Are you a seafood lover? One of the things we love to highlight at Marina Mercantile is that we offer the largest selection of quality tinned fish in the area, allowing you to indulge in the taste of the sea. From sardines to anchovies, and smoked oysters to razor clams, you can find a variety of options to satisfy your seafood cravings.
We didn't just jump on the tinned fish bandwagon, both Richard and I grew up in families that fished, hunted, and smoked their own meats. We grew up eating a wide variety of foods from other cultures. I'm a local and I always say I grew up in Western Washington, we moved seven times before I started high school, so it is easier to say I'm "from Western Washington" than list a hometown. I have lived here in the Burien / NORMANDY PARK area for over 25 years. As a kid , I remember my family mostly fished most in rivers for steelhead and trout or my dad, his brothers, and my grandpa would go out to sea on charters. I remember dipping for smelt in the Cowlitz river then my brother and I putting the fish in our bathtub to convince our parents to let us keep them! I mean, fresh pan fried smelt is a blissful meal. We would also dig for clams and razors on the Long Beach peninsula, where my folks had a little place. So many summers spent running around those beaches like wild things.
But back to tinned fish. My dad and my grandpa Larry loved tinned fish and those weird little Vienna sausages with crackers and cheese. As a kid I thought those were the best snacks. I have moved on from Vienna sausages, but tinned fish is still a favorite snack or meal of mine. While I love sardines, squid, clams, and oysters my biggest loves are smoked tuna, smoked salmon, and especially, smoked trout. Richard and I are always on the lookout for interesting varieties and our current favorite is anything from Wildfish Cannery on Kalwock, Alaska. Interested in learning more about tinned fish? Stop by and we will likely talk your ears off. Stay tuned for our first ever tinned fish tasting.