Fish bar

Had lunch at fish bar the new place by dmk. Arrived shortly after they opened at 11:30. The place is really small with only about three booths and maybe 20 or so counter seats. There were 3 of us and we were offered seats at the counter. There was an empty booth but their menu states they don't seat parties larger than 4 so I assume they were saving it for a party of 4. No biggie. We really enjoyed our lunch. always been a fan of dmk and now of fish bar. Started with an order of calamari plancha, fried shrimp, and cerviche. The shrimp were the clear winners. Calamari were good. Didn't 't try the cerviche but my husband said it was so-so. Didn't love the lobster bisque but it was ok. Followed up with cod sandwich, lobster roll and oyster poorboy. All three were great. Enjoyed my cocktail, which was a tea with vodka. Server described it as being like an Arnold palmer. Served in a small bell jar, I could of drank about 10 of those. Finished with a slice of key lime pie. Nothing special, skip it. This might not seem like a glowing review but we really enjoyed ourselves and the atmosphere. Moderately loud 80's music (ie. Steve winwood) friendly servers if perhaps a bit overzealous, but to be expected considering it is opening week. This place will definitely be one to hit up during off hours as it will soon blow up.

Fish Bar
2956 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
773-687-8177

Steve Dolinsky tweeted that the Key Lime pie was better than Joe's Stone Crab. He said Mindy Segal is doing the opening pie duties. If anyone cares that is what was said on the tweeter sphere.

A friend & I had an early dinner at Fish Bar tonight. It was good, but not fabulous, though my reaction might be tempered somewhat by the fact that their AC apparently wasn't working and it was probably the same temperature inside as outside (mid-80s).

Some quick thoughts:

Wait - No wait for seats for two at 5 pm on a Sunday.

Seating - Almost entirely mis-matched stools at two U-shaped counters. If you're larger and/or prone to back problems, you may not be comfortable. Both my friend & I have back problems and it's painful to sit too long at a backless-chair, particularly if the chair or counter lacks a footrail.

Drinks - An interesting but small selection of Belgian-style beers plus a handful of cocktails. Everything is served in Mason jars, including water.

Raw food - We had the carpaccio and and ceviche, both of which apparently change daily depending on what's in season. I preferred the carpaccio (tuna?) to the ceviche (scallops), which was served with four saltines. The saltines overpowered the ceviche, I thought, but even without the saltine, the ceviche didn't wow me. Carpacchio was dressed with olive oil, capers, onions, chopped egg and some kind of sprout...maybe a little salt and lemon, too.

Fried stuff - We had the fried clams (I grew up eating the clam roll at Friendly's on the east coast, so I love all friend clams) and fried lemons, onions & jalapeno. Fried clams were fantastic. Fried lemons, etc., were so-so...they'd do better to user Meyer's lemons, because these were a bit bitter and the breading on the onions & jalapenos was so thin that the onions & peppers came out a bit limp.

Lobster roll - This is one of those dishes that probably tough to serve because anyone who's eaten a lobster roll has a strong opinion about what makes a good one. Theirs is $18 for a good-sized (but not overly generous) serving on a buttered & grilled roll. The menu describes it as "Maine Lobster Roll * Celery Mayo" but it's more than that. There was an unidentifiable herb (I didn't spend too much time trying to figure it out) and something distinctively sour...maybe lemon juice, not relish. Now, if you eat a lot of lobster, you know that one of the joys of lobster is that sweet meat, and, IMHO, lemon juice (or anything sour) has no place near a lobster roll. These seem to be made to order, so you could possibly have them omit ingredients if you desire.

Our bill, including a beer & cocktail was about $60 before tip.

I don't get it. So the guy who can't even make a decent a burger sets up a fish joint next door and we're supposed to eat this? Fish is pure failure in the midwest unless it's lake fish. I don't see any oceans around here. You know none of that fish was overnighted.

He manages to screw up good midwestern grass fed beef by smashing it and overcooking it, I can only imagine how he rapes 3 day old fish. Let's see him first treat local ingredients with some respect. I don't get the hoopla over fish places in a region of the country where there are no oceans.

sr1329 wrote:Fish is pure failure in the midwest unless it's lake fish. I don't see any oceans around here. You know none of that fish was overnighted.

At Fish Bar's prices, I'm guessing you're right that many items are not overnighted from a coast, but there are other options: farm-raised and frozen being the two obvious ones.

I'd rather have fresh than frozen but "pure failure" seems extreme, don't you think?

Haven't eaten at Fish Bar yet, but I applaud their efforts to use sustainable sources for fish and seafood.

sr1329 wrote:He manages to screw up good midwestern grass fed beef by smashing it and overcooking it, I can only imagine how he rapes 3 day old fish.

This is some solid hyperbole. Welcome!

jesteinf wrote:

sr1329 wrote:He manages to screw up good midwestern grass fed beef by smashing it and overcooking it, I can only imagine how he rapes 3 day old fish.

This is some solid hyperbole. Welcome!

Thanks for the "warm" welcome. But they wouldn't accommodate my doneness request but did say that there would be pink in the middle. Then it came, cooked through and smashed like they serve at Steak and Shake. I'll post a picture if you want to see. They don't have to really do a good job when they have all that press and a community of DePaul students and corn belt transplants that will eat anything nearby.

sr1329 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:

sr1329 wrote:He manages to screw up good midwestern grass fed beef by smashing it and overcooking it, I can only imagine how he rapes 3 day old fish.

This is some solid hyperbole. Welcome!

Thanks for the "warm" welcome. But they wouldn't accommodate my doneness request but did say that there would be pink in the middle. Then it came, cooked through and smashed like they serve at Steak and Shake. I'll post a picture if you want to see. They don't have to really do a good job when they have all that press and a community of DePaul students and corn belt transplants that will eat anything nearby.

What was your doneness request? I'm a visual thinker. Photo, please.

sr1329 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:

sr1329 wrote:He manages to screw up good midwestern grass fed beef by smashing it and overcooking it, I can only imagine how he rapes 3 day old fish.

This is some solid hyperbole. Welcome!

Thanks for the "warm" welcome. But they wouldn't accommodate my doneness request but did say that there would be pink in the middle. Then it came, cooked through and smashed like they serve at Steak and Shake. I'll post a picture if you want to see. They don't have to really do a good job when they have all that press and a community of DePaul students and corn belt transplants that will eat anything nearby.

I'd much prefer a picture to visions of fish rape.

jesteinf wrote:

sr1329 wrote:Thanks for the "warm" welcome. But they wouldn't accommodate my doneness request but did say that there would be pink in the middle. Then it came, cooked through and smashed like they serve at Steak and Shake. I'll post a picture if you want to see. They don't have to really do a good job when they have all that press and a community of DePaul students and corn belt transplants that will eat anything nearby.

I'd much prefer a picture to visions of fish rape.

That sounds very baroque, Josh.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand. We did fine with a fork and knife, though. Clam chowder and bisque (containing lobster and corn) were both multi-dimensional and delicious. Raw clams were outstanding, too. They were plump, briny and brought a satisfying aftertaste. The only issue for me was a some grit, which showed up in the raw clams, the fried oysters and the clams in the chowder. I think these ingredients need to be treated much more carefully.

As for the Chicago location having a major effect on the quality of the seafood, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of places -- even on both coasts -- where seafood is shipped in overnight from where it's fished. These shipments arrive daily in Chicago at the exact same time they arrive at restaurants in California and New York.

=R=

I asked for medium rare but he said they can't do that but that there would be pink in the middle. Mine was brown through and through. Also anyone who knows anything about beef would understand that grassfed beef with its much lower saturated fat content should never be burned like they did. They cooked grassfed beef like steak and shake would cook grain fed beef.

I'll post the picture if someone could tell me how pictures can be posted on this forum. But you could go there just the same and see how they overcook that burger. They might as well serve grain fed diner style burgers. Why bother stating that they serve grass fed beef while overcooking a delicate meat?

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand. We did fine with a fork and knife, though. Clam chowder and bisque (containing lobster and corn) were both multi-dimensional and delicious. Raw clams were outstanding, too. They were plump, briny and brought a satisfying aftertaste. The only issue for me was a some grit, which showed up in the raw clams, the fried oysters and the clams in the chowder. I think these ingredients need to be treated much more carefully.

As for the Chicago location having a major effect on the quality of the seafood, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of places -- even on both coasts -- where seafood is shipped in overnight from where it's fished. These shipments arrive daily in Chicago at the exact same time they arrive at restaurants in California and New York.

=R=

Not at those prices in the middle of the continent. That stuff's been sitting around a while or been frozen. Most of the seafood even in NYC or SF has been frozen. Many of those places can't afford to buy seafood that is fresh. That is the dilemma with seafood in general. I suppose one could argue that in that case it doesn't matter since the vast majority of seafood served is frozen, but this is supposed to be a foodie's forum. Some of us can tell. I would say that in general Boston is better than NYC in terms of seafood in that you have a chance at getting something that is fresh. There is no hope in Chicago leave alone some unknown place that can have UPS/FEDEX overnight their seafood. My basic point that the midwest isn't the place to open a seafood based restaurant at low prices except to cater to the undiscerning palate. There is no sea here and discerning cultures like the Chinese believe that the fish better be put on the skillet alive for a reason. You better understand that everything in this "fish bar" is frozen before it is served to you. That isn't so in some boston and NYC places.

sr1329 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand. We did fine with a fork and knife, though. Clam chowder and bisque (containing lobster and corn) were both multi-dimensional and delicious. Raw clams were outstanding, too. They were plump, briny and brought a satisfying aftertaste. The only issue for me was a some grit, which showed up in the raw clams, the fried oysters and the clams in the chowder. I think these ingredients need to be treated much more carefully.

As for the Chicago location having a major effect on the quality of the seafood, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of places -- even on both coasts -- where seafood is shipped in overnight from where it's fished. These shipments arrive daily in Chicago at the exact same time they arrive at restaurants in California and New York.

=R=

Not at those prices in the middle of the continent. That stuff's been sitting around a while or been frozen. Most of the seafood even in NYC or SF has been frozen. Many of those places can't afford to buy seafood that is fresh. That is the dilemma with seafood in general. I suppose one could argue that in that case it doesn't matter since the vast majority of seafood served is frozen, but this is supposed to be a foodie's forum. Some of us can tell. I would say that in general Boston is better than NYC in terms of seafood in that you have a chance at getting something that is fresh. There is no hope in Chicago leave alone some unknown place that can have UPS/FEDEX overnight their seafood. My basic point that the midwest isn't the place to open a seafood based restaurant at low prices except to cater to the undiscerning palate. There is no sea here and discerning cultures like the Chinese believe that the fish better be put on the skillet alive for a reason. You better understand that everything in this "fish bar" is frozen before it is served to you. That isn't so in some boston and NYC places.

No one's saying (at least I'm not) that the seafood at Fish Bar is at this superior level. I'm simply knocking the tired, old, erroneous notion that seafood is innately and absolutely superior on the coasts than it is in the Midwest. It's flown into some of the best restaurants in the U.S. daily and the Fed-Ex truck almost always shows up before 10:30, regardless of where the restaurant is located.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand.

I'm not a huge fan of raw shellfish, but I'm a sucker for fried oysters. The po'boy sounds great...if I give Fish Bar another try, I'll definitely put these on my "must eat" list.

chgoeditor wrote:I'm not a huge fan of raw shellfish, but I'm a sucker for fried oysters. The po'boy sounds great...if I give Fish Bar another try, I'll definitely put these on my "must eat" list.

I really enjoy raw shellfish but last summer I ended up with cholera because of a bad oyster I ate at a local restaurant. Needless to say, I've been pretty skittish about eating raw shellfish ever since but the clams at Fish Bar were quite tasty, so I'm glad I took the leap of faith and had a couple.

=R=

sr1329 wrote:There is no sea here and discerning cultures like the Chinese believe that the fish better be put on the skillet alive for a reason.

Examples of non-discerning cultures: Hungarian; Furries; L. Acidophilus.

chgoeditor wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand.

I'm not a huge fan of raw shellfish, but I'm a sucker for fried oysters. The po'boy sounds great...if I give Fish Bar another try, I'll definitely put these on my "must eat" list.

I really, really enjoyed the po'boy. It only had three large oysters, but they were great. Unlike Ronnie, I didn't have a problem eating it as a sandwich. My problem was calling this a po'boy. The bread is quite unlike any po'boy I've ever had. So, yeah, it's great, but it's not a traditional po'boy.

Ronna

ronnie_suburban wrote:

chgoeditor wrote:I'm not a huge fan of raw shellfish, but I'm a sucker for fried oysters. The po'boy sounds great...if I give Fish Bar another try, I'll definitely put these on my "must eat" list.

I really enjoy raw shellfish but last summer I ended up with cholera because of a bad oyster I ate at a local restaurant.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm simply knocking the tired, old, erroneous notion that seafood is innately and absolutely superior on the coasts than it is in the Midwest. It's flown into some of the best restaurants in the U.S. daily and the Fed-Ex truck almost always shows up before 10:30, regardless of where the restaurant is located.
=R=

I grew up in Boston and regularly bought fish around Fish Pier and at Haymarket when I lived there - I agree that you can get the same quality fish in Chicago that you can in Boston.

Depending on the type of fish that you're buying it will have been on the boat for awhile, most likely long enough that the transport time to Chicago is shorter than the difference in time between the first and last fish brought in during a fishing trip. Old fish are basically sold at a discount when they are at the tail end of the saleable life, or by vendors and restaurants that don't sell enough to turn over, and won't take the loss and toss old fish. That happens just as much on the coasts as it does in Chicago.

ronnie_suburban wrote:No one's saying (at least I'm not) that the seafood at Fish Bar is at this superior level. I'm simply knocking the tired, old, erroneous notion that seafood is innately and absolutely superior on the coasts than it is in the Midwest. It's flown into some of the best restaurants in the U.S. daily and the Fed-Ex truck almost always shows up before 10:30, regardless of where the restaurant is located.
=R=

Me too, so tired of that. No idea where Fish Bar gets its fish, but so many Chicago-area chefs are getting fish and seafood flown in from all over, the whole "no fresh fish away from the coasts" argument is getting pretty old and tired.

Katie wrote:Me too, so tired of that. No idea where Fish Bar gets its fish, but so many Chicago-area chefs are getting fish and seafood flown in from all over, the whole "no fresh fish away from the coasts" argument is getting pretty old and tired.

Well, I think another aspect is that restaurants on the coasts probably have a better relationship with suppliers due to their proximity to the ports. I would imagine that chefs in New York and Boston probably get first pick, and then whatever is left-over goes outside the city.

I have had excellent seafood at places like the Publican, but I think that someone like Paul Kahan has a lot more pull with fish suppliers. You can spend $15 in Boston and get truly fantastic seafood, but I really don't think that's possible here.

Also, I have to mention the fact that half of my friends who are Chicago natives simply refuse to eat seafood, so I don't think there's quite as much demand here.

Two faults with the "only coastal towns can have good seafood" argument (which should perhaps be broken off from the Fish Bar thread):
1) Even places on the coasts aren't necessarily serving local seafood.
2) Fish served raw (except tuna, I think) has to be frozen prior to serving to kill parasites. In addition, a lot is flash frozen if it's caught by a boat that's offshore for days at a time. Once it's flash frozen, distance from boat to plate becomes a non-issue.

thomasec wrote:Also, I have to mention the fact that half of my friends who are Chicago natives simply refuse to eat seafood, so I don't think there's quite as much demand here.

Population of the Chicago metro area: About 10 million. Reduce by 50% due to refusal of population to eat seafood. Total demand for seafood = 5 million seafood eaters.
Population of the Boston metro area: About 5 million. Reduce by 0% due to wholehearted embrace of local seafood industry. Total demand for seafood = 5 million seafood eaters.

thomasec wrote:

Katie wrote:Me too, so tired of that. No idea where Fish Bar gets its fish, but so many Chicago-area chefs are getting fish and seafood flown in from all over, the whole "no fresh fish away from the coasts" argument is getting pretty old and tired.

Well, I think another aspect is that restaurants on the coasts probably have a better relationship with suppliers due to their proximity to the ports. I would imagine that chefs in New York and Boston probably get first pick, and then whatever is left-over goes outside the city.

I have had excellent seafood at places like the Publican, but I think that someone like Paul Kahan has a lot more pull with fish suppliers. You can spend $15 in Boston and get truly fantastic seafood, but I really don't think that's possible here.

Also, I have to mention the fact that half of my friends who are Chicago natives simply refuse to eat seafood, so I don't think there's quite as much demand here.

The quaint idea of a guy in a yellow slicker pulling up to the dock with his "day boat" and handing his best fish to the local chef or fishmonger is mostly fantasy these days everywhere. Even where I'm from, on the Gulf Coast of FL, the best bet for getting "dayboat fresh" fish is to frequent a place with its own small fleet, like Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs. Just about any "commercial" boat is out for longer than you want your fish sitting around unfrozen, and they process and freeze the fish, shrimp, etc. on board. This is particularly true in the Pacific and North Atlantic (ie, where seafood bastions Seattle and Boston are). In terms of top quality, never frozen stuff, even sport fishermen (eg, tuna in the Mid Atlantic and Gulf) sell to brokers who send the fish overnight to Japan or big operations in the US. A good friend growing up in FL has a largeish wholesale business that's been in the family for years. He won't eat fish that *hasn't* been frozen below decks unless he can confirm it was flopping around the dock that morning.

So, if I'm following the thread correctly, there's this new place called Fish Bar that serves overcooked grass fed burgers that are frozen and then flown in from the coasts. Got it, will check it out.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

sr1329 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what I ate at Fishbar. Oyster Po' Boy was really tasty. The oysters were tender, silky and perfectly fried. The sandwich also contained remoulade and spicy slaw. They were both great in their own right and went very well with the oysters. The only issue here was that in order to keep the oysters from getting soggy, they were thoughtfully served atop the remoulade and slaw. Unfortunately, this made the po' boy nearly impossible to pick up and eat by hand. We did fine with a fork and knife, though. Clam chowder and bisque (containing lobster and corn) were both multi-dimensional and delicious. Raw clams were outstanding, too. They were plump, briny and brought a satisfying aftertaste. The only issue for me was a some grit, which showed up in the raw clams, the fried oysters and the clams in the chowder. I think these ingredients need to be treated much more carefully.

As for the Chicago location having a major effect on the quality of the seafood, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of places -- even on both coasts -- where seafood is shipped in overnight from where it's fished. These shipments arrive daily in Chicago at the exact same time they arrive at restaurants in California and New York.

=R=

Not at those prices in the middle of the continent. That stuff's been sitting around a while or been frozen. Most of the seafood even in NYC or SF has been frozen. Many of those places can't afford to buy seafood that is fresh. That is the dilemma with seafood in general. I suppose one could argue that in that case it doesn't matter since the vast majority of seafood served is frozen, but this is supposed to be a foodie's forum. Some of us can tell. I would say that in general Boston is better than NYC in terms of seafood in that you have a chance at getting something that is fresh. There is no hope in Chicago leave alone some unknown place that can have UPS/FEDEX overnight their seafood. My basic point that the midwest isn't the place to open a seafood based restaurant at low prices except to cater to the undiscerning palate. There is no sea here and discerning cultures like the Chinese believe that the fish better be put on the skillet alive for a reason. You better understand that everything in this "fish bar" is frozen before it is served to you. That isn't so in some boston and NYC places.

No one's saying (at least I'm not) that the seafood at Fish Bar is at this superior level. I'm simply knocking the tired, old, erroneous notion that seafood is innately and absolutely superior on the coasts than it is in the Midwest. It's flown into some of the best restaurants in the U.S. daily and the Fed-Ex truck almost always shows up before 10:30, regardless of where the restaurant is located.

=R=

It's certainly possible to get fresh seafood in the middle of the continent where it is flown in like you suggest, however not at those pedestrian prices. I've had sushi at Sushi Yasuda where fish is flown in from all over the place and some pieces from Tokyo but it cost us $200 each. Also Estiatorio Milos where it cost us $150 a head. These were both in a city near the coast and it still cost that, because the best fish isn't swimming in the Hudson river. So wherever you are you have to locate the place that flies in fish like that. In Chicago frankly I don't know where that would be. Maybe one of the Four Seasons or Peninsula or Elysian restaurants if I had to guess. But Boston actually has some fresh seafood ready to go, and in fact I think NYC has some fresh seafood in a few of Chinatown restaurants without absurd pricing (but still expensive - more than Fish Bar). So there is no way you could expect me to believe that Fish Bar priced as it is for college students is having fish overnighted on dry ice despite what the Michael Kornick tag may lead one to believe.

chgoeditor wrote:Two faults with the "only coastal towns can have good seafood" argument (which should perhaps be broken off from the Fish Bar thread):
1) Even places on the coasts aren't necessarily serving local seafood.
2) Fish served raw (except tuna, I think) has to be frozen prior to serving to kill parasites. In addition, a lot is flash frozen if it's caught by a boat that's offshore for days at a time. Once it's flash frozen, distance from boat to plate becomes a non-issue.

Point 1: true

Point 2: You have that the other way around. Tuna is the fish that must be frozen to kill parasites. Even Tuna sold at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is flash frozen onboard the fishing vessel.

chgoeditor wrote:

thomasec wrote:Also, I have to mention the fact that half of my friends who are Chicago natives simply refuse to eat seafood, so I don't think there's quite as much demand here.

Population of the Chicago metro area: About 10 million. Reduce by 50% due to refusal of population to eat seafood. Total demand for seafood = 5 million seafood eaters.
Population of the Boston metro area: About 5 million. Reduce by 0% due to wholehearted embrace of local seafood industry. Total demand for seafood = 5 million seafood eaters.

Here you raise a good point. Forgetting about fish for the moment, look at USDA Prime graded beef. Only 2.9% of beef produced in the US carries this grade. Little over 90% is exported straight to Japan where people pay for it. Another 7% goes straight to NYC where people pay for it. The remaining 3% goes to high-end restaurants and hotels around the rest of the country. The best stuff goes to where demand is highest. This applies to seafood of course as well.

thomasec wrote:

Katie wrote:Me too, so tired of that. No idea where Fish Bar gets its fish, but so many Chicago-area chefs are getting fish and seafood flown in from all over, the whole "no fresh fish away from the coasts" argument is getting pretty old and tired.

Well, I think another aspect is that restaurants on the coasts probably have a better relationship with suppliers due to their proximity to the ports. I would imagine that chefs in New York and Boston probably get first pick, and then whatever is left-over goes outside the city.

I have had excellent seafood at places like the Publican, but I think that someone like Paul Kahan has a lot more pull with fish suppliers. You can spend $15 in Boston and get truly fantastic seafood, but I really don't think that's possible here.

Also, I have to mention the fact that half of my friends who are Chicago natives simply refuse to eat seafood, so I don't think there's quite as much demand here.

Well said. The point I wanted to make but I wasn't able to put it across so eloquently.