Reviews
Like sashimi or carpaccio, some reviews are better when they’re fresh and raw. Below are some of the wonderful things that have been said about us in the media. In addition, click here to see what some of our other guests have to say about us.
Awards and Media Reviews for Mitchell's Fish Market:
Mitchell's Fish Market Waterfront
"Best Seafood"
2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Reader's Choice Restaurant Poll
Mitchell's Fish Market South Hills
"Best Value"
2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Reader's Choice Restaurant Poll
Glancing at the menu at Mitchell’s Fish Market, I notice there aren’t many options outside those that come from the water. There’s a spicy grilled chicken, pulled chicken BLT salad and a few veggie options, but that’s it. I don’t try any of those. I’m here for the fish.
Pricing is more than reasonable. Entrees run from $9.95 -18.95, with most hitting about $12. I’ve seen these same sorts of entrees, of similar size and quality, go for over $20.
The atmosphere is nautical but nice, with shiny black leather booths towards the back and open patio seating in the front. They’ve got a swanky bar which mixes great drinks (try their Mojito).
I decided to start with two of the most common appetizers on most menus and see how they fared. First, the seared Hawaiian ahi tuna. Despite the competition, they did an impressive job, with an excellent ponzu sauce, cubed wasabi and an aces presentation.
Next I sampled the the Kung Pao Fried Calamari, which is probably in the top three calamari preparations I’ve had here in Jacksonville. Since calamari ends up on many restaurant menus, from the worst bar to the most upscale bistro, it’s tough to even get into the top ten. These, of course, are buttermilk marinated, which ensures they aren’t rubbery. Mixed into the pile of deep fried calamari are surprising sautéed green beans and red bell pepper slices. It is the dipping sauce that really makes this dish delish, a slightly piquant soy and peanut-based thin sauce.
Under “Today’s Fresh Catch” you can choose your fish and method of preparation. Some of the choices of fish include queen snapper, swordfish, rainbow trout, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, tropical tilapia and sea scallops. There are three preparations you can match your choice of fish with: the Shang Hai, simply grilled, broiled or blackened.
I know exactly why Chilean Sea Bass is supposedly endangered—because it’s delicious. I always feel a tad guilty ordering it, but that guilt drifts away once I taste the first bite of light, melt-in-your mouth goodness. It is one of the least “fishy” tasting fishes you can eat, with white, flaky-but-firm meat. One of reasons the fish tastes so good is that it’s loaded with natural fish oil, so it’s as though it’s been pre-marinated. The high fat content makes it almost impossible to overcook. It’s not actually a bass or grouper, in spite of its common name. It’s really a cod ice fish. The true name, Patagonian toothfish, is as ugly as the fish is before it’s cut into fillets.
Nothing makes me angrier than a badly prepared Chilean Sea Bass, as I can’t stand the idea of someone messing up something that should be heaven-sent. Luckily, Mitchell’s preparation of the fish sent me into the usual ecstasy. I had the blackened version, crusted, served with a decent etoufee sauce, jambalaya rice, green beans and mushrooms, set off with a little sweetness of cane syrup.
I wanted to try the Shang Hai preparation, but it was a difficult choice. Under Chef’s Specialties I saw the Shang Hai Seafood Sampler, a choice that took the sting out of choosing. It includes salmon, scallops and shrimp on sticky rice and spinach, doused in a rice wine soy sauce. If you like your fish to be of an Asian persuasion, this is the dish to try.
For a more classic preparation, try the house specialty, Cedar Plank Salmon, which is served on a cedar plank atop roasted veggies and eggplant doused with a sweet balsamic. The fish is topped with a small dab of goat cheese, some sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms.
I sampled two desserts to top my meal off, the Sharkfin Pie and the Seven-Layer Carrot cake. The carrot cake was excellent, though the frosting is a little thin for my taste. It’s still one of the largest and best you’ll eat in the area. If you like sundaes, this one’s served in the form of a shark-fin-shaped pie slice. Butter fudge ice cream, honey roasted peanuts, fudge and Oreo cookie crust all come together to form this massive undertaking. You may need help to finish it.
I will be coming back to Mitchell’s. The freshness of the fish, the bold flavors of their preparations, and their excellent prices make them my new pick for fresh fish.
Wow, I've finally found a restaurant I really like at the Waterfront.
Like many Pittsburghers, I have a complex love/hate relationship with our city's own little splotch of suburban sprawl. Maybe because it's pretentiously called "The Waterfront," but it doesn't actually use the water for anything, not even as a scenic backdrop. Maybe it's the vast acreage of asphalt desert, waiting in vain for armies of shoppers. Or maybe it's just because I can't afford bad, boring food at chain restaurants.
But hey, it's better than rusting, derelict steel mills and toxic slag heaps, right?
I always assumed Mitchell's Fish Market was just another mediocre, overpriced chain. The marketing hoopla claims that it's a "chef-driven company" run out of Columbus, Ohio, by a certain Cameron Mitchell.
But you can tell right away that Mitchell's is a bit different. Inside, it's all about sturdy, dark wood, with a subtle nautical theme and jazz on the hi-fi. There's little of the kitschy clutter that seems to come standard at these places. A glass case at the back wall lets you check out the catch of the day, so you can decide what looks good before ordering.
I was expecting bar food from the New Orleans Voodoo BBQ Shrimp ($8.95), but instead got an attractively presented starter of bacon-wrapped shrimp in a sweet, tangy barbecue sauce, atop a small mound of sticky rice. Not bad.
Grilled Portabella Bruschetta ($7.95) was another appetizer that easily beat our expectations. It was served in a crispy, round pizza shape, but it was a bread, not a crust. The toppings were a perfect balance of savory and sweet -- sun-dried tomato and a subtle application of goat cheese, with a thick, hearty balsamic reduction. The mushrooms were perfectly grilled. Best of all, it didn't immediately fall apart or jettison its toppings.
"Today's Fresh Catch" presumably changes occasionally, but there are three standard preparations to choose from. All 12 options are listed alongside where they where caught. I picked Gulf Coast, Fla., Mahi Mahi, prepared Shang Hai style -- steamed with ginger and scallions, and served with sticky rice and spinach. A rice wine soy sauce gave it a rich, savory flavor without overwhelming the flavor of the fish.
There's another Mitchell's Fish Market at the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon.
I DIDN'T GET TO TRY
I've heard that The San Francisco Cioppino is outstanding. It's basically a large bowl of Atlantic Salmon, Alaskan King crab, shrimp, mahi mahi and wild blue mussels in a murky, spicy tomato broth.
The finishing touches are being put on Mitchell's Fish Market, an upscale casual seafood restaurant, in preparation for its Dec. 8 opening in Stamford Town Center. The restaurant is the first in Connecticut for the popular seafood concept.
"We are excited to share Mitchell’s Fish Market with Stamford-area diners," said Nick Ridenour, general manager of the restaurant. "With the prestigious retail tenants and upscale amenities available at Stamford Town Center, we are confident our first location in Connecticut will be a great success."
Mitchell's Fish Market is built upon a commitment to freshness. Seafood will be flown in daily from all over the world and prepared in the restaurant’s custom-made refrigerated cutting room. On any given day, guests may choose from eight to 12 fish selections featured in the fresh catch section of the menu, in addition to more than 80 other items.
Every detail of dining at Mitchell's Fish Market will take guests on a virtual vacation to places relaxing, lively and coastal. The classically tailored interior will feature retro ocean liner finishes, with a black and nautical blue color scheme and handcrafted details.
Ridenour brings more than 16 years of experience in the foodservice industry to Stamford. Joining Cameron Mitchell Restaurants in 2000, Ridenour has held leadership positions at a number of the company’s restaurants. Most recently, he served as general manager of Cameron’s Steakhouse in Milwaukee, Wis.
In addition to Ridenour, Terry Davidson also has been named to the leadership team for Mitchell’s Fish Market. Davidson will lead the kitchen and serve as executive chef. Coming to Stamford from Tampa, Davidson brings a wealth of experience. He has served as executive chef for six Mitchell's Fish Market locations.
Both Ridenour and Davidson are excited to make Stamford their new home and lead the first Mitchell’s Fish Market in Connecticut.
Open daily for lunch and dinner, Mitchell's Fish Market will seat 239 indoors and 32 on the patio. Private dining is also available in the restaurant's Ocean Liner Lounge, with seating for 24 guests. For more information, please call (203) 323-3474 or visit the restaurant online at www.mitchellsfishmarket.com. For the convenience of guests, reservations are always accepted.
Concentrating on developing winning concepts, entrepreneur Cameron Mitchell, a Columbus, Ohio native, continues the strategy he created as a teenager when he first discovered his love of the restaurant business.
Mitchell mapped his plan for success at his mother’s kitchen table when he was 19. He set a timeline with long-range goals – attend the Culinary Institute of America, become an executive chef by 23 and the owner of a restaurant company by age 35.
He achieved them all.
Even before graduating from the CIA he was a sous chef at a Columbus restaurant at 22. When he reached the top of management, he struck out on his own. His fi rst restaurant, Cameron’s, a bistro in Columbus, was a success. He soon had investors and developers asking for more. In 1993, Mitchell realized his goal to become the owner of a restaurant business when he founded Cameron Mitchell Restaurants at age 29. It did not take long for him to diversify and expand, adding steakhouses, Italian and Asian bistros, and the Fish Market.
As he has expanded his company from one restaurant to 30 restaurants, Mitchell’s plan has always been to put his employees first. His philosophy is, “Take care of our people. They will take care of our guests and our guests will take care of our company.”
Mitchell doesn’t “outside hire” managers, but promotes from within, noting between 80 and 85 percent of his management staff started as hourly employees. They relate well with the hourly associates, he said. Managers with several years’ service also know the company’s culture and values and can convey that to newly hired employees.
But new workers don’t only learn the company’s message from their own restaurant manager; Mitchell visits each new restaurant during the employee orientation period.
“On the first day, they hear it from me – the history, my philosophy and our expectations – it’s important that the top guy sets the stage,” Mitchell said.
He strives “to exceed the guest’s expectations on every plate, at every table, meal, restaurant, city and state and to do it time after time.”
During a telephone interview on June 7, Mitchell acknowledged there are employment challenges in this area, but he has plans to overcome them. “One problem with Sandestin is seasonality; we will have a core staff and then bump it up in the summer.
“With 3,000 employees system wide, there’s no shortage of volunteers that want to come here for the summer,” he said.
Employees already receive great pay and benefits ts, and those coming to work here for the season will receive housing assistance, he said.
“This is an extraordinary location for our newest Fish Market,” Mitchell said. “When completed, Grand Boulevard will be unmatched as a destination for local residents and tourists alike and plans for growth in the surrounding community tell us this location will be a home run for our company.”
Mitchell’s goal is pretty simple, “To make raving fans out of our associates, guests, vendors, partners and communities.” To achieve that Mitchell hires “a bunch of good people that believe in genuine hospitality,” he said.
“Hospitality runs to the deepest depth of my soul,” Mitchell said.
With each new restaurant he opens, “It’s not enough for it to be a good restaurant; I want it to be “your favorite restaurant,” he said.
Milwaukee is awash in upscale chain eateries all of a sudden, thanks especially to new space opening up at Bayshore Town Center and Brookfield Square. The latest arrival is Mitchell's Fish Market, in Brookfield Square.
The 7,255-sq. ft. upscale casual restaurant -- adorned with tiling and signage that conjures the classic old fish markets of the coasts -- is part of the same group that recently opened Cameron's Steakhouse at Bayshore. An 800-sq. ft. patio is open weather permitting.
Chain dining is nothing new at malls and we should rejoice that the quality of these restaurants is on the rise. As long as you've got the money and the time, the food court and a family sit-down burger joint are not the only options anymore.
Price and quality intersect at a pleasant point at Mitchell's. At a preview event Thursday, two dined at lunchtime, ordering the equivalent of a dinner off the dinner menu -- two entrees, a shared appetizer, one salad and a cup of soup with two strawberry lemonades -- for under $60.
Because the food was of high quality and the service as attentive as at any fine dining restaurant in Milwaukee, that's a good deal.
Blackened scallops were juicy and seared but rare and grilled halibut nearly crumbled at the touch of a fork. Both were served with fresh steamed vegetables and a starch (one with jambalaya rice and the other with mashed potatoes).
The crab meat and asparagus dip was laced with three kinds of cheese and piled high with chunk crab meat creating a dish that was sinfully rich.
In addition to appetizers, salads (all of which looked good as they went past the table and the one we sampled -- spinach and pear with blue cheese and a sherry vinaigrette -- was delicious) and a variety of seafood bisques and chowders, the Mitchell menu has two main sections.
Chefs Specialties with a range of fish and shellfish served over pasta or crusted with pecans or in a fish 'n' chips plate. Today's Fresh Catch lists a dozen or more fresh fish -- tilapia, halibut, scallops, swordfish, mahi mahi, etc. -- and allows diners to select from four preparations: blackened, grilled, broiled or Shang Hai (steamed with ginger and scallions). Side dishes are matched to the preparations.
There is also an oyster bar with four varieties on ice and sampler trays are available.
As in most upscale chains these days, the kitchen at Mitchell's is partially open to the dining room, which is done up in model schooners and maritime maps and red mahogany trim. On one end is the bar, adorned with framed semaphore signal flags. The atmosphere is bustling and alive, like at a good fish market, and more conducive to a family night out or a dinner with friends than a romantic meal for two.
The wash rooms are stocked with mouthwash, stain removing wipes, dental floss and lint rollers, adding to the perception of being a customer-focused fine dining establishment.
Like all the new seafood places in town, Mitchell's makes sure its servers tell you early on that all the fish is flown in daily and we have no reason to doubt it -- other than the prices -- since the ones we sampled were fresh and delicious.
Milwaukee has never been known as a seafood town and strictly seafood eateries have had a long swim upstream here. Only a few -- Crawdaddy's and Moceans spring to mind – have managed to make a long-term go of it.
Perhaps the chains -- with their buying power and leverage -- are actually able to keep Milwaukee swimming in fresh fish, something that can prove excessively cost prohibitive to an independent restaurant, especially one that aims to focus on the treasures of the distant oceans. That might not be great news for some local restaurateurs, but it will be good news to local seafood lovers.
December 27, 2006
There’s something fishy about Wes Oburn’s job. As executive chef at Mitchell’s Fish Market at Clay Terrace, Oburn’s day is dominated by fish. The menu reads like a Dr. Seuss book without the red fish or blue fish: Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, Pacific halibut and yellowfin tuna are just a few of the fresh catches on the menu. Freshness is king at Mitchell’s Fish Market, and it’s up to Oburn, 27, to ensure that today’s meal tastes like it was swimming yesterday.
Oburn oversees all aspects of the kitchen, from the fish that are flown in daily to the more mundane but equally important elements such as work schedules, produce shipments and daily specials.
He is the go-to guy, for example, when a shipment of tomatoes comes in green. (He dispatches a staff member to a neighboring grocery store for ripe ones.)
He throws in an occasional entrée order to make sure the staff is preparing a new dish according to restaurant standards. He meets with the customers who may have food allergies or who want something that’s not on the menu.
Oburn encourages patrons to ask for what they want, even if it’s simplu a piece of chichen instead of seafood prepared to order. If the chefs at Mitchell’s Fish Market can make it, they will.
“Yes is the answer. What’s the question?” Oburn said, explaining the motto he tries to live by at work.
It’s a long way from the Hamilton Southeastern graduate’s first job washing dishes at Boston Market. While Oburn acknowledges that he wasn’t cut out for dishwashing, the job gave him his first taste of the restaurant industry. Oburn grew up fascinated by restaurants. Sure, he enjoyed the good food, but there was something about fine dining that appealed to him, even as a youngster.
“I think it was more the atmosphere, the environment,” Oburn said. “You feel taken care of when you walk into a nice place.”
April 17, 2006
Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants L.L.C. plans to open Mitchell’s Fish Market, its fifth restaurant in Michigan, in August in The Village of Rochester Hills.
Construction of the 7,300 square-foot, 290-seat restaurant began April1. The restaurant will occupy the space formerly occupied by Orvis and Harry & David.
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants also operates Mitchell’s Fish Market in Livonia, Birmingham and Lansing and Cameron’s Steakhouse in Birmingham. In total, the company operates 27 restaurants under nine restaurant brands in eight states.
It won’t be long before people begin cursing Louisville’s oppressive summer temperatures. But Joshua Sinclair won’t be one of them.
As a fishmonger at Mitchell’s Fish Market restaurant in the East End, Sinclair spends more then half of his workday in a 32-degree freezer. So he is down with the sunshine and hot temperatures. “I love it,” he said. “I go outside to warm up.”
For the past two years, Sinclair has been carefully cutting the fresh fish that end up in the display window at Mitchell’s, and then in people’s bellies.
Because he spends about five hours a day in the freezer, his typical work ensemble includes a stocking cap, scarf, gloves, sweatshirt, warm pants and, he said, “Two pairs of socks is a must.”
A Typical Day
At 7 a.m., Sinclair begins cutting various species of fish (tuna, tilapia, sea bass, salmon, mahi-mahi, cod, etc.) for use at the restaurant. On any given day, he is responsible for between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of fish, so doing precise work is important. “This is the heart of the restaurant,” he said, “because you have to pay attention to the quality and reject anything that’s not up to Mitchell’s standards.”
His main duties: “To skin it properly, de-bone it properly and get the weight accurate in the cuts so that we’re not wasting anything.” The fish weights vary depending on how it is served. And after more than two years on the job, Sinclair has gotten pretty good at determining weight by sight.
However, because fish is so expensive, everything – including unused parts such as bone and skin – gets weighed.
If there’s anything left over after he makes his cuts, “it’s put into the gumbo so that we’re not wasting it,” said Sinclair, who estimates he cuts about 500 pounds of fish each week. “We utilize everything that’s edible.”
To optimize freshness, a certain amount of fish is cut daily for the lunch and dinner menus, but it’s not always enough. “On certain days, certain species will take off and I’ll have to cut more,” said Sinclair, who typically leaves the freezer to warm up every 90 minutes.
The job can be solitary – after all, it’s not like a whole lot of people want to come chill in a freezer to visit – but Sinclair kind of digs that. “Nobody’s bothering me,” he said. “I can just do what I need to do.”
Sinclair, who has degrees in management and marketing and culinary arts, spends the remainder of his workday helping prep food in the kitchen.
July 2006
April 2006
In 15 years of dining in Tampa Bay and four years writing about it, one thing has never ceased to amaze me: the death of great seafood places in a city located on the water.
We have a handful of little mom and pop shops serving up suitable fare without fanfare, and a few chains and hoary old institutions offering a little more ambiance but oft-time inconsistent cuisine.
But the Bay’s about steakhouses, and Italian food, and Cuban cuisine, and of course, great grouper sandwiches (awesome, but they don’t really count as seafood).
The newly minted Mitchell’s Fish Market at WestShore Plaza promises to fill that void nicely.
It’s a chain, but a small chain (the Tampa location is the only one in Florida), and it fits right in with WestShore hotspots like P.F. Chang’s, Maggiano’s and The Palm – all places owned by corporations and headquartered elsewhere, but all offering up fine fare in pleasant surroundings.
Mitchell’s dining rooms are elegantly appointed and deceptively cozy. The splashy bar, featuring a baby grand piano, should soon become one of Tampa’s top after-work spots. So there’s ambiance by the boatload.
And awesome fresh seafood by the boatload, too.
Most of Mitchell’s fish does not come from local waters. A few years ago, that would have bothered me. I’ve long labored under the impression that to be truly fine, the fish you’re eating should have been swimming somewhere near you that very same day or at least the one before. But in this case, individual suppliers around the world fly their fresh catches to Tampa daily, where they’re filleted to order in the restaurant’s 36-degree cutting room (you can watch through a window). Our modern transportation network is a wonderful thing.
Start things off with some selections from the raw bar. A variety of oysters from renowned locales like Washington state’s Hood Canal and Blue Point on Long Island Sound are available daily ($1.95 each), along with clams, shrimp and crab ($7.50-$13.95).
Choose form a handful of appetizers (Chesapeake Bay Crab Cake ($11.95) is a standout – 90 percent meat, 10 percent breading), soups like Little Neck Clam Chowder, Maine Lobster Bisque and New Orleans Gumbo ($3.95-$5.95), and a half-dozen wonderful salads ($4.95-$11.95).
But save plenty of room for lunch or dinner.
Mitchell’s prints a new menu twice each day, with availability determining dishes.
Some specialties are always on-hand, but most anything else can change at a moment’s notice. Standout standards include delicious shrimp Garganelli (pasta with fresh prawns, spinach, roasted tomatoes and goat cheese in a white wine-garlic sauce; $12.95 lunch, $17.95 dinner), Hoisin-Glazed Yellowfin Tuna (a two-inch slab so fresh it’s moving, seared on the outside and coated in a sweet, sticky sauce that’s a perfect complement; $14.50, $24.95), and Cedar Roasted Atlantic Salmon (a fresh filet roasted on a cedar plank, served atop a stack of vegetables roasted on a separate plank so the flavor permeates the dish; $11.95, $21.95).
But Mitchell’s real appeal comes from the daily selection of a dozen fish, prepared any way you like ($16.50-$28.95). When we were there, the list included Atlantic Salmon from Chile, haddock from Massachusetts, swordfish from Baja, California, halibut from Nova Scotia, Tilapia from Costa Rica, lane snapper form the Caribbean, sea bass from Peru, scallops from George’s Bank, black grouper from Panama, yellowfin tuna from Hawaii, and mahi mahi and pompano from local waters.
Maine and Australian lobster are available daily, along with Alaskan king crab and a handful of prime steaks ($23.95-$44.95). If you can’t make up your mind, try one of four creative combo platters ($18.95-$20.95).
Just leave room for dessert. Lost and lots of room. Mitchell’s has a fulltime chef doing nothing but, and the results are splendid. The half-dozen outsized delights are simply mammoth, easily enough to satisfy four after a meal. Tops on the list were the Seven-Layer Carrot Cake with caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting (people have killed for less; $6.95) and a wedge of “Sharkfin Pie” – butter-fudge ice cream, honey roasted peanuts, fudge, peanut butter and a buttery Oreo cookie crust – as big as a baby’s head and looking every bit like its namesake ($6.50).
May/June 2006
You have probably never had fish this fresh. The seafood is flown in daily and prepared to exacting standards by the very well-run kitchen staff and chef. They have a passion for what they do, and you won’t believe the size of their desserts. Mitchell’s is located at Westshore Plaza in Tampa.
Space abounds at Mitchell’s Fish Market, 2601 Navy Blvd., and general manager Matt Borth said the happenings on one of the two patios sometimes make it seem like the patrons might actually be in space.
“They kind of have their own world out there,” he said
The bar patio, set in the back, seats 30 but will hold 60 standing when things get crazy, he said. Separated from the restaurant by a sliding glass door, the bar patio has its own rock music, its own staff and of course its own bar.
Most of the outdoor eating goes on at the front patio, Borth said, which seats 40 in a quieter atmosphere much like Mitchell’s interior. While the front-sitters must deal with the traffic on Navy, he said they also get a view of the park and a bit more peace to go with their quiet.
“The wind doesn’t always seem to be a huge factor” on the front patio, as it is on the bar patio, he said.
Though few in the back seem to mind, he said. The bar patio includes rope lights and large heaters under awnings, allowing the parties to start earlier in the season than weather would permit.
“They’re cranking already,” he said.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mitchell’s Fish Market at the Waterfront not only has a handsome, newly remodeled interior, it boasts a serene terrace nestled into a leafy space overlooking the Monongahela. I don’t know of a more delightful spot for a late lunch, where you can enjoy the sight of passing barges or a solitary fisherman dangling his line from a small boat. The terrace is close to the water, making the aquatic scenes look like moving Impressionist paintings.
Although Mitchell’s menu is naturally focused on seafood, there are several beef options for the carnivores. The most popular appetizers are the oyster on the half shell. There are four varieties available, $1.95 each or a sampler of 4 oysters for $7.50. A whopping platter containing one pound of Prince Edward Island pan-roasted mussels is $8.95. This should amply serve two persons as an appetizer. Seasoned with white wine, garlic and tomatoes, these fat mollusks can also double as an entrée.
At Mitchell’s, each variety of fish has one price but can be prepared in a variety of ways. I love the Shanghai preparation – the fish is steamed with ginger and scallions and served with sticky, short-grain rice, sautéed spinach and rice-wine soy sauce. When the fish is grilled or broiled, it is served with scallion-mashed potatoes and market vegetables with sweet shallot butter. If it is blackened, it comes with shrimp and andouille jambalaya, green beans and mushrooms. Added to the normal fish list of cod, snapper, mahi mahi, halibut, yellowfin tuna and Chilean sea bass, you will find the highly prized Copper River Salmon during the short May and June season. The Copper River Salmon will be $21.95. The other fish range from $15.95 (tilapia) to $28.95 (Chilean sea bass).
On a hot steamy night, one of my favorite dinners is Mitchell’s Citrus Salmon Salad ($10.95). The salad of peppery arugula and greens tossed with cashews and goat cheese in citrus vinaigrette serves as the base for a slab of freshly poached salmon. One of my colleagues is addicted to Mitchell’s iceberg wedge with Thousand Island dressing, topped with hard-boiled egg and bacon ($4.95). I also love the Hoisin-glazed Yellowfin Tuna with stir-fried vegetables and sticky rice ($22.95). Desserts are made on site and are way too big for one normal appetite. A single order of Seven-Layer Carrot Cake ($6.95) with caramel sauce should suffice for a whole table!
Mitchell’s wine list has a fair selection available by the glass ($5.95 - $8.95). Bottles are priced from $24 for a California Chardonnay or Cabernet. There are a number of domestic and imported beers available on tap or in bottles. ($3.50-$4.50)
Well-prepared fresh fish combined with an idyllic perch overlooking the Mon make Mitchell’s Fish Market worth the effort it takes to cross the Homestead Grays Bridge these days.
June 2006
“Reel. Fresh. Fish”
That’s what Mitchell’s Fish Market is all about. Never have I seen a restaurant so devoted to preparing fish in such a manner as to give delicious flavor using the original integrity of fish, as opposed to masking it in an array of sauces and ingredients.
Mitchell’s Fish Market is another impressive addition to the already popular string of restaurants at Westshore Plaza. Get to know the name well, because you will probably be hearing it more frequently. Not only is it becoming a local area favorite, but it is part of a rapidly growing restaurant group. Just as the Brinker (Macaroni Grill, Chili’s, etc) and Outback Steakhouse (Outback, Bonefish, etc) corporations have done before it, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has opened many different concept restaurants. Since 1993, Cameron Mitchell has gone from a single restaurant to 27 restaurants and 9 concepts – with no signs of slowing down.
The atmosphere is perfect for a nice evening out or an upscale business lunch. The ambiance is reminiscent of other popular restaurants such as Timpano Italian Chophouse, with rich red seating, dark brown wood, and live piano music. Mitchell’s Fish Market has added a nautical twist, completing its unique look.
Mitchell’s Fish Market features a spacious bar, perfect for happy hour or for having a pre-meal cocktail. Their offering of wines by the glass, beer, and cocktails are sure to please the entire crowd.
The menu is printed fresh daily because the fish is brought in fresh each day. Menu options include the raw bar, a large selection of fish prepared to your specifications, appetizers, soups and salads, specialties, combinations, and prime & shellfish (and sandwiches during lunch).
While specialties such as Pasta Louise – garganelli pasta, sautéed shrimp, cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, white wine garlic sauce, and goat cheese – are extremely tempting, your first trip to Mitchell’s Fish Market needs to revolve around their true specialty – fish. At six ounces during lunch and eight ounces during dinner, the fish entrees are a perfect portion. The Island Spice Tilapia with banana-panko crust, jalapeno-banana salsa, and mango vinaigrette is an excellent choice. But, be sure to note their signature fish preparation, the Shang Hai style. Choose from any of their fish to be prepared Shang Hai style – it will be some of the best seafood you have ever eaten.
And, while the food is phenomenal, Mitchell’s Fish Market knows that sometimes you might just want to cook at home yourself – which is why they equip you with all the tools you could possibly need. Mitchell’s Fish Market offers full retail section which rivals any good seafood market in selection and price. Selling their fresh fish, soups and sauces, steaks and shellfish, raw bar selections, and dessert, Mitchell’s Fish Market just might become a stop for dinner ingredients on your way home. As if that weren’t enough, Mitchell’s Fish Market also offers an incredible website that features an extensive recipe list that will coach you on how to prepare everything from Brown Sugar and Garlic Roasted Salmon to Pan-fried Yellow Perch with Roasted Corn Risotto and Blue Crab Remoulade.
Between the bar, the meals, the retail market, and the restaurant’s growing popularity, it is clear that Mitchell’s Fish Market is much more than just another fish in the sea of area restaurants.
Best of Citysearch 2005
Best Waterfront Dining
Trib Total Media - Pittsburgh
March 19, 2006
2006 Reader’s Choice Regional Award Winners
Seafood Restaurant: Bronze – Mitchell’s Fish Market
Best Fish Sandwich: Mitchell’s Fish Market
Pittsburgh Magazine
June 2006 2006 Readers’ Poll
Third Place in Seafood: Mitchell’s Fish Market
Cleveland Magazine
“The 2006 Silver Spoon Awards”
Third Place for Best Seafood
Cincinnati City Beat
Best of 2006
Best Seafood
Best of 2005
Best Seafood
America Online
City's Best 2005
Best Seafood
America Online
City's Best 2005
Best Seafood
Cincinnati Magazine
Reader's Choice Award 2003
October 2002
Cincinnati Magazine
Newsbites: Best Bite
Lansing State Journal
Lansing Chili Cook-Off June 2005
Bronze Ladle in Best Restaurant Chili category for their Crawdad Chili
Best of the Best
Best Seafood 2004, 2003
Best New Restaurant
Best Place to Have Your Parents Take You
Lansing Community Newspapers
Best Seafood 2004
The Towne Courier
People's Choice Awards
Best Seafood 2003
Cleveland Magazine
2006 Silver Spoon Award
(2nd place)
Best Seafood Restaurant
Citysearch.com, 2005
May/June 2006
Best New Hillsborough Restaurant – Mitchell’s Fish Market
Tampa Bay Magazine
Fish any fresher would still be in the ocean
Review By: Erin Thursby
Mitchell's Fish Market serves up succulent seafood
Review By: Michael Machosky
Popular seafood restaurant comes to Stamford
Keeping it fresh: Mitchell’s Fish Market, one of the nine concept restaurants Cameron Mitchell has created, opens at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
Review By: By Joyce Owen, Walton Sun, June 16, 2007
Price and quality intersect at new Mitchell's Fish Market
Review By: Bobby Tanzilo, OnMilwaukee.com
‘Fresh’ is byword of fish-focused job
Review By: Lori Darvas, The Indianapolis Star
Mitchell’s Fish Market coming to Rochester Hills
Review By: Crain’s Detroit Business
Something’s Fishy
Review By: Maisy Fernandez, Velocity Weekly
Mitchell’s Fish Market Nicely Fills A Niche
Review By: The Link Magazine
Best New Hillsborough Restaurant – Mitchell’s Fish Market
Review By: Tampa Bay Magazine
Take It Outside: Outdoor Dining Season Returns in Glenview
Review By: The Journal & Topics Newspapers
A Meal Outside “Pines Tavern, Mitchell’s and La Casa Offer the Perfect Garden Spots”
Review By: Elizabeth Downer
Reel. Fresh. Fish
Review By: Style Magazine–North Pinellas
Awards for Mitchell's Fish Market, Pittsburgh
Awards for Mitchell's Fish Market, West Chester
Awards for Mitchell's Fish Market, Newport
Awards for Mitchell's Fish Market, Lansing
