Although locally and organically raised meat has become much more common in recent years, the pickings for sustainably caught fish are still pretty slim. That’s about to change with the opening of Hooked, a new sustainable seafood market in Leslieville.
Owner Dan Donovan grew up fishing, and has spent the last decade cooking with gurus of the fresh and local movement, Tobey Nemeth and Jamie Kennedy. “Fish has always been important to me,” he told us. “I grew up in North Bay, and if we weren’t in school, we were fishing for walleye or pickerel.” Now when he goes shopping, he’s consistently disappointed. “I can’t find any fish that I would want to eat. It’s terrible.”
Donovan will stock his beloved pickerel, as well as locally farmed trout, mussels from Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, east and west coast oysters and lobster. He’ll also be selling prepared dishes and edibles he’s planning smoke and cure in house. There will be a cooking school, where his wife Kristin Donovan (Dish Cooking Studio, Avalon, JK Wine Bar) will be demystifying fish. “I have two goals: first, to get everyone to stop eating farmed salmon and eat farmed trout instead, and to get everyone off tilapia and onto pickerel.”
Donovan hopes to open the shop by March.
Hooked, 888 Queen St. E., hookedinc.ca.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait.
Now all we need is a fruit and vegetable market with good qulaity produce.
February 3, 2011 at 2:48 pm | by KarynBring one to the west end too please! I’m at Queen and Brock and there is a real shortage of fresh sustainable fish in the west end, I find. There is definitely an appetite for it!
February 3, 2011 at 3:00 pm | by JFnothing i can’t get at sobey’s or loblaws.
February 3, 2011 at 3:28 pm | by reallySounds excellent! I can hardly wait :-) And tilapia? Nah. Pickerel’s wonderful: will be excellent to be able to buy it! What is the farmed trout fed?
February 3, 2011 at 5:24 pm | by patMy young family is going to be fed very well! Thank you Dan!
February 7, 2011 at 10:44 am | by KirstinDon’t know which Sobey’s or Loblaw you go to but certainly can’t be the same that I go to; you are lucky if they have anything at all when it comes to seafood. And Captain Highliner does not count.
February 8, 2011 at 8:21 am | by MitchellGreat addition to the neighbourhood! Really smart to offer cooking classes. So few of us know how to properly cook fish. Good luck! Can’t wait for the opening!
February 8, 2011 at 11:26 am | by KassandraI can’t wait for your opening! Welcome to the neighbourhood! It is very courageous of you both to open a fishmongers – but I think you will be well rewarded with loyal customers from the area.
February 10, 2011 at 2:24 am | by GermsAll the best, I hope to be there on your opening day – keep me posted on what you have available.
Ger Maguire
ger.maguire@gmail.com
This is good news, although I’m a big fan of Bill’s Lobster (599 Gerrard East, just E of Broadview), which has been serving up ethically-procured fish and shellfish on the eastside for years. The Chengs always offer up great cooking tips (get some of their miso-sake-mirin marinade with their black cod, pick up some Chinese greens from the markets a few doors down, saute in a pan while the fish cooks and BOOM)…
March 10, 2011 at 10:16 am | by Scott AYeah. I’ve been three times already and loved the halibut. Tried the $10/lb lobster yesterday (Friday’s only; you need to call in to pre-order). Fresh, tasty and they can even prep the lobster for you or cook it for you. We’re also lucky to have the Foodist Market at 1129 Queen St. East for organic fruits/veg and naturally raised meat products. Leslieville is really feeling whole now with all these walking distance shops.
March 19, 2011 at 2:23 pm | by BananaViews