Week of March 13, 2023 Small World Seafood Update

Hello, everybody!!

Well, I am not sure how many times we will want to mention the anniversary of Covid shutdowns going forward but it will be three years on March 16th that everyone's world changed. Forever. It's a little strange to reflect on, frankly. Talking about it with people I realize that we all remember different things about it. What we remember or choose to remember is different for everybody.

For some, it was the great fear that envelopped us. For some it was the craziness of the supermarkets and toilet paper madness (WTF)..Ugh..For some it was the sight of heaping trash and recycling for days on end. For many of us it was dystopian vision of totally empty streets and higways and I mean no cars AND no people. Weird. Or walking outside and crossing the street when you saw someone walking up in your direction on that sidewalk. For those who worked in health care, well, I don't even..

But also, for some it was discovering spaces in our homes we never really used much but grew to really love or we looked at those spaces and decided they needed to change. For some, me included, it is an appreciation of the silence and slowness of that period. I don't know about you but that is something I kind of really miss. It was kind of cool to have the whole family at home studying and working and together and not running around like maniacs in a million different directions..kind of like we are now once again. We talked to each other. We got to know one another much more, we discovered. It was also kind of cool to see the generosity of people adapting to the situation at hand and selflessly finding ways to helping those who were lonely or just needed a little help.

For me, though, it will always be marked by the beginning of Small World Seafood bringing seafood to you. So strange to think about how it began by just trying to help people on my block get good seafood to which I had access to as a seafood wholesaler. And, I know that it is easy to simply say that it became a good business which it did. But that's not why this is significant to me. It changed my life. It gave me purpose to want to serve all of my neighbors regardless of where you lived in the city. And you are ALL my neighbors. I truly feel that way.

These emails with which I ramble and you choose to read. The smiles on your faces when you pick up seafood week in and week out. The trust you put in us and the culinary adventures you have embarked on to expand your abilities and try new things. The way you pushed us to be more adventurous with our selections and find the best products out there. Sending us pics of what you made. Seeing young children eating seafood that weren't even born three years ago. I mean, that part makes me get misty just thinking that these kids will learn to love seafood at such an early age. Amazing. Having you guys part of my life in honestly connected ways. We grew to know each other, personally and, at times, quite intimately. This is more than a business to me. It is a community. It is as family. YOU are my family. And this all helped me navigate the emotional difficulties surrounding Covid and heal the trauma that came along with that craziness. You provided appreciation and love and caring and that changed my life.

So, I guess I would simply like to say thank you. Thank you for being there for me and for us. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for loving me back. You are the best and I am so proud of all of you. Even though some of you are a bunch of kooks sometimes, you're my kooks. Takes one to know one, I suppose. What a great community we are....together.

Thank you.

Aaanyway, before my face turns into Niagara Falls, let's get onto the fish of the week. First of all, I am so glad that so many of you enjoyed Arctic Char last week. Our very special Faroe Island salmon from our partners ar Hiddenfjord will be back this week. Yay! As most of you know, once you eat this salmon, you can never eat another one again.

With a Nor'easter heading up the coast, lots of boats are idled. We may see something sneak through a la Forest Gump but we shall see. What I definitely know we will have this week is fresh Branzini!!!! Yes, this gorgeous fish from Greece is typically so friggin expensive in restos but with us you beat the market.. We will sell it two ways. Either butterfied, meaning head off and boneless or whole and scaled and gutted. Your choice. I don't know about you but with longer evenings, I am starting to crave summery foods again.

Also, so glad you guys really enjoyed the Al Pastor marinade and those ridiculously good smoked trout and potato pierogies. Those things...OMG..We will have more of both this week, yeah..

Mussels are the shellfish of the week. Not sure about oysters yet. Plenty of gorgeous Hokkaido scallops and other goodies.

Well, that's it for today. Thank you all for being who you are. I know, I know, lots of words. But, hey, lots of info too, no?

Peace

Robert Amar

Small World Seafood

Owner