Calumet Fisheries
Smoking process
The restaurant uses a natural-wood smokehouse, which has been in use since establishment. The smoking process involves brining the fish overnight, before large fish (such as salmon, sturgeon, or sablefish) are usually cut into "steaks", threaded with string, and hung from a smoking rack. Some salmon are smoked whole. Wood fires are built in the bottom of the smokehouse and the fish are cooked with the doors open; when complete, the doors are closed and the fish are smoked. Shrimp, clam strips, and smaller fish such as lake chub are smoked by tacking to a plank.
History
Smoked fish were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, when shipping and fishing boat traffic were heavy on Chicago's waterways. The business began a slow decline over the decades, as the neighborhood and economy changed, and fried seafood was introduced to generate more sales. Due to declining demand, the owners had considered ending smoking and focusing on frying, until they were featured on No Reservations; a few days after the episode aired, patrons were lined up out the door and down the street, and sales continue to increase.
Awards and honors
Calumet Fisheries was named by CNN as one of America's 10 best historic restaurants. In 2010, it received a James Beard Foundation Award.
See also
References
- ^ Peterson, Lucas (March 1, 2016). "Calumet Fisheries in Chicago Has Been Smoking Fish Since Before You Were Born". Eater. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Chicago Travel Guide". Anthony Bourdain No Reservations. Travel Channel. February 2, 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Kindelsperger, Nick. "Standing Room Only: Calumet Fisheries". seriouseats.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Todd, Anthony (November 3, 2010). "Smoked Fish and Tradition at Calumet Fisheries, Part 1". Chicagoist. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Todd, Anthony (November 4, 2010). "Smoked Fish and Tradition at Calumet Fisheries, Part 2". Chicagoist. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Kludt, Amanda (August 20, 2012). "10 of America's best historic restaurants". cnn.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.