Seafood restaurants

Why is the selection of seafood restaurants so lacking in Louisville? We've got steak restaurants on every corner but when it comes to seafood restaurants our selection is very limited. Other than Z's and Mitchell's (Mike Linning's and Red Lobster if you want to count them) we don't have any seafood restaurants. Yes, some of the others may have a couple of seafood items on the menu their primary focus isn't seafood. With the size of our city and the UPS hub here you'd think that we would have quite a few good seafood restaurants.

[Robin Garr]

Why is the selection of seafood restaurants so lacking in Louisville? We've got steak restaurants on every corner but when it comes to seafood restaurants our selection is very limited. Other than Z's and Mitchell's (Mike Linning's and Red Lobster if you want to count them) we don't have any seafood restaurants. Yes, some of the others may have a couple of seafood items on the menu their primary focus isn't seafood. With the size of our city and the UPS hub here you'd think that we would have quite a few good seafood restaurants.

I think this is a definitional matter. I would regard it as a mark of our city's restaurant maturity that we've got lots of first-rate restaurants that handle seafood and fish very well indeed but don't feel obliged to put themselves in a seafood-only niche. Seviche has a strong seafood component. So does Volare. I've had outstanding seafood dishes at Azalea, Napa River Grill, the Oakroom, 610 Magnolia.

Heck, for that matter, why single out Z's, which as its name implies is both an "oyster bar AND steakhouse"?

You overlooked Seafood Connection, which although it's only a lunch counter had really well-handled seafood and fish dishes with Chef Mike - it remains to be seen what his departure will mean, but we're hoping they can keep up at least a semblance of the old spirit.

Bottom line, we're 700 miles from the nearest salt water here, and it's amazing what good, fresh seafood we can get if we're willing to pay the price (and props to both local distributors like Bluefin *and* UPS for making it happen). But in the absence of a coast, our need for waterfront seafood-only restaurants doesn't really strike me as a concern like the lack of a few good French bistros does.

I think the big reason why we don't see people in a big hurry to open a restaurant that specializes in seafood, is that fresh fish(and some frozen for what it's worth) Is quite expensive, even at the wholesale level. It is also quite perishable. You can't sit on a big inventory of fish like you can for other equally costly ingredients(like prime meat for example). The dining public is fickle. It would be hard to come up with a par(foodspeak for how much of something to have on hand) of how much you would sell of a certain item. Opening an independent seafood place in Louisville would be difficult. Solely based on my experience that 85% of the dining public's idea of good fish is fried cod with tarter sauce between 2 pieces of rye. The dining public has come a long way, but I don't think the market is quite there.

Robin, I agree with your comments and acknowledged that many restaurants have good seafood items on their menus. However most cities the size of Louisville have a good collection of seafood restaurants whether or not they are close to the ocean. I did forget about Seafood Connection and agree they're very good. (I also omitted Joe's Crab Shack and several other chains for obvious reasons). I included Z's because their large seafood selection and because they at least include seafood in the name.

We've certainly got a lot more Sushi places than seafood places.

I also completely agree with the lack of French Restaurants (or continental ones) and wonder about the reason for this too.

Just to add a little humor to the subject. I really love it when some restaurants put items like Catfish and Tilapia on the ' Seafood ' section of their menu..... I thought ' Seafood ' means the Atlantic, Pacific, etc. Not a lake, river or farm raised. It does raise a question about Shrimp though.

[Robin Garr]

I thought ' Seafood ' means the Atlantic, Pacific, etc. Not a lake, river or farm raised. It does raise a question about Shrimp though.

Maybe it's just me, but I've always taken "seafood and fish" to mean shellfish and finny fish, no matter what kind of water they swim in.

I can understand your point Robin. I guess it's simply one's viewpoint. Doesn't make anyone really wrong in my mind. I guess I was comparing some eateries that designate on their menu Fish, Chicken, Meat, Steaks, etc. I've been to coastal venues and found that many establishments are defining what comes from the Sea or Oceans vs. fresh waters or farm raised. But hey, again it's all one's own perception. Thanks

[Robin Garr]

again it's all one's own perception. Thanks

Absolutely agree, Sara! I hope I didn't come across as argumentative. I was just thinking out loud.

Not at all Robin. I wish more people thought aloud. Communication in the world would be much better and people more understood. Communcation is lacking these days...IMHO. People seem to avoid each other as much as possible.

I always appreciate what you have to say, more often enlightening...

Thanks.....