NOTE: Since the publishing of this story, Fearless Fish Market has moved to 721 Hope St., Providence, RI
Finding a good seafood recipe, purchasing quality fish and cooking it properly can be a daunting and nerve-wracking endeavor, even for the most confident home chef.
Enter Fearless Fish Market in Providence’s West End, the brainchild of co-owners Stuart and Rose Meltzer. The couple has combined their knowledge of seafood with house chef Nikhil Naiker’s ability to develop flavorful yet simple recipes for an accessible fish market experience. Add to it the intrigue of a daily-changing inventory and you have a market that customers of all cooking abilities are returning to almost daily. From butterfish and dirty squid to sea robin and scup, the market’s eclectic offerings do not disappoint.
Since the conceptual phase, Fearless Fish Market has been designed to focus on what customers want. If someone calls looking for monkfish liver or sushi-grade sashimi, Stuart, who goes by Stu, says they’re happy to find a domestic variety to fulfill a customer’s request.
“We’re all about having fun with it and listening to the customers,” he said, adding that they post their “daily catch” on Facebook and Instagram each day. “So far, the community has been very welcoming to us, and we’ve found, right off the bat, that people are coming in looking for something different and more adventurous.”
Prior to opening Fearless Fish Market, Stu, 35, spent six years working for a fish wholesaler in Chicago that sold fresh fish to high-end restaurants. Later, he worked in three different Massachusetts fish markets to better understand how a well-run market operates, as well as for an oyster distributor with an oyster farm in Duxbury.
“I realized that there was a need for a fish market that encouraged confidence, addressed the concerns people have about environmental issues and contamination and generally helped customers become more knowledgeable,” he said. “I care a lot about how food impacts our health and the health of our environment. I believe very strongly in fish as a healthy food source and one that is environmentally low impact.”
For George Tollefson, already a loyal customer, it’s the staff ‘s extensive knowledge about seafood and their creativity and presence on social media that makes Fearless Fish Market stand out from the crowd.
“Every day, I check to see what’s come in fresh, which inspires my meals throughout the week,” he said. “When I encounter ingredients I haven’t prepared before, like live Maine sea urchin, salmon collar or razor clams, I feel confident bringing them home with cooking advice and recipes from their in-house chef, Nikhil Naiker—one of my favorite local chefs.”
Nikhil’s recipes, which are available both in store and online, are a huge hit with customers, especially when it comes to cooking the lesser-known varieties of fish.
“Rose and I usually have ideas for a recipe and then we do some research, and I make a few versions before we have a final recipe,” Nikhil said. “We like having fun with it and customers seem to love it.”
Rose said they’ve noticed that most fish markets reflect the neighborhood they are located within.
“Our community seems to be into the weirder stuff both in types of fish and recipes they like,” she said with a laugh. “It’s encouraged us to be even more adventurous in the recipes Nikhil develops, even in the prepared foods we make like fish stock and fish chowder and in the types of fish we offer.”
The awareness component of owning a fish market is also incredibly important to Rose and Stu. So whether they’re talking with customers about the sustainability of purchasing American-caught fish or explaining why fish is a healthier, lower-impact food than other animal proteins, it’s all about keeping the customers informed and confident in their purchases.
“We’re big on education and really want people to eat more fish, cook more at home and try something new,” Stu said. “It’s all in our name: We want our customers to be fearless, confident and happy when it comes to eating and cooking fish.”
Fearless Fish Market
721 Hope St., Providence
401.415.8905 • FearlessFishMarket.com
@FearlessFishMarket
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