SUPREME   LOBSTER   MARKET   REPORT

03-03-10

Just breathe! Restaurant Week or as I like to say Restaurant “Week” is almost over. One more push and you will finally get a day off sometime next week. We’ve amassed a stellar collection of species from across the planet for you fine culinarians to stretch those gastronomic muscles.

We have to start with the Salmon situation kiddos. The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, at 03:34 local time, rating a magnitude of 8.8 and lasting for about three minutes. Since the initial quake there have been multiple aftershocks as high as 6.6. With this being said, all flights in and out of the country are being allocated for humanitarian efforts only. Chilean Salmon stocks have stopped for now and in turn this will be having an effect on farmed salmon globally. Please check with your rep daily on pricing and availability updates as the situation is changing constantly.

The Big Love has a ton of bad ass specials coming in from our Atlantic cohorts in Hampton Virginia for your pescatory pleasure. We have a new shot of 5-8# Wild Rock Bass, Jumbo Hirame Fluke & Large 2# Black Bass from the fishermen of HRF. Pricing on these 3 beauties is incredible and fish landed this morning still in rigor from the day boat!! There will be a new supply of Gloucester Landed Hook & Line Caught Day Cod arriving for weekend specials. “Friggin Baseball Bats!” to quote Captain Joe. Big, stiff, beautiful fish at this morning’s auction. Nasty weather has hampered the fishery so it’s pretty limited on what’s coming in so get your rep today and say, ‘I wants me some Cod Son!!’ That nasty weather has also affected the Barnegat Light Fleet to start the week. We will however have limited catches of Barnegat Light Spotted Winter Skate and Ankoh Monk Tails arriving Friday. These 2 amazing fish, from the small artisan fleet of 25 vessels have been selling out every week since their debut. Chefs are loving the fishermen’s story of how they’ve adapted specially designed gear and stab net, short trip fishing techniques to source, in an environmentally responsible manner, some of the most immaculate Skate and Monk we’ve ever seen.  

We reached out to our friends across the pond this week and I must say, we are looking very hot on some sexy Euro Fishies for the weekend. There is a limited catch of Live Vongole Viraci that just arrived today from the waters of Venice, Italy.  I’m in awe of how beautiful these tiny little gems are and I wish I could take some home to make a simple Vongole Veraci en Brodo but there’s just not enough. BLAST! There is also a short supply of Day Sperling Sardine and Red Barbounia (Rouget) in from Hydra, Greece. Who’s the man!!!?? 

The 2010 Wild Alaskan Halibut Season opens this Friday folks!! We MAY see fish in house at the end of next week, I stress the MAY. There is another run of Wild Columbia River Sturgeon and Gindara Sable from Astoria Oregon in the coolers. MMMMM Sturgeon “Osso Bucco”!!  

Gulf stocks are looking pretty nice for the weekend. There is a new shipment of Wild Frog Saddles in from Lake Okeechobee Florida. You folks have been all over these for the last few weeks so we upped our orders in hopes we can keep up demand. Keep in mind peeps, these are wild so availability is tight. Rumors have been circling and now I’m finally in a position where I can officially say yes, they’re true!! Supreme Lobster is very excited to announce the debut of our Soft Shell Crawfish from the Atchafalaya Basin in central Louisiana. Yeah, you heard me right, soft shell CRAWFISH!!!! Atchafalaya Basin Soft Shell Crawfish are an incredible find. These beautiful mud bugs are coming in averaging 26-30 pieces per pound, completely cleaned and purged providing 100% yield. We sampled these a few weeks back and were stunned at how they ate. The molted soft shell provides a bright snap before your mouth hit’s the beautifully moist, sweet meat. 1^st round just hit us today so we’re watching our clocks to see how fast they sell out once chefs get wind.  

Raised in the cold, pristine waters of Southern Australia, Port Lincoln Hiramasa Yellowtail Kingfish is one of my mongering picks of the week!! These beautiful, elegant fish are pushing a wicked 25% fat content this time of year and the firm, pearl colored meat is incredible handled with the simplest techniques to let the vibrant flavors shine (In my humble opinion). The redonkulous fat contents however enable these refined fish to stand up to heavier accompaniments. Either way, you get an amazing canvas to work with. Another great find from our Aussie brethren are the amazing Head on Red Banana Prawn that were hand net harvested from the areas near the Great Barrier Reef just west of Arcadia Bay. Truly stunning, weighing in at less than 6 pieces per pound, these fantastic animals will make a dramatic plate presentation to the few lucky diners who get to order them. Great finds like these do not last long so hit us up today if you want to be one of those few chefs!

 In order to ensure the highest quality available, Supreme Lobster will now be offering our daily Feature Oyster Selections in 50ct boxes. Please check with your rep for our daily offerings and preorder availability!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2010 MOOSE ISLAND SCALLOP BEST DISH CHALLENGE!!

 CHEF PHILLIP FOSS

LOCKWOOD – CHICAGO PALMER HOUSE HILTON

17 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603-5608
(312) 917-3404

www.lockwoodrestaurant.com

http://thepickledtongue.com/

Moose Island Day Boat Scallops, Potato & Lemon Blini, Heritage Prairie Farm’s Spinach & Pickled Vegetables, Fried Wild Mountain Capers, Candied Sage.

You could consider cooking an innate calling for Lockwood executive chef Phillip Foss. As a two-year-old, Foss was always in the kitchen watching his mom cook. Aware that young Phillip wanted to get in on the action, Foss' father built him a cardboard stovetop and let his son’s imagination and future career take him away. Years later, Foss got his first restaurant job as a short order cook in his hometown of Milwaukee. With a passion for the behind-the-scenes speed and intensity of a kitchen, Foss quickly worked his way into better restaurants. And then came a break. An employer noticed Foss' cooking talents and referred him to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.

After graduating from the CIA in 1991, Foss joined the New York City dining scene with a job at the New York Times four-star rated Lafayette restaurant in the Drake Swissotel. There, Foss basked in the shadow of one of the country's leading chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who gained international acclaim for his innovative interpretation of classic French cuisine. Foss then went to the Quilted Giraffe, another four-star New York Times-rated restaurant, and under the tutelage of Barry Wine, worked every station in the kitchen. Here he learned how unique food presentations can make conceptually simple dishes more innovative and ethereal.

Recognized as a rising haute-cuisine star, Foss was hired by one of the world’s best restaurants, Le Cirque. There he worked as an entremetier preparing vegetables, pastas and accompaniments, on the fish station as a poissonier, and as a saucier, preparing and perfecting sauces, soups and meat dishes. After more than three years, he was made a sous chef.  

Foss went on to help open Le Cirque 2000 in the Palace Hotel. "This was the first time in my career where I took on a leadership position," Foss explains. "People looked to me as the go-to person for Le Cirque’s standards." At Le Cirque 2000, Foss had the privilege to cook for several U.S. presidents, including Nixon, Reagan and Clinton, and for Pope John Paul II, whom he served lobster bisque. Bill Cosby was his favorite celebrity. "His charisma was amazing. He sat in the kitchen and we made him a private dinner with roast chicken and truffles. To date, that was the best roast chicken I ever made." 

Foss acknowledges the additional challenge in making great dishes that let the flavor and freshness of the ingredients shine through, rather than falling back on the legerdemain of heavy sauces.  "Making a good roast chicken is something almost everyone can learn," Foss added. "But making a standout dish takes years and years to master."

After Le Cirque 2000, Foss traveled the world learning about indigenous ingredients and perfecting cooking styles from France, where he worked with super chef Jacques Maximin, as well as Israel, where he worked at the King David Hotel serving dignitaries such as Condoleezza Rice and Tony Blair. Foss' time with three-star Michelin chef Maximin made a lasting impression. "Maximin's uncompromising attention to detail and the quality of the products he used were incredible. Most everything came straight from the farmer to the plate." Foss also worked as a private chef in Palm Beach, Florida where the families of Winston Churchill and Donald Trump enjoyed his cookery. In addition, Foss also 'hung his toque' in the kitchens of Bistro Margot in Chicago (which earned three stars in the Chicago Tribune), the Four Seasons in Maui, and the AAA five diamond Newport Room in Bermuda.

"Cooking is and always will be a mixture of art and science.  One of the things I love best about being a chef is the constant challenge to adapt and advance what was previously considered 'the best there is.'  There is no recipe in the world that you can follow like a rote play book when you're striving to bring out optimal flavor from the freshest, finest ingredients every day, and make each dish and presentation a unique experience," notes the Chef. 

At the helm of Lockwood, Chef Foss has complete discretion with one requirement: perpetual innovation. And that's just fine with Philip Foss. Of all his many culinary accomplishments, he's most proud of "Never being complacent and having an open mind to do new things, yet always honoring the traditions of where the cuisine has come from."