Shrimp

Shrimp are one of those menu items that are a bit controversial these days, especially among the supporters of the Eat Local, Sustainable and Organic ilk. We try very hard to abide by many of these same guidelines in purchasing all of our goods for the restaurant, be it that wonderful grass-fed beef from St. Brigid's, to choosing a mayonnaise that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup, while still keeping an eye on that bottom line. But people love shrimp - it might be the most popular seafood choice, along with our native blue crab - and you just about have to have it on your menu. Many of you know that we regularly serve Marvesta's farm raised shrimp, grown right on the Eastern Shore in Hurlock, and we regularly sell out of the 10 to 15 pounds we order each week. However, they are a little too pricey to work into the lunch menu, so Frank Mattes, our fish guy, found us an alternative - Laughing Bird Shrimp, farm raised in the Pacific and imported by a company called CleanFish. These little shrimp are sweet and tasty briny bites of the sea that come in fresh and taste like it. We use them on the Caesar salad on the lunch menu, and offer them in other seafood specials. The price is fair, the product is delectable and our consciences are clear.

And we are in good company - I recently saw the review of super chef David Burke's loudly touted sustainable seafood restaurant in NYC, and upon looking at his dinner menu, saw that he chooses Laughing Bird for one of his side options. Does that qualify as a trend?

So, how come they haven't been available this week? Well, it appears that the container - whether it was by air or water, we aren't sure - they were coming in on was confiscated by the FDA...something else must have been coming in from the Pacific that the Government did not consider appropriate I guess... But we will get them again, and meanwhile continue to do what we can to help the earth's health in whatever small ways we are able. It's not just a buzzword, it's a fact of life.