Summer weeks are speeding by as we hitchhike our way through the craziness that this season brings.  The whirlwind doesn’t seem to be winding down just yet, though, and some fisheries are having trouble keeping up.  Demand has caused some prices to inch up a few yards and you have to stay on top of your menus to get the most juice out of the fruits of your labor.  We are here to help guide you down the raceway to success, so buckle up for remaining laps ahead.
 
Kings are winding down, and Coho will start soon, but it’s Sockeye Salmon that is the real value.  Currently Copper River, Bristol Bay and a few other Alaskan provinces are producing beautiful fish.  Sockeyes are lean, mean, delicious fillets that have a beautiful, eye-popping color and great flavor.  They cook fast and tender and, if you get the skin crispy, it’s like bacon.  Jump on these runs while they last; we’ve only got a few more weeks to go.
 
Striped Bass has hit a wall on the East Coast, but we have beautiful Pacifico 26oz + Striped Bass Fillets to substitute.  Pacifico’s farm is, unsurprisingly, in the Pacific, completely offshore in pristine waters.  The sustainable operation allows for the fish to thrive until a desirable size is reached.  Since, the fish are swimming in open water, the flavor profile is briny with an underlying sweetness indicative of their wild cousins.  This item is a great menu staple due to its natural flavor and reliability. 
 
After a week of bad weather and spotty fishing, West Coast Dover Sole and Rockfish are back on track.  We have a good supply of both species this week and are hoping the shipments are finally stable.  Check in with our sales team for your piece of the pie.
 
Red Snapper continues to be a hard fish to haul in.  For the last five weeks this fish has been more miss than hit.  Demand, weather, and quota are all to blame.  Consider Grouper and Black Sea Bass as good substitutions until the ship is righted.  Having a nimble menu or special’s board keeps you light-years ahead in the race to the finish. 

Gourmet Gab

As the summer heats up, and the word “HOT” is used to describe the constant weather patterns, here at Fortune we think of spice.  For those customers that enjoy spicy food that makes them sweat, we have plenty of options. 

Grateful Gourmet Pickles are the brainchild of Local Folks Foods founder, Steve Spencer.  These pickle chips are super tasty and bring the heat. The mildest one, “sweet and spicy,” gets their heat from habanero peppers.  Their “fire” and “inferno” pickles both attain their heat from ghost peppers.   These are the real deal when looking for a good sweat on a summer day.

 
If pickles don’t satisfy your customers, Mama Lil’s Peppers are sure to get them sweating.   In Oregon, they use local farmers to grow the ingredients for their peppers.  The star of the line is their locally grown Goathorn peppers which are super sweet with a heck of a kick.  They are great on pizza or an addition when added to a salad with goat cheese. Mama Lil’s also produces pickled green beans and asparagus to add some variety to your shelves.  

 
Lastly, a combination that one would not think of normally when discussing hot condiments is honey.  Mikes Hot Honey is very versatile and warning, addicting.  One taste of this sweet honey with fire, and you will dream of ways to use it more often.  It’s fantastic on fried chicken, waffles, or drizzled on some grilled fish.  We carry both retail and a gallon size for foodservice use. 

No matter what you decide we have the product to spice up Summer and bring the heat.