Craig Fear and I decided to take the day off and embark to Providence with an edible “wish list”. We completed all of our wish list items in one day. Because I am tired of reading blog articles that are too long, I decided to break our day into 3-4 shorter blog articles. Here’s the 3rd article about our trip to Fearless Fish Market. It. was. Ideal!

Part 3: Fearless Fish Market

After Dune Brothers and Providence Oyster Bar, our bellies were full once again. Thankfully, our next stop did not include more eating - just exploring and buying! A few tree-lined streets from Atwells Avenue is Fearless Fish Market.

You’ve heard of Fearless Fish Market, right?

They’re new (less than 1 year old), getting some well-deserved attention, and growing a super loyal fan base for several reasons.

Their logo
Heck, their logo is a woman riding a chubby wild fish - this place looks like fun!

2. Their approach to customer service

During my first two minutes in Fearless Fish Market I saw the following:

Customers were asking if/when they could place a special order for the weekend. The owner, Stu Meltzer, said “Sure! Do you want to place it now?”. Such kind and attentive service!
Their in-house recipes were printed out and available for customers. Additionally, some of our favorite fish books were available for customers to look through including Eating with the Ecosystem’s Simmering the Sea and American Seafood from Barton Seaver.
A case filled with a variety of local items! Customers have the option to purchase shellfish, fillets, several different types of whole fish (yay!), AND pre-made items like chimichurri and smoked fish.

Fearless Fish Market offers the buying experience that every seafood lover wishes for including access to different types of local catch, preparation tips and other ingredients (kewpie!), opportunities to make special orders, sustainability information, and more! Suggested article: “What you can - and can’t - ask from your fishmonger”.

3. They’re fun to follow!

You can be involved with Fearless Fish Market even if you don’t live in the Providence area by following them on social media.

I bet they’ll be your new favorite follow.

Not only do you get a seafood seasonality lesson every day (they post their entire inventory list with the item’s origin), but you are guaranteed a few laughs too. Their social media humor is on point! Here are a few of my recent favorites

After careful deliberation and a good conversation with Stu, Craig and I left with two small coolers filled with local seafood goodies. Here’s what we got!

Sea Robin

While I went there excited to get my hands on some butterfish, I was too late. The plump round fishes I’ve been wanting to grill went to a different home earlier that day. Shucks!

Thankfully, there’s plenty of fish in the case! A beautiful googley eyed sea robin caught my eye. Stu wrapped it up in paper and gave me an extra bag of ice.

Tinned Mackerel

I also grabbed a small tin of mackerel. Tinned seafood has become a thing again. I should give it another try.

Honestly, it’s still on my kitchen counter - ha! One day it will turn into a relaxing lunch on the porch with mustard, rye bread, arugula, parsley, and lots of lemon. It can wait-it’s tinned.

Herring in Wine

Just when I thought my order was complete, I saw something special in the corner of the case-herring in wine! Since I have never tried it before, I had to order some. But what if I didn’t like it?

I only ordered five small 1 inch pieces. Even though it was a pathetic sized order, Stu understood and was happy to put it in a small container. In hindsight, I should have ordered more - it was SO different and tasty! I nibbled on pieces as is, but it would be perfect with the same ingredients that will be used for the tinned mackerel.

Bluefish For Chowder

Craig ordered a whole bluefish and a couple whole black sea bass. Bass were for the grill. The bluefish was destined for research as a new chowder recipe. I heard it came out great! Craig outlined what he did in his Fearless Eating recipe- chowder with a bluefish stock!

Visit them!

Fearless Fish Market is a true gem in West Providence. I hope the support they receive from the Providence and seafood community continues to grow. Fearless Fish Market is showing other markets that folks do want local catch, especially the lesser known items!

I know I can’t wait to visit them again. And when I do, you bet I’ll be placing a special order with Stu for butterfish…

…and dogfish…and maybe some more herring in wine.

Next stop: North!

A Day of Local Seafood in Providence: Fearless Fish Market