of landings. By the end of that period (10-20th of February) prices on Tuna and Swordfish will probably go up again and be very expensive.


Fish from Central and South America is beginning to show up. Mahi is prevalent and we are starting to see prices fall on Grouper. We are also starting to see the appearance of the many varieties of Snapper from different countries.


The milder weather in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast this weekend is sure to allow boats to get out before the storms arrive mid-week. We anticipate lots of Cod and Haddock. Striped Bass starts its new quota on February 1st so prices should be down shortly. Flounder, although a little bit higher, should be very reasonable in the upcoming weeks. On the West Coast, we are seeing small amounts of Dover Sole.

The big feature for the month of February will be Hook & Line, Day Boat caught Alaskan Cod.

The Salmon situation remains fairly constant with a lot of big beautiful Scottish Salmon available. We can hardly keep it in stock and everyone is extremely satisfied with the quality.

Prices on farmed raised fish in general will be going up with the increased cost of grain and fishmeal over the past 6 months. Fishmeal and grain are combined to make feed for aquaculture so our prediction is that we will see prices go up on Tilapia; prices on Catfish have already seen a spike; Rainbow Trout and Salmon could be next.

Cleanfish’s Laughing Bird Shrimp is a thing of the past with the untimely death of the company’s owner.


Lobster prices have been going up slightly but the real news is Frozen Lobster Meat and Frozen Lobster Tails where prices have gone through the roof as the economy recovers worldwide; demand is up and so are prices. Both warm water and cold water Maine/Canadian tails are in high demand and the prices are escalating.


Stone Crab seems to be more abundant and prices are down. Please let your Sales Representative know if you would like to have them as we will only be bringing them in on a ‘Special Order’ basis after this week.


Scallop prices will remain high until the next season for quotas which begins on April 1st.

The worldwide market on Shrimp seems to be increasing so Shrimp in general will be edging upward. The domestic season has ended for all practical purposes so new production will not alleviate this situation.


We have our first load of this season’s Royal Greenland Snow Crab coming in this week as well as a new shipment of Spanish Crawfish Tail Meat at very good prices. Because of the frigid weather the Louisiana Crawfish season is off to a slow and expensive start.


On the All-Natural Protein side…

Beef, as you know, is going up because of the coast of corn and grains. We have managed to make some great purchases of Strips, Rib Eyes and Tenderloins allowing us to secure the prices for about the next few weeks. The peripheral cuts like Short Ribs, Hanging Tenders, Flank, Culottes and Tri-tips seem to be moving very, very rapidly and are rising in price.

Don’t forget to look at our Painted Hills All-Natural, Hormone & Antibiotic-Free Ground Beef that has been getting rave reviews from everyone who tries it!

Le Quebecois has given us a special allocation of 6 Bone Veal Racks for this week. These meatier, All-Natural, field raised Veal Chops are great for all preparations. The Lamb market has been going up rapidly but we have a huge inventory of All-Natural Colorado Lamb Hind Shanks (Osso Buco) which is perfect for the cold weather we have been experiencing.

This Week’s Feature…

                  Alaskan Cod
The Alaskan Cod season is in full production now. For the next 3-4 months we should see a lot of day-boat, j-cut, boneless Alaskan cod, from sustainable fisheries, at very reasonable prices.

If you like your fish mild, moist, flaky and lean, you'll love Alaska cod. Harvested in the icy waters of Alaska's Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, this popular and versatile seafood with its snow white color and firm texture is the highest quality cod available.

Concerned about calories, fat and other nutritional issues? Alaska cod is low in fat and calories, high in protein. It also contains all the essential amino acids in addition to important minerals.
*Alaskan cod is a "Best Choice" when caught in the U.S. Pacific Ocean by bottom longline, trap or hook-and-line. The U.S. Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands longline fishery is certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).