JUNE SPECIALS
A Taste of Alaska
Alaska is one of those places in the world where just about every fishery is prolific and sustainable. Fish and seafood from the cold pristine waters off the North Pacific are considered to be the some of the purest and best tasting in the world! All four of these species are MSC certified making them a great choice. We bring these fish in on a daily basis, whole, and cut them to order just for you. All of these succulent fish can be used in almost any cooking application, from sauteing to grilling. I love to grill and this is the best time of the year to get out and fire up some great Alaskan fish! We have a myriad of great marinades to complement your fish choice, like miso black cod, or thai halibut, or my favorite tequila chili salmon on a cedar plank!
Black Cod Fillets
Regular price: $28.00 per pound
Special price: $24.00 per pound
Halibut fillets
Regular price: $20.00 per pound
Special price: $18.00 per pound
King Salmon Fillets
Regular price: $30.00 per pound
Special price: $26.00 per pound
Sockeye Salmon Fillets
Regular price: $25.00 per pound
Special price: $20.00 per pound
June 1st thru 7th
Chesapeake Bay Soft Shell Blue Crab
Blue crabs start shedding their winter shell as soon as the water warms in the spring. We get southern crabs as early as April though they tend to be larger and more expensive(but darn good). The full moon of May is roughly the time when the waters of the Chesapeake Bay warm enough to cause a major shed of winter shells. Early June is probably the best time for crabs in all sizes and the prices are at their lowest levels. Mid to late June finds us with a slight shortage of crab until it levels off for the rest of the summer. Blue crabs, both hard and soft are considered to be a "good alternative" by the seafood guides. I was reading a couple of articles saying that the crab populations has rebounded this year and the crab harvest is up 50%. That's good for the crabs and good for us! The crabs come to us alive but they tend to die soon on the cold ice. We will clean them for you if you are eating them the same day but if you are using them the following day it's best to clean them at that time. We will be happy to show you how to do it. Soft shells are best sauteed with a little flour, salt and pepper or one step better is to dip them in an eggwash and then panko crumbs for an extra crispy crunch. If you grill them, be careful not to cook them too long or to burn off their crunchy little legs. Try them crispy fried in a sushi roll with avocado and spicy mayo or as a po' boy sandwich. It's all good and this week is the best time to indulge you taste buds(I know Jennifer will be here)!
Regular price: $5.00 each
Special price: $4.00 each
June 8th thru 14th
Alaskan Red King Crab
King crab is caught in most commonly in the icy cold Bering Sea, bordering on the Arctic ocean, from both western Alaska and eastern Russia. There is also a fledgling fishery in the Barents Sea off off the Norwegian coast. Most everyone is familiar with the "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel. Those captains and their crews go through quite a bit to bring you the finest in king crab. We actually have a trip planned to visit our friends on the Time Bandit, Arctic Sea, and the rest of the crab boats this October. I can't wait!
Alaskan king crab is considered to be the best crab due to the fact that the ships and plants that process the crab do so in fast and efficient manner with the crab being delivered alive and cooked and packaged immediately. Also US plants operate under FDA regulations. Cheaper Russian product(supermarket crab)is handled differently(?) and can be a couple of years in the freezer before arriving in the US. You can taste the difference. It's not called "king" crab just for it's size! It's also the "king" in flavor and when the crab is fresh it is(in my opinion)the best seafood in the ocean! With some luck maybe we will see some fresh Nome or Norwegian crab this summer but in the meantime dive into a plate of our choice jumbo Alaskan crab legs. They come to us cooked, frozen and ready to thaw and eat. Buy them one day ahead and thaw them overnight in your 'frig for best results. I like them room temp with a little melted whole butter(not clarified). You can also steam them warm if you like them that way. There is no bad way to eat good crab!
Father's Day Weekend is upon us and what could be a better show off appreciation for Dad than a plate Alaskan king crab!
We usually sell the biggest jumbo crab legs we can source but I got a deal on a slightly smaller size of equal quality so we can give you a better value for your money!
Regular price: fillets $25.00 per pound
Special price: fillets $18.00 per pound
June 15th thru 21st
Jumbo Freshwater Prawns
Even though we source fish from all over the world, the Indian Ocean is far enough away and has limited fresh fish suppliers that are capable of getting us the quality that we require. So, since prawns freeze well, thats how we bring them in. One of the great seafood choices that is available from the area is are the giant freshwater prawns or scampi as they are sometimes called. These giant prawns(which are technically not shrimp)are native to the fresh and brackish of the Indian coasts. These waterways are tributaries to the Indian Ocean so these prawns will have to make do for our Indian Ocean special! Our river prawns are farm raised in Bangladesh. This type of farming is considered to be much more eco-friendly than similar marine shrimp farming operations. Prawns are grown at much lower densities, the overflow from the ponds doesn't salinate agricultural ground and they don't endanger mangrove trees. Also this type of farming is usually done small scale as a family business. These critters can grow as big as 12 inches long which is as big as a small lobster. We sell a 4 to 5 ounce cleaned tail with the shell split for easy cooking. In fact, these prawn tails cook much like lobsters, especially grilled. The flavor is more like shrimp with the firm texture leaning towards lobster. With cold water lobster tails at $60.00 per pound these tasty prawns are a great bargain. They make a great surf for your turf too!
Regular price:$28.00 per pound
Special price:$24.00 per pound
June 22rd thru 28th
Pantagonian Toothfish
(aka Chilean Bass)
There is a commercial fishery for Pantagonian Toothfish in the southern oceans including the Antarctic. Toothfish are caught in very deep cold water and can be as large as 200 pounds and seven feet long. Fish on the market tend to be much smaller running up to 20 pounds or so.Toothfish gained popularity when it was marketed in the US as "Chilean Bass". It became so popular that it became overfished and poached illegally by many countries around the world. It was know as "white gold" and commanded a big price. Many conservation groups condemned the entire fishery as being overexploited, which it was. Now, due to the focus on illegal fishing and conservation methods since put in place there are select areas where the toothfish can be fished with sustainable methods. These areas only account for 10% of the total catch worldwide. Navies and customs vessels from many countries patrol for toothfish pirates. There is a conservation organization called the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR) which supervises legal fishing and offers rewards for reporting of illegal fishing. There is a great book called "Hooked, Pirates, Poaching and the Perfect Fish by Bruce Knecht that is a good read on the subject. The Marine Stewardship Council(MSC) has certified fisheries off the South Georgia Island as being sustainable and the FDA issues compliance numbers to vessels that legally catch toothfish. All legal imports into the US have to pass through the FDA with those numbers. The "Chilean Sea Bass" that we carry is MSC certified and Dirk's Fish is in the process of becoming MSC certified itself. This certification will track and monitor many different types of sustainable fish so you can feel good about the fish you buy from us. We plan on being around for a long time and we want the fish to be here for us all forever! Happy 4th of July! Dirk's Fish will be open all day 9-6 on the 4th of July! Toothfish has a very high oil content which makes it a perfect grilling fish. Hit your gill with a slab of toothfish(you can call it Chilean Bass, it's O.K.) soaked in our Miso or Terry-aki marinades.
You will be the hero of the grill
Regular price: fillets $28.00 per pound
Special price: fillets $25.00 per pound
June 29th thru July 5th
JUNE COOKING CLASSES
SOLD OUT!
Join us for one of our original cooking classes. We come up with many easy to prepare delicious fish and seafood recipes. Only sustainable ocean products are used in all our cooking classes so you can feel good about what you eat. Terry, Dirk's wife is an awesome cook and is instrumental in developing our recipes. Our classes are mostly demonstrations where you watch, ask questions and eat all that we prepare. B.Y.O.B. your favorite beverage and join us for a casual evening of educational fun and good eating. Come hungry, we serve all that we cook and it's always a very fulfilling meal!
JULY 14TH
Mexico on the Grill
Join us for an summer evening south of the border with cool gazpacho and grilled fish. We have come up with some new recipes to share with you in addition to giving some basic grilling tips. We will take care of dinner, you bring the margaritas! Here's the menu...
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Cool and Spicy Seafood Gazpacho
-
Grilled Shrimp Quesadillas
-
Halibut Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Cream
-
Whole Snapper with Mojo and Pineapple Avocado Salsa
-
Dirk's Dulce de Leche Pie
Tuesday, July 14th 7:30 until 9:ish $65.00 per person
Call ahead for reservations Class limited to 16 people
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June 16th Private Grilling Class
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June 17th
Basic Fish on the Grill
Join us at the Chicago Botanical Gardens in their beatiful outdoor kitchen for a grilling class. We always have a great time cooking at the Garden and this a rare chance to catch us cooking lunch.
- Grilled Sea Scallops with Date Orange Chutney
- Cedar Planked Salmon: Farmed and Wild for a taste comparison.
- Tequila chili Marinated Shrimp
- Grilled Squid Steaks
Wednesday, June 17th 1:00 until 3:00
Members $59.00 and Non members $74.00
JULY 28TH
Grilled Seafood Extravaganza
Another round of grilling with the focus on seafood. Everyone always asks about grilled lobster so we will show you how its done. Plus we will set you up with a great dinner menu from start to finish! Be hungry, be very hungry.
- Grilled Oysters with 3 Butters
- Steamed Mussels with Vegetables in a Foil Pouch
- Grilled Maine Lobster with Garlic Aioli and Corn on the Cob
- Sea Scallops with Guava Balsamic Glaze served over a bed of Arugula with Guava Vinaigrette
- Dirk's Key Lime pie
Tuesday, July 26th 7:30 until 9:ish $65.00 per person
Call ahead for reservations. Class limited to 16 people
(check the cooking class page for more info)
Cooking Classes @ Dirk's
773.404.3475
Click link below for class descriptions and
48 hour cancelation policy.
Call ahead and reserve your space today,
we do fill up quickly!
TIRED OF THE SAME OLD LUNCH?
Start the New Year off by making us one of your resolutions for good health!
Give us a try for lunch.
Call ahead for take out or eat in our cafe.
Sandwiches, hot soups, and cool sushi.
Click on the Lunch and Sushi menu buttons to the right and check out our new menu.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska
These are three of crab boats that we had the pleasure of going out on. It was an incredible trip. Dutch Harbor is an awesome place of whales, seals, lots of seabirds, king crab and above all, great people!
"It's not the end of the world but you can see it from here"
This was my favorite quote from the trip.
WORLD FAMOUS PARTY TRAYS
REMEMBER THAT ALL SHRIMP ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!
CALL AHEAD FOR PRICES AND THE BEST OPTIONS
We have our regular trays and/or we can custom design
any type of tray you want!
Dirk's Fish Gift Card
This would make a great gift for the fish and seafood lover or "foodie" in your life!
We are selling the best Blood Mary Mix in Chicago!
Best Bloody Mary Mix- Long Branch
Check it out...
Our favorite oyster shooter recipe
SpicyLongbranchOysterShooters
ON SPECIAL ALL DECEMBER
$5.00 per bottle
Seafood Business Article about Dirk
All you Piscivorous People:
Look for our new and improved online newsletter in January 2009!
More News, Recipes, Information, Classes, and Coupons!
Give us your email so we can include you
in our mailings!
Sign up on the Home Page.
West Coast Salmon...
There was a very interesting piece on the CBS news show 60 minutes on Sunday about the west coast salmon issue and what the goverment does and doesn't do. It seems like they shoot themselves in the foot and then proceed to shoot the other foot too! A lot of money is spent of "salmon recovery" and thet even save a few salmon in the process! Check it out.
CBS 60 Minutes:The fuss over salmon
SATURDAY TASTINGS
12:00 until 3:00
Weather permitting(like in March!)
On our new Big Green Egg grill!
Stop by for a sample of something good.
A COUPLE OF GOOD ARTICLES ON HEALTH!
Weighing the lastest facts on seafood safety and health
American Heart Association
Here is a new website for fish information from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Marine Fisheries Service. it contains a lot of good information on the state of our fisheries. Check it out.
Fish Watch
Have you had your two servings of fish this week?
Many studies have concluded that at least two meals of fish per week will help prevent many aliments of the mind and body.
Medicine never tasted so good!
Fish is the drug of choice!
Seafood and Health
American Heart Association
FDA Report
Read two more reports below...
BE GOOD TO YOUR HEART
EAT MORE FISH FOR THE HEALTH OF IT!
THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND STURGEON GENERAL RECOMMEND
TWO SERVING OF FISH PER WEEK.
WE RECOMMEND MORE...OF COURSE!
SUSHI FISH IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE,
CALL FOR TODAYS SELECTION.
Current Good News...
Go head, Moms, eat seafood!
Fish and Pregnancy:Brain Food for Babies
Two authoritative scientific assesments, one from researchers at the
HARVARD SCHOOL of
PUBLIC HEALTH
and the other from the
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that for most people the health benifits of eating fish and shellfish clearly exceed any risk of contamination from heavy metals or toxic chemicals.
A Point of Interest
The lead researcher from the Harvard study said he was suprised to find how little evidence of harm exists and concluded that the benefits greatly outweigh the risks, a fact that has been lost on the public
(due to negative reporting).
A couple more reasons for eating fish...
Eat_Seafood_See_Weight_Loss
Fish and Seafood: More health benifits
Fish really is the drug of choice!
We
have many tasty low fat
recipes
and ideas.
Fish
is the original fast food!
JUNE 2009 
