Restaurants reel in customers with creative new dishes starring fresh fish, seafood

Frothy Monkey's Trout a la Heather is named after one of the restaurant's owners. Its citrusy crunch comes from the addition of a drizzle of champagne-orange reduction over a crust of crushed corn tortilla chips.
Frothy Monkey's Trout a la Heather is named after one of the restaurant's owners. Its citrusy crunch comes from the addition of a drizzle of champagne-orange reduction over a crust of crushed corn tortilla chips.

Looking for more fresh fish?

› The Foundry at The Chattanoogan, 1201 Broad St. Grilled salmon brushed with a glaze of bourbon and a hint of honeysuckle, served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a crispy edge and green beans ($20).› Easy Bistro, 203 Broad St. Grilled Coho salmon from the Olympic Peninsula served with baby kale, pancetta chips, turnips, black garlic and ham vinaigrette ($28).› Food Works, 205 Manufacturers Road. Fresh Atlantic salmon with a horseradish crust served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage ($17.50).› 212 Market, 212 Market St. Local Pickett’s Ranch trout prepared in any number of creative ways by executive chef Susan Moses (market price).› St. John’s Meeting Place, 1274 Market St. North Carolina flounder in a tomato-lobster broth with crawfish, winter root vegetables and potato puree ($24).

The Lenten tradition of fish on Fridays goes back to the earliest origins of Christianity.

Fasting is one of the practices associated with the 40 days before Easter, but in religious circles fasting involves a more disciplined diet, rather than abstaining from all food and drink.

As TheHealthyFish.com explains: "The Lenten diet consists of food an average person could get themselves during the Roman period - namely fish and vegetables. Essentially, meat is the only food that's omitted from this diet, since it was considered a food for the upper class and Lent is a time to eat as the poor would."

Even today, fish remains a bedrock of the Lenten diet.

"Hands down, fresh fish is at its highest demand during Lent," says Miguel Morales, owner of St. Elmo's 1885 Grill. "Having a fresh fish option during this time is a must."

But beyond fish Fridays, diners can dive in and enjoy many different varieties of seafood served with creative new glazes, sauces, toppings and breadings.

Americans added an average of almost 1 pound of fish and shellfish to their diet in 2015, according to the most recent figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In the two-plus decades that Lawton Haygood's been in the restaurant business in Chattanooga, he's seen a marked increase in fish consumption. He and wife Karen opened Canyon Grill (now in different hands) on Lookout Mountain in 1995, followed by Boathouse Raw Bar and Rotisserie on the Tennessee River near downtown Chattanooga in 2002.

At Canyon Grill, the Haygoods had a program dedicated to weekly deliveries of fresh fish. At Boathouse, they regularly bring in fresh redfish, trout, flounder and catfish to the table - a far cry from just 22 years ago, when "there were just about two to three good catfish places and only a couple other nice restaurants serving decent fish," Haygood says. "Today, even the fast-food places are offering at least one fish dish. It'd be hard to have a restaurant today without some selected fish."

As Americans become more concerned with their diets, they're looking for foods that have a positive impact on their health. The beneficial effects of following a diet that includes eating fish at least twice a week have been well documented. Their omega-3 content is primarily responsible for many health benefits, most importantly, that of your heart.

Registered dietitian Allison Knott, founder of Anewtrition, a Chattanooga-based nutrition and wellness private practice, recommends consuming fatty fish, such as such as salmon and trout, which are among the fish highest in omega-3 fatty acids. Other good fish are halibut, swordfish, sole, flounder, wahoo, snapper and grouper.

"A recent study found that the level of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood, despite the source, were associated with the lowered risk for heart attacks," Knott notes.

Though Tennessee is a landlocked state, with better refrigeration and transportation, as well as an increase in fish aquaculture and consumer demand, more eateries are able to serve fresh fish than ever before. Diners have a wide range of choices that go beyond fried fish with tartar sauce on the side.

Here are some of the creative dishes diners can find around town.

* Boathouse Raw Bar and Rotisserie, 1459 Riverside Drive.

photo Flounder above, caught wild in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, stars in the Flounder Piccata at Boathouse Raw Bar and Rotisserie. It's topped with a buttery lemon-white wine reduction sauce and a generous sprinkling of capers.The Rockefeller Atlantic Cobia, left, at Bonefish Grill is topped with creamy spinach and lump crab.

Redfish, grown on a farm in Texas, isn't harvested until it's ordered. Trout comes from the nearby Ocoee River. Flounder is caught wild in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It's this dedication to freshness that makes fish one of the most sought-after dishes at The Boathouse.

The catch: Flounder Piccata. Two beautiful fillets are very lightly breaded and sauteed in olive/peanut oil. There's no cholesterol, and that olive oil is loaded with Omega-3s, too. The fish is topped with a luscious buttery lemon-white wine reduction sauce and a generous sprinkling of tart capers. It's become so popular it has now graduated from a daily special to the regular menu.

You'll shell out: $22. It comes with one side, such as the broccolini, a healthy choice.

* Bonefish Grill, 2115 Gunbarrel Road

photo The Rockefeller Atlantic Cobia at Bonefish Grill is topped with creamy spinach and lump crab.

The grill's annual spring seafood menu features several specials - all sauteed or grilled, such as the cedar-planked Norwegian salmon and the North Atlantic haddock, which is garlic-crumb dusted, wood-grilled and topped with feta, artichokes. They're healthy and delicious.

The catch: Rockefeller Atlantic Cobia is as rich as its name implies. With its firm flesh and sweet, distinct flavor, cobia is ideal for grilling. Bonefish wood-grills its cobia, then tops it Rockefeller-style with creamy spinach and lump crab. It's a favorite choice on the seasonal menu served now through the end of April.

You'll shell out: $24.70. You'll get your choice of two side dishes, plus Bonefish's warm crispy bread with seasoned olive oil.

* 1885 Grill, 3914 St. Elmo Ave.

photo Wahoo is served over pureed creamed corn at 1885 Gril lin St. Elmo. The dish comes with green beans and Cajun rice topped with dill and caper cream.

Growing up in South Carolina has made fresh seafood a staple meal for 1885 owner Miguel Morales, so it's only natural that he would make a menu filled with fish. "Now more than ever, with folks knowing the nutritional value of fresh fish, it is more popular than ever," he says. "And there's no limit to the way we prepare it at 1885. We review fresh dock reports every Monday and choose what we think guests will want."

The catch: Wahoo served over pureed creamed corn. It's one of those fishes that Morales says the restaurant gets in from time to time and has fun creating new ways to serve it. In this case, it was a special that everyone loved. "I was taught years ago that if you keep two to three different types of fresh fish on your menu, or daily specials, you will create an audience that is excited for the rotating option," Morales says.

You'll shell out: $22. Like all daily specials, this one, when offered, comes with great additions: green beans and Cajun rice topped with dill and caper cream.

* Frothy Monkey, 1400 Market St. at the Chattanooga Choo Choo

It's no surprise that you'll find a boatload of fish on the menu at restaurants with names like Bonefish and Boathouse. But fish at a coffeehouse with a name like Frothy Monkey? "It provides a healthy alternative protein, plus it diversifies the menu," says chef Chase Ingalls.

The catch: Trout a la Heather - named after one of Frothy Monkey's owners and only available after 5 p.m. on the dinner menu. The fish dish puts a citrus spin on trout with a hint of champagne-orange reduction drizzled over trout crusted with corn tortilla chips. It works surprisingly well, with a nice crunch and refreshing citrusy flavor. And trout, Ingalls says, always allows him to work with local vendors.

You'll shell out: $14, and it comes with chilled quinoa and kale-bell pepper stir-fry.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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