Otolith Sustainable Seafood

Run by unfriendly people with a chip on their shoulder.

The king salmon here is just simply delectable: the meat is moist, flaky, and flavorful. We get a delivery once a month of the king salmon and rockfish, which is fantastic in a cioppino dish made with garlic, onions, EVOO, dry red wine, clam juice, broth, shrimp, and clams. The rockfish has a firm texture but a nice, buttery taste, which is perfect for a rich seafood stew. They do have a minimum order requirement of 7+ pounds for overnight delivery but that’s definitely easy to meet considering the quality of the fish here. I highly recommend ordering a few pounds so that you always have a good, healthy meal option on hand. The king salmon just needs to be grilled and seasoned with a tiny sprinkling of sea salt since it is inherently flavorful (had it for dinner and it was simple but very tasty — the skin was crispy and delicious but not everyone like that part).

A few lucky PWCG members took part in a share of delicious, sustainable salmon from OTOLITH SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD in Philadelphia. The 15 lbs of Salmon came in convenient (approx.) 1 lb portions.
With my first lb (I have gotten 3 lbs so far) here’s what I made:
Karen Flam’s «Grilled Gravlax».
Since I hadn’t the time to do a proper «cure» here’s what I did:
Dry-​rub the clean, thawed salmon with:
1.5 tsp. Penzey’s Shallot Salt
1 tsp. Penzey’s Vanilla Sugar (yes, really)
A few healthy shakes of granulated Garlic
A few cracks of fresh black pepper
LOTS of fresh or dried dill.
Then, squeeze on the juice of one (or two) fresh lemons, or use 3 – 4 TBSP of bottled lemon juice.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 – 6 hours (I couldn’t wait any longer) — ideally — cure longer (and add some juniper berries — I didn;t have any).
Heat a skillet with 1 – 2 tsp of good olive oil and pan-​grill (or use a real grill or grill pan).
I seared mine (First with skin side down, then flipped and seard the flesh side).
Slice thinly and serve.
Do not over cook!
My 6 year old gobbled up the small slice I gave her and asked for more right away.
She proceeded to eat about 4 oz!

actually came here for one of their sushi-​making nights. great time.
what the store lacks in design, is more than made up for by the passion and knowledge of the owners. the sushi class was fun, we used some great king salmon, and was educational. plus the tea and sake didn’t hurt either.
the fish selection is good with everything being of top quality and über-​fresh. as both owners are fishermen, these are people i can trust, and who i want to support.

Whatever you think of Otolith, and its hard not to love this tiny store, you’ve got to give credit to the couple behind this courageous venture. The owner gave us a 15 minute summary of what and why they are doing what they are doing. Both husband and wife are/​were fishermen, he is still. They know how dire is the situation with obtaining pristine, read that which wont poison us, fish and how it is best for all of us to act sooner rather than later in trying to make the situation better. The $ 18.00 piece of King salmon as well as the chunk of Alaskan halibut, both frozen, that we bought were without question the finest pieces of fish that I have had in recent memory and at prices that should make Whole Foods feel shame (fat chance). And given their insider’s advantage, their relationships with small suppliers takes them outside the sphere of the same old same old vendors that keep perpetuating old and pernicious ways. They are less a vendor of fine and safe seafoods than a tiny company that melds «commercial fishing experience with the biological sciences while bringing 21^st century environmental awareness» to all of us. This is a venture that we all have to support.

The best halibut fletch we have ever tasted. Like fresh caught. Better prices than whole foods and of unsurpassed quality. They also have great recipes and were incredibly helpful.
They are working on a source for sustainable oysters and hopefully they will arrive soon.
If you live in the area, you must visit them. Best quality and value anywhere, anytime.

In a rare moment of culinary bliss, I stumbled upon Otolith right as I was leaving from my first trip to Modo Mio (they’re basically neighbors). What a wonderful store and incredible staff.
If you’re looking to be socially conscious while getting an amazing product — you’ve got it made. And the prices are much better then your typical Whole Foods fair (and taste better too).
I love to cook and so far the variety of this market has been wonderful. We ordered the king crab clusters and scallops shipped to our house out in the burbs, and both were amazing!

Otolith is the best! I get delivery every month and am always thrilled with the quality of the product. King salmon and scalops are favorites. I even shucked my own oysters before they sold out :)

The Seafood here is great and its amazing how much the owner knows, she explained the different types of fish, how sustainable practices work, etc.

you will never be disappointed with the selection of seafare from otolith. fresh and delicious, and the owners are so friendly and helpful. they opened this business b/​c they have a passion for sustainable food, so please go check them out. i highly recommend the alaskan halibut, the oysters when in season, and the huge scallops. sooooooooooo good!

This place is great! Fantastic seafood! Staff is incredibly knowledgeable and will help with recipes and you will leave satisfied.