I had the distinct pleasure of eating at one of the finest examples of a sustainable seafood restaurant last week. It was dinner time as I cleared the security check point in the San Francisco airport terminal and across the aisle from the checkpoint is a place called Yankee Pier. The decor caught my eye as it was clearly a seafood establishment as fishing rods hung on the wall as well as other nautical memorabilia. But seafood in an airpport? Right, I had my doubts too, but I went for a closer look at the menu. Although the menu did not have salmon, which I was in the mood for, it did have some other interesting choices and the place was packed so I went in.
Upon sitting down I notice that on every table there is a small "Sustainable Seafood Guide" card published by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium for guests to review. Upon opening the three page guide I was delighted to see 3 lists detailing what kind of fish to avoid, eat or consider based on sustainability. The idea being that fish to avoid are not being harvested or farmed in ways that harm the environment or other marine life. To my great pleasure the bluefin tuna was on the avoid list. Then upon opening the menu I see that this restaurant prides itself in serving only sustainable seafood and from a marketing perspective "sustainability" is their main message and positioning. How cool! Upon further review the items on the menu were things like Artic Char, Petrale Sole, Sturgeon etc. I asked for salmon and the waiter said no salmon here (because farmed salmon is harmful to the environment and the wild caught Alaskan salmon was not in) but that Artic Char is highly recommended and tastes just like salmon. So I took his recommendation.
As I am waiting for my entree I notice that this place is full and the people were really enjoying their dinners. Sounds of mmms, and facial expressions of tasteful delight filled the room. So my entree comes and it looks wonderful. In fact it looks just like salmon. If they said this was salmon I would have never known. Even before my fork sliced the fish I could see that it was fresh and cooked perfectly. On the first bite I joined the legions of other guests with a few moans of mmmms and head shakes. The Artic Char was absolutely delicious as were the vegetables. Then the manager (Meredith) appears asking if all was OK. I promptly gave my compliments on the dish but also extended praise for the sustainable seafood positioning of the restaurant. I told her about my concern for the bluefin tuna and about my site savethebluefin. We'll this was a match made to happen because Meredith was eager to tell her story. She was equally excited to talk about sustainable fishing, the future of our oceans and her responsibility as a seafood purveyour to act responsibly. All this while delivering on the promise that great sustainable seafood can be had in an airport. Believe me she is delivering on that promise.
Evidently the owners, Lark Creek Restaurant Group, believe in only serving sustainable seafood and that educating guests is an important aspect of the practice. Simply put this is the future of seafood restaurants. The movement of eating sustainable seafood has begun and this organization will prosper for being an early adopter and leader in the space. In a way it seems the seafood restaurant business will undergo a disruptive period where those restaurants that "re-tool" to borrow a phrase from the automotive industry will win. "Re-Tooling" a seafood restaurant most likely means a significant overhaul in buying, cooking, marketing and above all awareness and desire. It certainly is not cheaper to run a sustainable operation so I would be most interested to interview folks at Lark Creek about what the challenges are to maintain a sustainable policy.
Further, the passion and good will of serving sustainable seafood was clearly evident in the passion exhibiting by Meredith. I work at a startup and know passion when I see it, and Meredith had that kind of passion speaking about her place in the terminal and the overall mission of the Lark Creek Group. She cared about the details and it showed not only at my table but at the table adjacent to me which she was conversing with as I left.
If you live in San Francisco or travel near any of Yankee Pier's other three locations in Larkspur, San Jose or Lafayette choose Yankee Pier for a quality "sustainable" seafood lunch or dinner. I will choose Yankee Pier over another seafood restaurant because of their commitment to sustainability and the fact that their food is so delicious. I think this is the tip of the spear for a much larger movement that is beginning to take shape. Yankee Pier is a shining example that we can still enjoy the fruits of the oceans without doing unnecessary or irreparable damage to the natural resource from which it comes. Kudos to Meredith and the folks at Lark Creek for executing and carrying out the message that great sustainable seafood can be had anywhere, even in airport terminals.
Useful Tips:
On Twitter: Follow Yankee Pier, Save The Bluefin
Add Widget to your site or blog in support of saving the bluefin tuna.
Bookmark Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Guide" to make better choices when eating out or buying seafood.
