It’s mid-July and we can feel the summer settling in as it stretches its fingers across the country. Seems like every weekend has a plan and each one is quickly cascading off the calendar like a line of dominoes steered by an invisible hand.  We can’t look back and we can’t look forward, because if we do, we’ll miss what’s right in front of us.  Here’s to celebrating every day as we have it; eat, drink, smile, and savor it.
 
Peak summer in the Northeast means the return of the Wild Striped Bass and we are hearing that this year brings a bumper crop!  Massachusetts and Rhode Island are open to fishing, and we are seeing some pristine behemoth hook and line caught fish.  The dayboat quality stripers average about twenty pounds each, cutting out into perfectly squared portions.  The flaky white flesh makes these fish highly desirable and a great option for the next few weeks.
 
Salmon season continues to roll as both Kings and Sockeyes are readily available.  Prices are in their seasonal lows, and this is the time to feature these wild beauties.  We are sourcing Kings from the Ketchikan area and Sockeyes from the Copper River and Prince William Sound fisheries.  The California Troll King Fishery opened this week, and we will be bringing in some of these gorgeous fish in addition to the Alaskan catch.  Take advantage of the best value you will see all year on Wild Salmon.
 
Flat fish options have been limited recently, but that is starting to change.  West Coast Dover and Petrale Sole have been tight, but landings are now beginning to come in with a little more regularity.  East Coast Fluke is showing up again after taking a slight vacation, as we are seeing Virginia and Rhode Island fish in the market.  The best and most consistent flat fish option this time of year continues to be Halibut.  West and East Coast fisheries are flush with fish and Halibut is a no brainer menu option for the rest of the summer.
 
Great Lakes species availability during the summer can be week to week, or even day to day.  During the hot days fish dive deep to stay cool, sometimes disappearing for days at a time.  Supply updates can change by the hour, so if you are running Great Lakes fish it’s best to get with us early so that we can help you plan out your usage.  We are here for you every day of the week to help you take advantage of what each day can bring.

Gourmet Gab

The International Cheese & Dairy Award was held June 30, 2022 at the Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford, United Kingdom. Attracting over 5,500 entries every year, the ICDA is the world's biggest platform to champion world class producers of cheese and dairy products.

We are excited to announce that Tulip Tree Creamery's Queen Anne's Lace earned a prestigious Silver award at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards, in the "Soft Cheese with Rind or Without Rind" category.  Queen Anne’s Lace is a delicate, triple-cream, soft-ripened, Geotrichum-rind cheese, and the latest addition to Tulip Tree Creamery’s line of European-style cow’s milk cheeses. Winning one of these prestigious awards means being part of an elite group, and a 125 year old tradition of identifying the very best in class.

Tulip Tree Creamery is based in Indianapolis, IN and is focused on hand-crafted, European-style, specialty cheeses, Tulip Tree Creamery produces a line of fresh and aged pasteurized cows’ milk cheeses. The creamery works with fresh milk from Indiana family farmers who pledge not to use hormones or antibiotics. 

We offer nine varieties of cheese from Tulip Tree Creamery:

• Trillium
• Foxglove
• Dutchman Breeches
• Nettle
• Chicory
• Hops (Beer Cheese)
• Snapdragon
• Tiger Lily
• Haymaids