173363 Wed Feb 16 16:25:30 -0800 2005 7 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 931898 They sound like they have an amazing selection here - worth a trip across town to check it out. What's the most amazing thing I would find - and is there someone there who can help with preparation suggestions? Wed Feb 16 16:25:30 -0800 2005 0 martini smiles away 1 931900 I went today and the selection, really is not very good... and more expensive then other places. The people are very nice though Wed Feb 16 16:39:35 -0800 2005 931898 0 andrew 2 931903 In my opinion, the market at Black Salt is one of those places that demonstrates you get what you pay for. Yes, there is a smaller selection than you would find at, say, Slavins, the quasi-boats on the D.C. waterfront, or Whole Foods. However, what that simply means is that you will be selecting from an array of well-picked, hard-to-find,very fresh,high-quality items. And yes, those things will be more expensive than what you find elsewhere because it costs more to obtain them in the first place. Ask the provenance of the various fish, and you'll see it's not really the same stuff as elsewhere. In some cases, it may not matter. If you just need a pound of shrimp for steamed spiced shrimp, go elsewhere. If you want to find something new,unusual, or just beautiful that will spark your culinary creativity, check it out. It's rather kind of like: do you buy the ring with the real diamond or the zirconium? Wed Feb 16 17:19:11 -0800 2005 931900 0 bacchante 1 931902 It's worth going just see what a monk fish looks like...ugly! Wed Feb 16 16:57:11 -0800 2005 931898 0 Tweaked 1 931921 I'm probably an appropriate person to respond, since I work in the BlackSalt fish market. The selection of fish varies not only from day to day, but from morning to afternoon. Deliveries arrive throughout the day, and the selection depends on what the various vendors have to offer that is fresh and good, and what Jeff Black needs for the restaurant. Today we had flounder, skate, Black Pearl (organically raised) Atlantic farmed salmon, rose fish, mahi,branzini, whole red snapper, monkfish, cod, skate, yellowfin and albacore tuna, Portugese sardines, tilapia and rainbow trout filets, Maine dayboat scallops, Nantucket Bay scallops, Prince Edward Island mussels, Littleneck clams, three varieties of oysters, white shrimp, brown shrimp, octopus, fresh squid, crabmeat, Iranian and American caviar, lobsters. Also, house-made fish fumet, which makes putting together fish and seafood stews a breeze. If there is a special fish that you want for a particular recipe, the market manager, Scott Weinstein will order it for you. Scott is a restaurant chef who is a culinary academy graduate and I am a gourmet home cook and former private chef and caterer. We love nothing better than to provide guidance about how to cook fish. First rule is: get really good fresh fish or shellfish. Second rule: don't overcook it. The rest is about method and nuance. Wed Feb 16 22:17:12 -0800 2005 931898 0 zora 2 931922 I forgot to list Arctic char among today's fish. Wed Feb 16 22:19:16 -0800 2005 931921 0 zora 3 931924 Thanks Zora - it sounds like DC is very fortunate to have Black Salt - a boutique fishmonger with people on staff who really know what they are doing and enjoy sharing! I am wondering why "Andrew" thought that this selection "really is not very good" - what was he looking for that was absent? It sounds delectable to me - I will definitely be coming over soon! How is the parking? Wed Feb 16 22:55:38 -0800 2005 931922 0 martini smiles away 4 931963 There is a safeway across the street for parking. Thu Feb 17 14:07:23 -0800 2005 931924 0 hm