Where to find Conch?

[ridave]

I've been looking for real conch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch) up here since I moved from Miami 4 years ago. All I can find in Rhode Island is Whelk, aka Scungilli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scungilli).

I know queen conch is on the endangered species list, but there's other forms of real conch that are commonly available for sale down there, even in WalMart for god sakes. Up here I've struck out in my visits to what must be dozens of seafood purveyors. They all say "yes, I have conch" on the phone and I arrive to find, of course, whelk!

Will work for conch, please help! :-)

[xcptnl]

Turks & Caicos. I could not resist.

[uwebres]

The wholesale butcher Puritan on the Haymarket strip has it frozen (never bought it so i cant vouch) They seem to have a big West Indian customer base and sell a fair amount of goat. Not the Halal place, its street level

[autopi]

i was in super 88 (in allston) yesterday and saw something labelled as conch. whether it was real conch or whelk is beyond me.

[finalblue]

It's most likely Whelk if it's in a Chinese (or Italian) fish market, I think, unless the knobs on the shell are pretty long and exaggerated. Supposedly it's meat is tougher than Conch? Personally I can't tell since I'd hammer the crap out of it to tenderize it in the first place.

[baconodka]

there's a place on river street near cleary square in hyde park (blue waves fish market?) that has conch, parrotfish, etc. great snapper on the grill in the summer.

[Fort Point]

A new restaurant in Dorchester at 985 Morrissey Blvd., Callabash, sells Conch Fritters. IHave only tried a sandwich from there which was very spicy

[foodieB]

There is a place just in front of Taurus meat packing off of Mass Ave that has a sign up that says they have Conch. I have no idea what the name of the place is but if you go down Mass ave near 1010 Mass Ave and the Victoria Diner look across the street and down the side street for a large pink pig head (that's Taurus). Maybe worth a try.

[pamalamb]

Something Savory in Arlington has conch on their menu...maybe you can give them a call and see how they aquire it?

http://www.somethingsavory.com/about....

[ridave]

No I haven't.. It's a bit of a hike from me to the Quincy location (closest) and I'm having trouble communicating with them on the phone.

[MB fka MB]

You're going to have a really hard time finding it. Courthouse Seafood in Cambridge sometimes has it IIRC -- and it's expensive like $20/lb or so? You might do best trying for it by mail order. Rarely do any of the Caribbean restaurants in town carry conch water (chowder) or stewed conch any more. I remember having it at the Hatian place on Blue Hill Ave (near Morton?) and I think the Nevisian man that has the restaurant in Arlington might sometimes have it.

I have friends from Nevis and anytime someone goes to visit they bring back one or two coolers full of fish, with plenty of conch.

[fenian]

I've had it at Wang's Fast Food (very good dish by the way). You could call and ask where they get it: [phone]

[itaunas]

I think MB is probably correct. Many of the restaurants that serve conch use frozen product and most of what I have seen is Scungilli (Market Basket has "wild caught frozen conch from the bahamas..." but read closely and will find its probably Scungilli). On another caribbean ingredient note, Courthouse has parrotfish right now.

[MB fka MB]

Parrotfish, really? I'll have to give my West Indian peeps the heads up. (then try for an invite for dinner).

[itaunas]

They had 3 or 4 on display yesterday. Might be worth calling and asking them to reserve some.

[SaraASR]

What restaurant is owned by a Nevisian in Arlington?

[itaunas]

Something Savory.

[Bostonbob3]

Have you tried Super88?