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Margate, triggerfish, amberjack, oh my. And let’s not forget old standbys like red snapper, pink shrimp, blue crab and grouper, too. It’s impossible to get the fishermen’s blues in Southwest Florida because there are bountiful options to choose from.
Chef Jeff Mitchell, owner of The Local, one of Naples' original farm-(and sea)-to-table restaurants that’s still a big kahuna among locavore diners, decided to cast a wider net this spring. It unfurled nightly $15 specials that started March 1 and will continue through April 15. You may have caught on that he cleverly tied the deal to Lent, but no matter what your religion, it’s a perfect opportunity to get your omega 3s from a chef who has built a following on how he prepares them.
Depending on which haul from the fishing boats is most plentiful each day, Mitchell will come up with his preferred interpretation. He might grill a mild and firm amberjack one night, sauté a red snapper with garlic, lime and cilantro the next—or top pasta with plump pink shrimp later in the week. But he’s also giving people leeway to encourage them to try something they may not regularly order (golden tilefish, anyone?) by having it prepared how they’d like—sautéed or grilled with sides, served atop a salad, turned it into blackened fish tacos or placed between crusty French bread with tartar sauce.
His goal with is in line with the bigger picture: He wants people to eat locally and sustainably. And it’s infinitely easier to get hooked when the price is right.
Get the Hot Dish every Wednesday and Friday online and every month in Gulfshore Life.