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Speaking of seafood, after a trip to NY in which I got my fill of sardines, I'm craving them. I'm not sure that I should admit to such a weird craving, but whatever. Where else can I get sardines as a first course? I've had them at Dino and Sushi Taro, but haven't seen them many other places. Where can I find them and what are they paired with? Thanks so much.

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Ristorante Tosca frequently serves fresh Portuguese sardines as a special. Typically, they are an entree - grilled and served with the daily duo of seasonal vegetables/starches - but if you ask, they will happily prepare an appetizer portion for you.

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Speaking of seafood, after a trip to NY in which I got my fill of sardines, I'm craving them. I'm not sure that I should admit to such a weird craving, but whatever. Where else can I get sardines as a first course? I've had them at Dino and Sushi Taro, but haven't seen them many other places. Where can I find them and what are they paired with? Thanks so much.
Occasionally, Eve will have fresh sardines which are lightly dusted and deep fried. They're terrific. Served with an aioli.
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BlackSalt has wood grilled sardines as an appetizer. If you want to buy the fish and cook them yourself, A&H

Seafood on Bethesda Ave. in Central Bethesda has them. (Next to European Motors Mercedes dealer and the Bethesda Crab House, around the corner from Strosnider's Hardware.)

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Speaking of seafood, after a trip to NY in which I got my fill of sardines, I'm craving them. I'm not sure that I should admit to such a weird craving, but whatever. Where else can I get sardines as a first course? I've had them at Dino and Sushi Taro, but haven't seen them many other places. Where can I find them and what are they paired with? Thanks so much.
AHEM, if you look at the menu for the Wine Dinner at Corduroy this Wednesday, you will see something called "Sardine Rillettes." Don't know what THAT'S about, but will report back (and, yes, we will be joining Chica Grace :) ).
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Not sure they are still on the menu, but Jackie's in Silver Spring had them as an app, grilled with housemade crackers, spicy cauliflower salad, and salsa verde. Pesce had an app of grilled sardines with turnips, pine nuts, currants, red wine caramel sauce, and Urbana had one with crispy sardines, carmelized melon & white balsamic honey ginger glaze.

Personally I prefer them straight out of the can, or with maybe a little mayo and a slice of sweet onion on toasted rye.

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When is (fresh) sardine 'season'? As in, when will Whole Paycheck have them (or a local fishmonger)?
They are highly perishable, don’t travel well and hardly a consumer’s perennial favorite so it is not likely that they will be found fresh (as opposed to canned) at Whole Foods or any retail outlet.

Sardines are everywhere anytime but the spawning/migrations occur in warmer temperatures. Most of them spawn along the eastern South African coast in May/July and many of the eggs drift west and to the north into the Atlantic whereas large shoals of adults migrate up the south eastern coast past Mozambique and into the Indian Ocean. Pacific Sardines spawn highly in April and May off the California coast and sporadically during the rest of the year in warm waters (59-65F) and Greek sardines every 2 weeks or so. California stocks collapsed in the 1950's but have since recovered. Shipments from Morocco are alleged to come into DC/MD every Thursday at the height of the season and are prized by privy consumers.

I happened upon the opening of the epic sardine migration with a procession of Saint Andrew? into the waters of Zahara de los Atunes on the Costa de la Luz, Spain 2002. A fortnight later I ate many sardines during the celebration of the Battle of Corunna in A Coruña. The next week I sailed through a sardine migration on a 96' Flemish bermuda sloop listing 14° portside, 150mi west of Bordeaux in the Bay of Biscay seeing the flicker of the shoals off the mast light in the misty troughs of waves at 4am with scratchy BBC Bruce Hornsby saying something about a man in a silk suit joking to “get a job”. Gumball lights on zodiacs running nets lit up the horizon. Enough to regale travel, fish and UFO enthusiasts.

http://www.sardinerun.net/

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They are highly perishable, don’t travel well and hardly a consumer’s perennial favorite so it is not likely that they will be found fresh (as opposed to canned) at Whole Foods or any retail outlet.

I'm about 90% sure I saw fresh sardines in the fish case at the P Street WF within the last couple of weeks. Now, I'm not sure how fresh they were :D, but I do think they carried them.

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I have two seafood suppliers who get sardines several times a week every week. When I was with WFM, there were some seafood team leaders who carried them and some who wouldn't for fear of taking a loss on $10-20 worth of product if they did not sell. Their vendor brought them in sporadically as a result.

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They are highly perishable, don’t travel well and hardly a consumer’s perennial favorite so it is not likely that they will be found fresh (as opposed to canned) at Whole Foods or any retail outlet.

http://www.sardinerun.net/

There were Greek sardines at the Silver Spring WF a few weeks back, but I haven't seen them since. They were in stock for about a week and I did my best to clean them out. The manager said that they pretty much have a standing order and do their best to get them in whenever there's availability.

Last year, we were able to get sardines at the SS WF pretty consistently during June and parts of July. More often than not, they were imported from Portugal.

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There were Greek sardines at the Silver Spring WF a few weeks back, but I haven't seen them since. They were in stock for about a week and I did my best to clean them out. The manager said that they pretty much have a standing order and do their best to get them in whenever there's availability.

Last year, we were able to get sardines at the SS WF pretty consistently during June and parts of July. More often than not, they were imported from Portugal.

There's a deli / brazilian / portuguese store in Arlington at the junction of Pershing and Washington who have Sardines flown in from Portugal each week (It's diagonally across from Tallula). I think they usually arrive Thursday and you can reserve / order a bunch in advance if you wish.

And now they have a Website!

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Speaking of seafood, after a trip to NY in which I got my fill of sardines, I'm craving them. I'm not sure that I should admit to such a weird craving, but whatever. Where else can I get sardines as a first course? I've had them at Dino and Sushi Taro, but haven't seen them many other places. Where can I find them and what are they paired with? Thanks so much.

I love sardines, too :D

According to Fishmonger Scott Weinstein at BlackSalt Fish Market, they have sardines year-round every Thursday and "50-50" for Saturdays and Tuesdays. He said that he gets them from Portugal and Greece. BlackSalt has impeccably fresh seafood--I tried and enjoyed a variety of different fish/non-fish items--and they do a great job cleaning them so they are ready to cook. For their quality, their prices are very reasonable.

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Does any other place have whole sardines?

I just had dinner at Bastille in North Old Town yesterday and this is from their menu although I did not choose it: "Sardines grillée, ragout d’olives, ratatouille, huile infusee au basilic which means Grilled whole sardines, olives and capers compote, ratatouille style vegetables, basil oil"

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Gosh I love sardines. The most recent version that I am in love with is Convivial's 'Sardine Tartine'. I could eat plate after plate of this. The little fishes are the best fishes.

Any other current favorite dishes around now with this fine, fine fish?

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Pesce almost always has them as an appetizer, at least this time of year. Three on a plate, perfectly grilled, paired with nothing but a piece of lemon (currently 12 dollars). I've had them there twice in ten days. I must say I love Pesce; Always bright and cheerful, prompt, helpful service, excellent food, reasonable prices. There should be more like this.

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6 hours ago, The Hersch said:

Pesce almost always has them as an appetizer, at least this time of year. Three on a plate, perfectly grilled, paired with nothing but a piece of lemon (currently 12 dollars). I've had them there twice in ten days. I must say I love Pesce; Always bright and cheerful, prompt, helpful service, excellent food, reasonable prices. There should be more like this.

Absolutely agree with Pesce, who has been doing sardines right for years.

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