In a Midwestern city like Madison, even the most food-conscious consumers — who can rattle off endless information about grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken — can struggle when it comes to sustainable seafood. The knowledge base, and proximity to salt water, just isn’t there.
The Madison Area Chefs Network (MACN) in partnership with Sea to Table, a New York-based sustainable fish business; Sitka Salmon Shares, a “boat-to-doorstep” seafood company out of Alaska; and the James Beard Foundation are out to change that with Madison’s inaugural Sustainable Seafood Week.
From June 12-18, more than 25 area restaurants will create and serve a special menu with one or two $10 dishes that feature sustainable seafood — fish that is either caught or farmed, in ways that are mindful of the long-term survival and health of the species.
Bryan Weinstein, executive director of MACN, hopes people will take advantage of the opportunity, thanks to the low price-point, and try several restaurants throughout the week.
“You could go to four different restaurants and buy all of their dishes — start at Heritage Tavern and then Harvest, stop at Graze and then Morris Ramen,” Weinstein says. “It’s a great way for people to try a lot of different restaurants, and it’s beneficial for our chefs to get people in the door.”
In addition to the daily dishes, there will be a week’s worth of special events. On Wednesday, June 14, Sardine will host an oyster happy hour featuring Sea to Table oysters. A fish boil is planned for Thursday, June 15, at Layla’s Persian Food, with fish from Two Rivers Fisheries.
MACN and Sitka Salmon Shares have planned an East Coast vs. West Coast showdown dinner at Madison Sourdough on Friday, June 16. Each course of the ticketed dinner will feature a dish from these regions to highlight different seafood varieties and flavors.
On Saturday, June 17, all of the partners will come together for a Sustainable Seafood Expo in the Graze courtyard at 10 a.m.
To wrap up the week, Gotham Bagels will host a ticketed Sunday morning smoked fish and bagel brunch.
For Lindsay Haas, operations manager of Sea to Table, the week is about raising awareness. “There’s a lot of information out there about seafood, what to eat and not to eat — and it’s sometimes difficult to navigate. This week is about educating diners on the importance of making the same conscientious choices about the seafood they eat, as they do with the vegetables or beef they choose,” Haas says.
Marsh Skeele, fisherman and vice president of Sitka Salmon Shares, notes that sustainable seafood is often subject to green-washing — presenting a product as environmentally responsible when it actually isn’t. “When you’re buying fish it’s important to know as much as you can.” He recommends buying directly from the producer — “You get less mislabeling that way.”
For Weinstein, the weeklong event is a chance to bring consumers, producers and chefs together to learn, collaborate and eat. “When you get a bunch of people together to do the same thing, you have a movement,” he says. “We’re stronger together.”
