Market Conditions
Update

Midsummer Tradition · Kabayaki · Full Swing

Eel season is in full swing. One of the greatest Japanese delicacies is wild freshwater eel, unagi — and it is a tradition in Japan to eat it every summer, a midsummer ritual meant to fortify you against the heat. Wild unagi is a different animal from the farmed eel most people have tasted: richer, more mineral, with a more complex taste. We are seeing nice large wild unagi on the pass now, and it belongs on the menu while the season lasts.

Hokkaido · Last of the Peak Summer

Peak summer uni is starting to close out, but Hokkaido is still producing right now. The richest tongues of the year are still coming down from the north, and we are taking them while they last. We’ve been making a wagyu uni crunchwrap supreme, with the uni in the nacho cheese sauce.

Shiromi · Raw or Cooked · Summer Peak

Kijihata is here — red-spotted grouper, a high-end summer shiromi with firm, sweet flesh. Excellent raw, and just as compelling cooked. A fish that belongs at the counter and in the pan.

Western Japan · Summer Fat · Raw or Cooked

Meichi-dai has followed. A luxury bream from western Japan, fattest in summer when other tai run lean. Also excellent for raw preparations or cooked — a fish of limited availability that we are glad to have.

A Few Weeks Only · After Aori · Prized

Aori ika season is over, but shin ika has the window — the prized baby version of sumi ika. Shin ika will only be available for a few weeks. Tender, sweet, and gone almost as soon as it arrives. A short window worth paying attention to.

Peak Season · Delicate · Incredible Raw

Shiro ika is at its peak, known for its delicate texture and sweetness. An incredible raw squid — cleaner and more tender than what most people think of when they think of ika.

Returning Run · Delicious Fat · Autumn

Fall katsuo is starting to show up, known for its delicious fat. The returning skipjack of autumn is a richer fish than the spring run — more oil, more depth. We are glad to see it.

Anderson Ranch · Birria Agnolotti · Año Nuevo

Land-dwelling protein of note lately is Anderson Ranch lamb. We have been making lamb birria agnolotti, and it has been a favorite on the pass. We have also recently gotten an allocation of Fogline chicken — a really stupendous bird. Fogline raises their flocks on pasture on the Año Nuevo Peninsula, north of Santa Cruz: organic-fed, moved daily onto fresh grass at the edge of the Pacific. Chefs from San Francisco to Big Sur chase these birds; the allocation is limited, and we are glad to have it in the kitchen.

Melons · Passionfruit · Tomatoes

Melons are still on the tables. Passionfruit is peaking — we are using it for our passionfruit cheesecake. It is the end of peach season, but some great peaches are still available. Dates are delicious. Tomatoes are incredible right now.