Flying Fish Friday Fish Freshness & Oysters

BRAVO, HOORAY

A cap’n, a chef, and another chef walk into an oyster bar…

Juneteenth. Pride. Summer solstice. Father’s Day. June, generally, in Portland. There’s a lot going on, so we’re gonna keep the lists of what’s fresh in the market short and simple – following this section where Brad the Flying Fish newsletter person will make words.FIRST: Do not adjust your dial (haha, what an old-fashioned expression), that IS Flying Fish on your Epson Home Cinema® projector. We’re digging this season of Top Chef – the Portland series, the pandemic series. Chef Dawn Burrell stopped by the shop for some crab meat, chatted with our Chef Erik, and Lyf walked pass. Dawn’s still crushing and we’re pulling for her. Check out this dinner she’s preparing for Juneteenth in Houston with some of her fellow Top Chef contestants.

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SECOND: Come fishin’ with us? Flying Fish is hooking up with captain Bob Rees, with whom Lyf went to Washington DC a few years ago to testify for fisheries policy, for a dive into Columbia Coho. Coho Salmon will be returning from sea for their fall run up the Columbia River, and we’d like to get in on that action, thank you very much. Perhaps you would too? We have five (5) remaining seats, and it’s only $200 for what’s going to be a memorable trip. Picture it: you board the boat bright and early, coffee in your travel vessel still hot. The boat fires up. You feel the rumble. You’re startled by the whistle. We’re pulling out, the Astoria-Megler bridge towering over us. We hang a left toward the Bar. We cast our lines. We wait. And then… tug tug, that’s YOU Charles! You grab your rod, you reel and reel. Put it on your hip if it helps, keep reeling. Lyf’s there with the net. Bob’s watching to make sure you’re doing it right, no pressure. Almost there… annnnd… GOT EEM. You did it, Charles! 27 inches, 10 pounds. Not bad! Don’t forget to get a photo before we bleed it and put it on ice. Crack open a cold Fort George Vortex.

Well. Sorry for all the spoilers. But if this is a story – Astoria – that speaks to you, why not come with. It’s all happening Tuesday, September 21st, $200, keep what ya catch. Email Lyf – [email protected] – if you’re interested.

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FINALLY: As promised, the fresh lists. Short and simple.

SIZZLE YOUR SALMON

We’re keeping it short, simple, and sizzly, fo shizzly.

• Chinook Salmon – wild, Columbia River – tribal caught
• Sockeye Salmon – wild, Copper River, Alaska
• Ora King Salmon* – sustainable farm-raised, New Zealand
• Steelhead – sustainable farm-raised, Washington
• Pacific Halibut – wild, Pacific Ocean (Alaska) – fillets & steaks
• Escolar* – wild, Pacific Ocean (Hawaii) – pictured at right, plated by Chef Erik, pic by @chefsroll →
• Ahi/Bigeye Tuna* – wild, Pacific Ocean (Hawaii)
• Tombo/Albacore Tuna* – wild, Pacific Ocean (Hawaii)
• Swordfish – wild, Pacific Ocean (Hawaii)
• Rockfish – wild, Pacific Ocean (Oregon)
• Lingcod – wild, Pacific Ocean (Oregon)
• Sablefish/Black Cod – wild, Pacific Ocean (Oregon)
• Sand Dabs – wild, Pacific Ocean (California)
• Branzino – sustainable farm-raised, Greece

PORTRAIT OF SCALLOPS ON A WOOD PLATE ON A CLAY PLATE ON A WOOD COUNTER

• Dungeness Crab Meat – wild, Oregon – cooked and picked, ready to eat
• Sea Scallops – wild, Atlantic Ocean (Massachusetts)
• Manila Clams – sustainable farm-raised, Washington
• Mussels – sustainable farm-raised, Washington

OYSTER ROYSTER

Don’t you wish this was spinning?

We’re keeping it simple on the Oyster Royster. It’s a ROSTER of OYSTERS but so that it can RHYME we added a WHY. It is the OYSTER ROYSTER.

FRESH OYSTER ROYSTER AS OF FRIDAY JUNE 18TH

• Blue Pool – Washington – BLUE POOL SEASON ENDING SOON, FYI
• Chelsea Gem – Washington
• Disco Hama – Washington
• Eld Inlet – Washington
• Hama Hama – Washington
• Hoshi – Washington
• Kokus – Washington
• Kumamoto – Washington
• Kusshi – British Columbia
• Los Rucos – Washington
• Mere Point – Maine
• Pickering Passage – Washington
• Ruby – Washington
• Sea Cow – Washington
• Shigoku – Washington
• Whaleback – Maine

FFS: FLYING FISH SMOKED

BURGER TIME

Here. Stuff this in your meat hole. Photo by Natalie.

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ALSO: Cocktails, sake, wine, and beer for dining onsite. Inquire within.

FLYING FISH SIGNOFF & DISCLAIMER

PLEASE NOTE: This email was accurate at the time of its weekly writing. Some products come and go quicker than others, so for best results on the freshness, follow us on the social medias: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And tag us in your Instagram pics @flyingfishpdx – we love seeing your food pics!

Cheers,

Lyf Gildersleeve and the Flying Fish Team: Alana, Boo-boo, Chris, Danny, Elowynn, Erik, Isabelle, Jack, Jae, Jesse, Jordan, Kevin, Luis, Mad Dog, Mike, Neebs, Ross, Ryan P, Ryan S, Sam, Sarah, Sawyer, Tara, Trever, Wyatt, and Brad

INSTAGRAM JAM OF THE WEEK

Who dat, Lardo man @rickgenc rockin that stoopid fresh swordfish? Heck yeah it is, buddy!

Craig and Sandy Gildersleeve opened Flying Fish Company in Sandpoint, Idaho in 1979 – the year before their son Lyf was born.

Now president of Flying Fish Company, Lyf has spent his entire life around fish, including an aquaculture education at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University.

Flying Fish has three locations: Sandpoint, Idaho; Durango, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon. The Portland location opened in 2009 as a food cart at the D Street pod on Division Street. In 2011, we opened the fish shack on Hawthorne Boulevard. In 2016, we moved into a stand at Providore Fine Foods on Sandy Boulevard. In February 2020, we opened our standalone location on East Burnside with a restaurant and a patio.

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Thank you for supporting our family-owned business. 

—Lyf, Natalie, Juniper, and Miles Gildersleeve (and Hazel the Dog)

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PHOTO BY NATALIE GILDERSLEEVE PHOTOGRAPHY: No matter where you go, there you are.