OCTOPUS GARDEN

The best fish comes from deep water fished by day boats, and most of the time, it can actually be purchased fresher from "exotic" locations than local sources, says Peter Russo.

Russo, who along with his wife, Christine, owns the Octopus Garden in Surf City, has included fresh fish from Hawaii, New Zealand Australia, and South America on his menu on an increasing basis over the past five years. He explained that day boats return with fish that is often air shipped the very next day. This results in wider variety and fresher condition.

"Freshness is everything. The fish I get actually lasts longer than local fish," he said. "My suppliers go to the airport at 4 a.m. to pick it up."

Russo takes advantage of the global marketplace by offering unique fish choices such as blue marlin, farm-raised sturgeon, opah, wahoo, mahi-mahi, grouper, tilapia, halibut, and arctic char, which has become the most popular selection. He uses simple recipes that include light broths and herbs that allow the uncommon flavor of the fish to stand alone.

Interestingly, he dropped one locally popular fish from his menu.

"I was among the first in the area to offer Chilean seabass, but I dropped it from the menu. I believe that the quality of the fish was poor due to high demand," he said. "My customers were disappointed at first, but I just couldn`t sell it (in less than perfect condition).

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Author: Ed Hitzel