Top 3 trends impacting seafood on menus

The growth of “trash” fish or underutilized species of fish. Chef’s Collaborative began sponsoring “trash fish dinners” a few years ago, raising chefs’ and consumers’ awareness of the delicious bycatch fish available in their regions. While trash fish dinners are still popular, many chefs are featuring unusual, lesser-known species on their menus daily, utilizing suppliers such as Sea to Table, Dock to Dish and individual fishermen.

“The cost is attractive, and it’s a very simple way for these restaurants to feel like they are making a difference with a positive sustainable impact,” said Justin Boevers, director of operations for FishChoice, which provides an online sustainable seafood sourcing tool. At Boulder, Colo.-based The Kitchen, which operates eight restaurants, trash fish dinners are common – and underutilized species are often featured on its menus. “Chefs are quickly coming to a place where they are influencing what people are eating, based on education and knowledge. And, it is promoting business for fishermen that are only trying to catch halibut, salmon, and other species (but need an outlet for bycatch),” said Kyle Mendenhall, executive chef of The Kitchen. (Mendenhall created the Scup in Papiote with Chanterelles and Thyme pictured here.)