Fresh Tuna

I rarely cook fish, not because I don't like it, but because I'm not good at it. That said, I'm looking to score some tuna for the weekend and I was wondering if it's all going to cost about what it costs at Whole Foods, or if I can do better elsewhere (within Chicago, prefereably east and north - we're carless northsiders).

I would without hesitation suggest Dirk's. I would anticipate that it would be about $20 a pound, if not a little more. The quality certainly justify the price. Ever since Dirk's has opened, I never buy any fish from Whole Foods, the quality pales in comparison.

By "do better" do you mean better quality or lower price. The two are generally mutually exclusive...especially when buying fish. Whole Foods generally has pretty good fish at their Ashland Ave location, but you might want to check out Dirk's on Clyborne across from Treasure Island. Dirk's has consistantly great fish and would be my first choice for buying tuna.

If you want to stick to the City's north side, I'd suggest Dirk's. If you are eating tuna steaks, you probably are going to be eating it raw or nearly so. I'd focus on quality over price. That said, Dirk's is likely cheaper than Whole Paycheck. That's not to say that the seafood as various WF's isn't very good. Indeed, I particularly like the seafood at the Ashland store, and the section is run by enthusiastic guys from Baltimore, I think it was. Costco is a cheap high-quality option. They don't always have "fresh" but do always have frozen steaks.

By the way, I'd be pretty surprised if you could find, around here, truly fresh, never frozen tuna steaks. Even serious sport fishermen I know in FL and NJ who, at one time or another have sold their catch to Japanese brokers, freeze their catch. If it's done properly, the effect is minor, much less noticeable than a few extra hours of going off in the display case, for example.

PS, Dirk's it is, I guess. But the Ashalnd WF is good too. Great minds think alike.

You can "do better" in terms of both cost and quality without leaving your keyboard. Get pristine fresh sushi/sashimi quality tuna (and all kinds of other fresh and frozen seafood) from San Diego:

http://www.catalinaop.com/sushifish.htm

If you are a member (free) you get a 5% discount and freebies. The more you order, the higher the discount. As mentioned by JeffB, the excess can be frozen and I bet it will still be better than anything you can get locally. Order today before 11AM and you'll have it tomorrow.

I just got in some pristine Maguro loins yesterday for $14/lb. plus shipping. In the local WFM I would have paid $22/lb. (plus tax - idiots here in NM charge sales tax on food) for something inferior. Actually, I got in about 12 pounds of fresh fish and paid $42 for Fedex Next-Day shipping which works out to about $3.50 per pound for shipping. So the price is somewhat less, but this stuff is extremely fresh and carefully handled.

If you do order and love sashimi, the fatty bluefin tuna belly is the best I've ever tried.

Bill/SFNM

Wow, that stuff looks fantastic. I'm signed up and bookmarked the site.

Dirk's sells beautiful fish. But, it is also very expensive. I bought a pound and a half of beautiful sushi grade blue fin from Dirks just a few weeks ago. The price was $30 a pound-far in excess of what you would pay at whole foods for lesser quality.

I guess the answer lies in what you wish to do with the fish, MrBarolo. If you're eating it raw or seared, I highly recommend Dirk's as a good source. If you're grilling it and/or serving it with some type of relish or sauce, the quality of what you get at Whole Foods should suffice at a much lower price.

Thanks everyone. Didn't even know about Dirk's. Don't get out much. Great info.

By the way, can anyone vouch for (or against) the quality of fish at the Argyle shops? I've always wondered, and I assume (perhaps wrongly) that they also supply the nearby restaurants, but since it's pretty hard to have a discussion with the sellers, I've never found out. I've bought some fresh squid and some shrimp, but not much else.

mrbarolo wrote: By the way, can anyone vouch for (or against) the quality of fish at the Argyle shops? I've always wondered, and I assume (perhaps wrongly) that they also supply the nearby restaurants, but since it's pretty hard to have a discussion with the sellers, I've never found out. I've bought some fresh squid and some shrimp, but not much else.

By "shops," I take it you are referring to the supermarkets and do not mean to include the live fish purveyor, located next to Sun Wah BBQ, right?

As with produce, the quality of the seafood is highly variable, both from shop to shop, and from one day to the next, even if at the same shop. [Of course, the same generally obtains in the case of a Whole Foods or a Dirks, but this is to a greater degree.] Over time, I have been very pleased with all manner of things: tilapia, catfish, mackerel, snapper, pomfret, croaker, squid, shrimp, clams, etc. I let my senses guide me, though. If you are somewhat new to all of this, look for direction from Beard, Bittman, Peterson, et al.

As for the restuarants, yes, some of them do rely on the markets in the immediate area for their seafood. Some, though, deal with wholesalers from the South Side, or the suburbs. Still others use a preponderance of frozen pre-cut stuff, in which case, who really cares where it comes from?

Erik M.

Not to diss Dirk's but how can we talk about fish markets and not say Issacson & Stein (Fulton & Halsted)? I like it, it's close to me and they usually have a very fresh and wide selection. I know it's a very different experience than WF or Dirk's, but what's the unspoken beef with the fish at I&S?

Rich4 wrote:Not to diss Dirk's but how can we talk about fish markets and not say Issacson & Stein (Fulton & Halsted)? I like it, it's close to me and they usually have a very fresh and wide selection. I know it's a very different experience than WF or Dirk's, but what's the unspoken beef with the fish at I&S?

Personally, I have none. I thoroughly enjoy going there. Although it may mostly be for convenience since I am usually in the area when I am in Chicago.

I did see Dirk's website and hope to visit some day. T

Rich4 wrote:Not to diss Dirk's but how can we talk about fish markets and not say Issacson & Stein (Fulton & Halsted)? I like it, it's close to me and they usually have a very fresh and wide selection. I know it's a very different experience than WF or Dirk's, but what's the unspoken beef with the fish at I&S?

I may be among the minority who does not like I & S. In my few visits there, I found the selection of fresh fish lacking (in both quality and breadth) and I wasn't interested in frozen. I know many people swear by this place, but I tried it three different times and wasn't impressed. It's very convenient to my office, but I gave up going in favor of Dirk's and/or Whole Foods on Ashland.

The other day at Burhop's in Glenview, I got a better tuna steak than those I've been getting at Whole Foods. When you buy a big tuna steak, there usually seems to be a portion that's somewhat gristly; lately at WF, I have had trouble getting pieces where that portion is not fairly big. May not be as big a problem if you don't eat the tuna raw inside as we do. Anyway, the tuna from Burhop's was good and relatively gristle-free, and under $20/lb., and I would go there again.

If I have a chance, I buy tuna for eating raw at Mitsuwa. Probably works out to be over $20/lb. but I never get a less than excellent piece. I also love their pre-marinated black cod and salmon. Throw it in the frying pan for a minute and you've got a great meal.

bibi rose wrote:When you buy a big tuna steak, there usually seems to be a portion that's somewhat gristly

That's the bloodline. Before cooking you can usually visually see it by it's darker color or different texture. I just trim it off. (Or ask the fishmonger if he will for you - that has the advantage of you not paying for weight you'll just discard. It's inedible by most opinions.)

Any thoughts on the quality at Diho Market in Westmont? Have not been lately, but I do remember chasing crabs one time...

How about Superior, the lobster place at Roosevelt and 83 (Villa Park), though I think that is mostly frozen?

Is there still a Burhop's in Hinsdale?

If not there, any other places in the west burbs to recommend? I generally do Costco, or sometimes Michaels, but I need to branch out.

Thanks, Pete. I was wondering about that! I am such a shrinking violent, I would never have the nerve to ask them to trim it before weighing. I guess I can just ask them to trim it and let them weigh it when they decide to.

Actually, a decent cheap option, though not for sashimi, is the frozen tuna steaks at Trader Joe's. I keep some in the freezer, at a fraction of Whole Foods' price, for impromptu meals.

Mike, how do you like to cook the tuna from TJ's?