BlackSalt Seafood Market

[dcdavidm]

For the past several months we have been stopping by Black Salt (the combination fishmarket and restaurant on MacArthur Blvd in the Palisades neighborhood of DC) on Friday or Saturday for a weekend treat of fresh fish to grill or saute. The fish is admittedly on the pricey side, but the quality is exceptional and we are only buying for two people; we have never been disappointed.

Tonight we had a terrific example of the store's customer service. While we were picking out some crabcakes we noticed a display of enticing heirloom tomatoes and bought two for a salad. As we were checking out, the fishmonger said, "Anything else tonight?" I casually and spontaneously said, "I sure wish you had some fresh mozarella to go with these tomatoes." He said perhaps he could do something about that and disappeared into the kitchen in the back of the restaurant, returning a few minutes later with a delightful ball from the restaurant larder. He asked us what we normally pay for a pound when we buy it elsewhere, and rang it up. Wonderful!

[zoramargolis]

Well, I used to work in the BlackSalt fish market and they are still friends and I live in the neighborhood, so you can take my comments with however much salt you want. But CF's story above would never happen at BlackSalt. First, because of the high volume of the restaurant, there are frequent deliveries and quick turnover of product. Stuff delivered by the wholesalers is sniffed before it is accepted, and anything that isn't super fresh is rejected or returned. I only remember one time when I worked there, a woman came in and said that one of the young guys had sold her some spoiled skate over the weekend, when neither Scott, the manager or I were there. She didn't have it with her, just came in to tell us about it. We apologised profusely, gave her some replacement fish of her choice, despite not having the exact amount of the sale in question. And we had a serious talk with the kid who sold it to her--he was doing an apprenticeship from a local cooking school, and probably should not have been left on his own.

Speaking of BlackSalt, I went in today to buy some mussels and I found a treasure hanging out in the refrigerator case--VEAL CHEEKS!! I had never seen them for sale before. They had a special order, had to buy a minimum of ten pounds and part of the balance is being braised for a special tonight and the rest got vacuum-packed for the market. $11.99 a pound. They also had a beautiful Hudson Valley Moulard duck breast for sale.

[dcdavidm]

Stopped off at Black Salt today to get our periodic fresh seafood fix. The crab cakes looked temptingly good, and turned out to be wonderful. Big chunks of crab; no filler in sight; nice seasoning. A quick 10-12 minute saute in an olive oil/butter combination and they were heaven.

For those who enjoyed the DonRockwell dinner at Corduroy, MacArthur's (next door to Black Salt) had the 2004 Donnhoff Riesling ($20) that went so well with the Corduroy shrimp tartare. It went well with our crabcakes, too!

[Heather]

Do they regularly have head-on shrimp here? Tried calling, but no answer yet (they open at 10).

[Heather]

No head-on shrimp yesterday, but the headless, wild-caught were sweet and delicious and the mussels were outstanding. The fish selections looked gorgeously fresh, especially the lovely little anchovies. The prepared stuff looked less impressive - lots of binder in the crabcakes, etc.

It was great to be in a fish market that smelled fresh and clean - A&H in Bethesda reeked, and that made me nervous about buying anything. I'll be back any time we're getting fish for company.

[youngfood]

How does pricing compare to Whole Foods?

[Heather]

How does pricing compare to Whole Foods?

More expensive, but couldn't say by how much. I was buying for a special occasion and was prepared to shell out (pun intended) a little more for quality.

[Al Dente]

More expensive, but couldn't say by how much. I was buying for a special occasion and was prepared to shell out (pun intended) a little more for quality.

Black Salt is about as expensive as it gets, but the quality is impeccable. I remember buying diver scallops in there for something like $24/lb. Painful, but well worth it.

[chickenlover]

How does pricing compare to Whole Foods?

I visit BlackSalt almost weekly. It's expensive, but not significantly more expensive than WF. The quality, as others have noted, is top notch. And it's right next door to Bassin's.

[zoramargolis]

The prepared stuff looked less impressive - lots of binder in the crabcakes, etc.

It may have looked as if there was a lot of binder in the crabcakes, but in fact there is very little. Just a little bit of homemade mayonnaise and enough breadcrumbs so that they hold together. And they use fresh crabmeat, not canned/pasteurized. At least, that's the way it was when I worked there.

[kirite]

How is the fish market at Black Salt recently? I realize that the long time fish monger there left.

[alan7147]

How is the fish market at Black Salt recently? I realize that the long time fish monger there left.

Keith is admirably holding the place down until Scotty's replacement starts. I believe either this coming week or next. Hint hint he is from NYC.

[kirite]

Keith is admirably holding the place down until Scotty's replacement starts. I believe either this coming week or next. Hint hint he is from NYC.

Oh how I love Sun Tzu! We are going to brunch at Black Salt on the 10th and hope that the fish counter is filled with trout, bluefish, tilefish, etc. How is the new fishmonger?

[dcdavidm]

Oh how I love Sun Tzu! We are going to brunch at Black Salt on the 10th and hope that the fish counter is filled with trout, bluefish, tilefish, etc. How is the new fishmonger?

We met the new fishmonger tonight--MJ Gimber--who introduced himself as we were leaving Happy Hour and picking up some fish for the weekend. Personable young man; told us he comes from the wholesale seafood business in NYC. Fish counter was splendidly stocked, including with some varieties of fish I had not seen there often and some at very attractive prices. He also was informative in offering cooking and serving suggestions. Looks like it will still be my favorite fish market.

[zoramargolis]

We met the new fishmonger tonight--MJ Gimber--who introduced himself as we were leaving Happy Hour and picking up some fish for the weekend. Personable young man; told us he comes from the wholesale seafood business in NYC. Fish counter was splendidly stocked, including with some varieties of fish I had not seen there often and some at very attractive prices. He also was informative in offering cooking and serving suggestions. Looks like it will still be my favorite fish market.

I stopped in today to buy some fish and chatted with MJ for a while. He's just arrived in DC and is eager to learn about the local food scene. I invited him to check out DR.com and become a member, so that he can join in the fun and keep us updated about the latest and freshest in the market. I hope he does!

[teddyk]

I have been to the Blacksalt seafood market a few times in the last month or two -- most recently on Friday.

While I was a big fan of Scott (the fishmonger who left) and I was concerned that quality might suffer with his departure, they haven't missed a beat. The fish is crazy fresh. They have a great variety, and the staff is incredibly helpful.

You do pay a premium for all of this. But with the choices in the area from sketchy (Slavin's) to iffy (Whole Foods) to uneven (Balducci's), this is hands down the best place to purchase fish or seafood in the area.

Anyone know what Scott is going to do next?

[zoramargolis]

Anyone know what Scott is going to do next?

What I have heard is that Scott did some travelling in Europe, is back home, and is still thinking about what comes next. At his going away party, he told me that he wants to "do his own thing" whatever that might turn out to be, and not work for someone else...

[Pat]

According to DC EMS on twitter, they've had a fire at Blacksalt this evening. It's a little confusing as to whether it was the restaurant or market, but the most recent entries seem to indicate the market.

[DanielK]

But the market is just the front room of the restaurant, not even separated by a wall (unless they've remodeled), so a fire in either closes them both...

[Pat]

But the market is just the front room of the restaurant, not even separated by a wall (unless they've remodeled), so a fire in either closes them both...

That was my memory of the layout too. And the very first message about it said that it was a kitchen fire, though all subsequent ones referred to the fish market. In any case, they put the fire out with no injuries but a health inspector was requested:

http://twitter.com/dcfireems

ETA: I wonder if the person providing the updates thinks that Blacksalt Fish Market is the name of the restaurant. That would explain it.

[Guiraudios]

Not only do I think Black Salt is the best fish market in town, they have special ordered razor clams for me, so they can do no wrong, but the restaurant offers one of the great local happy hours too! Everyday from 5-7 you can get champagne cocktails for $5 and to top it off oysters at a $1 a pop. Not a bad way to get rid of those Sunday evening blues....

[KMango]

Enjoyed two dozen large male crabs tonight, expertly steamed and seasoned by BlackSalt. Ordering via phone and pickup were a friendly breeze, and the crabs well worth eager anticipation.

If this were eBay (Old Bay?), I'd say "would do business again ++++".

[jandres374]

Enjoyed two dozen large male crabs tonight, expertly steamed and seasoned by BlackSalt. Ordering via phone and pickup were a friendly breeze, and the crabs well worth eager anticipation.

If this were eBay (Old Bay?), I'd say "would do business again ++++".

How were the prices?

[KMango]

How were the prices?

Honestly, a lot more than if I had ventured to one of my local (Alexandria/Arlington) fishmongers. But this weekend, exceptional quality was more important to me than the cash. An investment that paid off.

The prices vary, almost daily. Once you've whittled down your "reputable" list, it takes some calling around to see who may have the best value.

I wonder if there's an app for that...

[kirite]

As most everyone knows, it is the gold standard in DC. Today we bought corvina from Costa Rica and sauteed it with a dusting of flour and a sprinkle of lemon pepper. Then it was cooked for two minutes on each side in butter and olive oil over medium/medium high heat. Then we poured a tangy sauce on the fish made up of freshly squeezed oranges, chopped ginger, soy sauce, and mirin rice wine. Fabulous!

The variety and quality here are really impressive.

[JimRice]

Has anyone been to Blacksalt for Happy Hour lately? How are the crowds?

[darkstar965]

Does anyone know from whom Blacksalt Seafood Market is sourcing these days? Like many here, I remember Scott fondly, thought he was the real deal in terms of knowledge and passion for the product, and had heard he'd left roughly a year ago but hadn't had opportunity to get back to the market until this week.

When I called on the phone, an asst manager remarked that Scott was a "bum" when I asked if they knew where he'd gone and then asserted they'd "upped the bar" significantly since he left. Needless to say, this made me very concerned about what I'd find when I got down there. And, hadn't yet checked this board which would have been somewhat reassuring.

The case did look as impressive as ever and the asst manager (Sergio) asserted they are carrying many new and better things since Scott left. Prices are as high as ever but to be expected if the quality remains what it was. Sergio was a bit more contrite in his comments about Scott in person but, again, made me nervous about the the state of the market. MJ wasn't in so I wasn't able to meet him.

My biggest concern came when I asked Sergio whether the market was still sourcing from Martin's. He told me they aren't and that they were now working with a provider that was "much better." Needless to say, that really made me wonder since Martin's is used by some of the area's best restaurants including Mark at Proof. When Sergio then refused to reveal who their provider was, I left -- with some nice looking fish but really wondering what changes were made and whether they were more about quality or boosting profit from the market.

Any insight welcome...thanks!

[zoramargolis]

When Sergio then refused to reveal who their provider was, I left -- with some nice looking fish but really wondering what changes were made and whether they were more about quality or boosting profit from the market.

Any insight welcome...thanks!

I worked at BlackSalt Market for the first six months they were open, and I know Scott very well. I've gotten to know MJ since he started working. I'm not going to comment on what you say you heard on the phone, but I can tell you that MJ is an even-tempered, mature person, and I have no doubt that he inspires loyalty in the people that he manages. He's also a super-bright guy who knows a great deal about fish--he formerly worked for a fish wholesaler in NY before taking the job at BlackSalt.

As far as where they source their fish--it has always been from multiple wholesale sources. Some is FedEx'd from Boston, some comes by truck from Baltimore. I've noticed Jim Chamberlain's truck parked outside again since MJ started--Jim flies super-fresh stuff in from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, picks it up at Dulles and delivers to lots of DC restaurants, including Proof. He delivered to BlackSalt when I first worked there, but had a falling out with Scott. There are many possible reasons why one particular wholesaler is no longer used--but my observation has been that there is much greater variety now, and the quality remains exceptional and the prices are similarly high.

[darkstar965]

I worked at BlackSalt Market for the first six months they were open, and I know Scott very well. I've gotten to know MJ since he started working. I'm not going to comment on what you say you heard on the phone, but I can tell you that MJ is an even-tempered, mature person, and I have no doubt that he inspires loyalty in the people that he manages. He's also a super-bright guy who knows a great deal about fish--he formerly worked for a fish wholesaler in NY before taking the job at BlackSalt.

As far as where they source their fish--it has always been from multiple wholesale sources. Some is FedEx'd from Boston, some comes by truck from Baltimore. I've noticed Jim Chamberlain's truck parked outside again since MJ started--Jim flies super-fresh stuff in from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, picks it up at Dulles and delivers to lots of DC restaurants, including Proof. He delivered to BlackSalt when I first worked there, but had a falling out with Scott. There are many possible reasons why one particular wholesaler is no longer used--but my observation has been that there is much greater variety now, and the quality remains exceptional and the prices are similarly high.

Many thanks. It sounds like the communication wasn't that good for me with the assistant but, more important, the market is in good hands. And, can now also say the fish I picked up and made tonight was excellent. I'll look forward to meeting MJ the next time. Did Scott end up landing somewhere that you know?

[zoramargolis]

Did Scott end up landing somewhere that you know?

When he left, he had plans to travel some and eventually start his own business. I haven't heard any specifics, other than he did spend some time in Europe. It occurs to me that on the phone, you may have mis-heard someone saying "Scott is gone."

[kmm]

When he left, he had plans to travel some and eventually start his own business. I haven't heard any specifics, other than he did spend some time in Europe. It occurs to me that on the phone, you may have mis-heard someone saying "Scott is gone."

This summer he was working at the Bethesda Crab House...

MJ has done a great job filling his shoes!

[hungry prof]

I was initially surprised by the prices, which seem to be a touch higher than Whole Foods until I tried their product, which I believe is without rival in DC.  The fish and scallops we've had in our first few visits are certainly more impressive than anything I've had in years of Whole Foods seafood purchases and have all been nothing short of outstanding. 

Have you had fish from the Blacksalt market?  I ask not to question your judgment, but just so I know your reference point.  Saying it's better than WF isn't actually saying that much to me.  Saying it's better than Blacksalt would be a significant statement (and almost hard for me to imagine since I've always been very impressed with Blacksalt).

[Mark Dedrick]

I have not been to Blacksalt so I can't compare the two. 

[TedE]

Have you had fish from the Blacksalt market?  I ask not to question your judgment, but just so I know your reference point.  Saying it's better than WF isn't actually saying that much to me.  Saying it's better than Blacksalt would be a significant statement (and almost hard for me to imagine since I've always been very impressed with Blacksalt).

I used to shop at Blacksalt frequently when I lived closer (this was when they first opened the market).  I have not been in a couple years and would assume that the quality has not changed.  That being said I would put the quality of the product at District fishwife at least on par with Blacksalt; this is obviously on a small sample size since it is so new, but as others have said it is a very promising addition to this side of town.

[DonRocks]

Jeff Gaetjen (of Kinkead's, Colvin Run Tavern, etc.) is now working at BlackSalt Seafood Market.

[DonRocks]

We purchased some sushi-grade fish from BlackSalt Seafood Market, and gorged on sashimi the other night. This would have cost $200 in a restaurant; it was less than $60 here (clockwise from top-left Opah, Fatty Bluefin, Ahi Tuna, Flounder - all were impeccable, and as good as you can find anywhere in town). The bluefin was the most costly per pound, and worth every penny and then some - this was one of the best (if not the most varied) sashimi meals I've ever had, and the prep/cleanup was negligible - sort of makes me wonder why anyone would go out for high-end sashimi.

Of note: I don't recommend the squeeze-tube wasabi here, and the jarred pickled ginger is mediocre. Try to find these elsewhere, maybe at an Asian market.

[stevem]

So, did you buy the fish by the pound and carve it yourself? Trying to gauge little effort vs no effort.

[DonRocks]

3 hours ago, stevem said:

So, did you buy the fish by the pound and carve it yourself? Trying to gauge little effort vs no effort.

Yes, although when we were dining at the restaurant, our server told us we could pick out anything in the seafood cases, and they'd prepare it for dinner in whatever prep we'd like (I'm not *sure* this means sashimi, but why not?) - I'm guessing I cut all that fish in about 15-20 minutes, and my knife skills are terrible.

---

Oh, let me make this clear: Those four pieces were exactly how we purchased them. I didn't carve the fish; I sliced the already-carved fish (bought by-the-pound) into sashimi. I bought too much flounder (which was great), and not enough fatty tuna (which was ethereal). The opah was perhaps the second-favorite - it had quite a buttery texture, and wasn't really all that expensive. I once read where maguro is some famous sushi chef's favorite fish; it's not mine, as I find it to be "the filet mignon of sashimi" (silky texture, not much flavor), but this was still a fine example of it. True o-toro (and this Bluefin was more like a good toro) is akin to A5+ Kobe beef - two thickish slices of this would have been $16-20 in an upscale restaurant.

[stevem]

It looks lovely.

[DonRocks]

I went back Fri, Jul 10, to BlackSalt Fish Market for Round Two of the fish-fest. Two things that caught my eye were the Bluefin Tuna and Ivory King Salmon - I asked the gentleman if they had any more they could cut me, and was told they were both sushi-quality fish (it was fairly obvious by looking; it was very obvious by smelling - these fish smelled of the sea in the best possible way).

So he cut me a *huge* cut of the fatty bluefin (which had a sign implying it was farm-raised - I neither remember, nor forget, whether or not it had this sign the week before); the ivory king salmon was wild-caught (Ivory King Salmon is the same thing as King Salmon, minus the ability to break down carotenoids into pigmentation - you can read all about it here):

Nov 20, 2018 - "Ivory King Salmon: The Salmon You Never Knew Existed" on savoryalaska.com

There was something like 1.6 pounds of the tuna, and 1.3 pounds of the salmon (with skin).

Night One - Sashimi

I carefully trimmed the salmon skin off the fish - it was fried up and served as an appetizer with some sake - and then came the massive sashimi course (bear in mind, this is only half the fish):

It looks beautiful, right? And it was, with one "issue" - the tuna we had the previous week melted like butter; this particular fish had a very tough marbling of fat (I'm going to call it "collagen," right or wrong, going forward) running throughout the meat, and even though it appears (and was) beautifully marbled, the marbling was very tough and chewy. Imagine popping a piece of honeycomb into your mouth (with honey in all of the cells) - when you bite it, you'll have all this wonderful honey bursting out everywhere, and the bees wax will remain extremely chewy (don't take this for granted: You can die from choking on honeycomb). To a lesser degree, that's what this tuna was like - soft, almost pureed-like tuna burst out everywhere, and the collagen that remained formed something akin to a piece of chewing gum: You could take the high road and swallow it (which we did), or you could spit it out like it was bees wax (which we didn't do). This is an extreme example, because the collagen was nowhere near as tough or chewy as honeycomb, but it's the same concept. While just as delightful tasting as the tuna we had before, this was completely different in terms of of texture.

The Ivory King Salmon was served with some soy sauce and - remember this - an entire lemon's-worth of lemon zest, and that zest took it from great to unforgettable, adding a whole new level of taste to the already-wonderful fish.

(*) Small print at the bottom

---

Night Two: Cooked Fish

We decided to cook the remaining fish on the second night, my rationale being that if the tuna was cooked low-and-slow, the tough collagen would melt into the meat, rendering the tuna as silky as silk. We baked the fish, probably at too high a temperature, as the salmon became slightly overcooked - but it was still delicious and the star of the show. The tuna, however, had a texture quite unlike anything I've ever eaten before. The heat didn't create a perfect blending of the collagen and the lean meat; it instead resulted in something with a very granular texture, almost like you were eating Cream of Wheat, or scrapple, or something very soft but grainy. While pleasant and even enjoyable, it was odd enough where I might have had my fill of fatty tuna for awhile. If I showed you a picture of the cooked fish (which I'm about to do), you might initially think they were steak and chicken.

(*) In no way am I associating this with the raw fish, but I appeared to have had an allergic reaction to ... something. At around 5:30 AM the next morning, I awoke, and very quickly realized that my lower back felt like I had been rubbed with itching powder. Furiously scratching, the itch began to spread all over - to my thighs, my sides, my arms - I began hopping around looking for a giant electric Brillo pad into which I could immerse myself. Some Calamine lotion appeared, and I rubbed it all over, a tube of corticosteroid was found, and I frantically rubbed it into every itch that reared its head, and finally I took a Zyrtec. After about fifteen minutes of this hell, things started to calm down a bit, but I was on high-alert for any signs of my throat closing (there were none), and I noticed in the mirror that I had raised, flesh-colored welts during this little devil's dance of mine. After I went back to sleep, there were no further signs of anything. (I've never had raw Ivory King Salmon before, and this Fatty Tuna was "different" than what I previously had, but this is the first time in 58 years where I've ever had an acute itching episode, and I blame it on nothing but my own biology). If anyone has any theories as to what this might have been, would you please send me a PM? 

[naxos]

6 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Night One - Sashimi

Night Two: Cooked Fish

Sorry to hear but thanks for the information. Did you contact BS and ask about the uniqueness of the  tuna? Or allergy potential of the salmon?

Another thought... perhaps the second round of tuna came from a different part of the fish. I have read that each fish has prime parts.

[DonRocks]

5 hours ago, naxos said:

Sorry to hear but thanks for the information. Did you contact BS and ask about the uniqueness of the  tuna? Or allergy potential of the salmon?

I don't know if the tuna was unique, or if it's just my lack of experience with a proper sample size of fatty tuna.

(As for the "event," that's all on me - there are too many other variables in my life (which is why I mentioned it only in small font) - my dining partner showed no reaction whatsoever, and we had the exact same meal.). The only reason I mentioned it at all is because I'm hoping someone will write me with a theory.

---

BTW, a word of caution: When I mentioned above that you can die by choking on honeycomb - about four years ago, I took a bite of honeycomb, and it went down the wrong pipe. I began relentlessly coughing, to the point where, after about twenty minutes, my friend suggested I go to the emergency room. I could breathe, so I wasn't worried about suffocating, but I did show her how to perform an emergency tracheotomy just in case. The coughing subsided some, but that honeycomb was stuck in my windpipe for several *days* before I no longer felt it.

I have this anatomical "thing" where, if I take, e.g., a sip of water, then rotate my head to the right (looking over my right shoulder) before I swallow, some of the water will go down my windpipe - it's more annoying than dangerous (I end up coughing for about ten minutes while everyone says, 'Are you alright? Are you alright?' "Yes, I'm fine - please leave me the fuck alone for a few minutes!") Anyway, I learned the hard way that honeycomb is not something you want to do this with - I've never coughed like that in my life.

3 hours ago, naxos said:

Another thought... perhaps the second round of tuna came from a different part of the fish. I have read that each fish has prime parts .

Yes, that's my theory as well - I don't assume this is belly meat (in fact, there was one, single, pocket-comb-sized bone towards the end of the filet (which I happily gnawed around)). I'm hoping to learn that (for example) the distal posterior cut of the such-and-such is supposed to have this texture, etc. Tunas are *huge* fish, so just like cattle, they're going to have all sorts of cuts, tastes, and textures - there didn't seem to be anything wrong with this meat; I'm just curious what it was.

[naxos]

Yesterday went to Black Salt and bought ahi and day boat scallops.

seared the tuna last night but saved the scallops for tonight since I overbought.

The tuna was excellent but next time will try bluefin

[DonRocks]

4 hours ago, naxos said:

Yesterday went to Black Salt and bought ahi and day boat scallops.

seared the tuna last night but saved the scallops for tonight since I overbought.

Wow that tuna dish looks great!

BTW, I wrote Jeff Gaetjen (a great chef, and BlackSalt's Market Manager), asking about variations in tuna, and this was his response (he gave me permission to post it, and I'd like to personally thank him for such a detailed, substantive response):

---

Hello Don: I read the discussion about Black Salt. Thank you so much for the patronage. Especially during a very difficult time for all small businesses. Toro cuts can vary because the belly has different patterns of fatty muscle and sinew. The first piece you purchased could have been the interior portion of the belly. It tends to look like Kobe beef like you mentioned. The upper part of the belly or towards the head has a different pattern. Just as much fat in the meat but more difficult to conquer. You have to remove the sinew with a very sharp knife. It can be chewy. Don't know what the reason for an allergic reaction. I would not recommend eating Wild Salmon as Sushi all the time. But Ivory King is from Alaska. I think the colder the water for Salmon creates less bacteria. We do have a lot of Farm Raised Salmon like Ora King or Skuna Bay Salmon which we recommend as Sushi grade. Because of the good practices in aqua culture. The rumor now is Wild Salmon has just as many PCBs as farm raised Salmon. There are many other Species of fish that are specifically raised for Raw consumption. Hope this helps. You may share.

---

I also want to emphasize again: I absolutely do not blame that "itching spell" on anything but my own biology - there were any number of things that could have caused it, including a spinal injection (under general anesthesia) I had a couple of days before. Sorry for the TMI, but I'm trying to divert attention away from this, and I probably shouldn't have mentioned it at all.

[naxos]

A really nice reply and clarifying. I guess one could ask for the “ inner belly”.

[naxos]

I seared the scallops and deglazed the pan  with butter, vermouth and lemon . They were fresh and sweet and much much better than the WF scallops 2 weeks ago.

Black Salt service was great- ordered and prepaid by phone for me and a friend and called when I arrived and the order was put directly in my trunk- truly contactless.

[naxos]

17 hours ago, naxos said:

I seared the scallops and deglazed the pan  with butter, vermouth and lemon . They were fresh and sweet and much much better than the WF scallops 2 weeks ago.

Black Salt service was great- ordered and prepaid by phone for me and a friend and called when I arrived and the order was put directly in my trunk- truly contactless.

It has been brought to my attention that my previous post may have left a less than positive impression, which was definitely not my intention.Yes... the tuna was as you described and perfect for my dinner. I read Jeff’s reply. I am a big fan of Black Salt.Have had many New Year’s Eve dinners there as well as happy hours, regular dinners and lunches. I had intended to buy  toro and bluefin. When I called I spoke to a woman who answered the phone and I asked which fish is sashimi grade. She said tuna and king salmon. I asked for tuna. I was also picking up an order for a friend and when I delivered her fish I noticed that hers said  bluefin but my package said ahi. I called BSalt back, same woman, and asked why mine was ahi and friend had bluefin. She replied that “they” presume the customer doesn’t want bluefin because of the price and the default is the lower priced fish they label ahi.We had not discussed price at all tho.

In retrospect I should have specified but she didn’t let me know there was a choice. She did offer to change it, but I live half hour away.