Give me back that filet of fish, give me that fish . . .

It is a little fascinating how this silly jingle has embedded itself in the American consciousness. Still, I can't deny that it is very catchy. There is a new version of it playing on television this Lenten season, making us reconnect with the tune whether we like it or not!

This tune was not at the top of my head last weekend when I visited Bay Lobsters Fish Market in Twinsburg, Ohio. Having recently returned from a 2+ week vacation in Florida, I didn't expect to be bowled over by anything in a Cleveland area fish store. Well, silly me. Bay Lobsters specializes in procuring "just caught" fresh fish for the Cleveland-area market, and they do this very well.

There, in the fresh fish case, were these beautiful Florida Red Snappers, weighing about 1 pound each. And that song started playing in my head. "Give me back that filet of fish, give me that fish (ahh!), give me back that filet of fish, give me that fish." 

 

The daughter of owners John and Cindy (I'm sorry I'm not remembering your name) cheerfully gave our dinner her special attention. Though the fish was already gutted and scaled, she spent several minutes cleaning them up more precisely and snipping off the sharp fins. She also wrapped my other choice - the gorgeous Alaskan Halibut - then offered to share a few Ruby Red Shrimps for us to sample.  

 

"What if it were you hanging up on this wall? If it were you in that sandwich you wouldn't be laughing at all!"

Ok, this selection doesn't fit the tune as well as the snapper - but this Alaskan Halibut was as pristine as the snapper. 

Anyway, back to the snapper, which we stuffed with garden Chinese Flowering Chives from the freezer, garden Oregano (darn if it didn't survive the winter!) and salt and pepper. Rubbed outside with EVOO and more salt and pepper - it was ready for the grill! Oh, and did I mention that it smelled exquisitely clean and fresh - equal to, if not more pristine, than any fish we'd had in Florida?

"Give me back that filet of fish, give me that fish" . . . oh well, there you go again! 

No - sorry my friend, but your filets, your cheeks, every sweet part of you - after a visit with Mister Weber - is mine!

2009 Garden Corn, Creamed  with Coconut Milk instead of Cream, With Garden Hot Pepper and Thyme

Creamed corn and asparagus sauteed in EVOO rounded out the Saturday evening meal.

And what of our other victim?

8/10ths of a pound yielded two meaty steaks, also destined for the grill on Sunday.

More yums! Filet o Fish - you are mine!  Truthfully, as catchy as the ad is, I cannot stomach what it really stands for, i.e. processed fast food that can't hold a candle to the taste and freshness of the fish I bought at Bay Lobsters.

The below satire of the "Give Me That Filet of Fish" commercial is - sorry - a bit tasteless. But parts of it are very funny, so I thought I'd share. Well, since the internet isn't sharing - here's the link.

Take that, you - you fishie you! And shop for your truly fresh and tasty fish at Bay Lobsters, if you live in the Cleveland-Twinsburg area!

As the Lent/Pre-Passover Seasons come to end, I hope you have enjoyed playing with your fish as much as I have! Next up - Pike, Whitefish and yes, Carp - Gefilte Fish custom ground by Mister Brisket. Stay tuned - and play with that fish!

Fun Flying With Awesome Food at the Fig

I confess - before last night, I had never dined at the Flying Fig, though I had heard many wonderful things about it. So when my friend Elinor and I decided to have a "girls' night out" - she encouraged me to pick a restaurant I'd not yet partaken of, and Flying Fig was my immediate choice. My only remaining question is - why the heck did I wait so long???

The last time I was in this space (across Market Street from The Great Lakes Brewing Company), it was a tapas bar called Keka. It has been reincarnated a couple of times since then, and Chef Karen Small's version is truly a keeper.

I started with a glass of red - a delightful "big" blend that I didn't write down, because I *knew* that they had their wine list on the their website - except - oopsies - the info on the website isn't current. Silly me - I shoulda wroten it down! I really enjoyed the wine (enough to order a second glass of it) and would love to tell you what it was!


Bread Service

The bread was outstanding - among the best I've sampled in Cleveland.


Tomato Soup w/Cheddar Biscuit

My companion enjoyed this soup, which was a daily special. She wasn't so crazy about having the biscuit in the soup, so, without being asked - our server found her a dry biscuit, which she liked very much.


Roasted Beet Salad with Local Apples, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Local Honey, Herb Vinaigrette










Sandwiched between the red and orange beets was the most delectable goat cheese. I asked the server if it was MacKenzie Creamery (since they feature that local Slow Food Member's product in some dishes) but she wasn't sure. Whatever it was - it melted in the mouth. The whole salad worked together in perfect harmony.


Baked Monkfish with Wild Rice Pilaf and Broccoli Rabe

Elinor - who had only eaten lobster once before, and monkfish not at all, decided to be adventurous and try this dinner special. She confessed that it wasn't exactly a texture that she was expecting (I had explained about "poor man's lobster", but I hadn't realized that she'd never really had lobster). She'd never had rabe before, either. Nevertheless, I think she enjoyed trying something new. My taste of this fish was very good, though my entree absolutely blew me away.


Seared Halibut with Fresh Spatzel tossed with Asparagus and Mushroom, topped with Mandarin Orange Slices and Salad, with Buerre Blanc



Wow. All I can say is that this piece of "Cleveland" fish was every bit as fresh, delectable and satisfying as any of the fish we had on our trip to Florida in February. Moreover, the fish was perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. And I especially appreciated the placement of the Buerre Blanc (which was also perfect) to the sides of the fish, allowing me to dab at it while also allowing me to enjoy the fish pristinely (and with less butterfat - which I am conscious of since my dad spent his 70th birthday having a 99% coronary blockage stented last week!). And at the top - several slices of fresh (not canned!) Mandarin Orange - yum! Both fish dishes were priced comparably with what we paid for the best fish dinners we had in Florida, and they tasted as good.

We did not order dessert - hard to do, as plates of heavenly looking treats passed us by on their way to other tables. Still, a starter and entree each provided more than plenty of food to sate our appetites, and it was food of the highest quality.

Flying Fig has a Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday from 5pm-7:30pm with $5 wine and $5 appetizers - I look forward to trying that, too!

So, I am sorry that I waited so long to play with the food at the Flying Fig; I won't make that mistake again! The food, and the staff, which provided outstanding service, are fun and first rate!