Conservation
Right Bite Partners
Shedd is proud to partner with Chicago-area restaurants, retailers, caterers, purveyors and culinary schools to build demand for sustainable seafood in our marketplace. Right Bite partners receive staff training on seafood issues provided by Shedd experts. They also pledge to offer at least two sustainable seafood options at all times and, if applicable, to permanently remove at least one unsustainable choice from their menus or product inventories. Shedd is committed to helping our partners find and promote the highest quality and most environmentally friendly seafood available. Our partners know that we mean business when it comes to sustainable seafood, but equally as important, our partners know that we care about their business.
Are you a chef, retailer, or culinary instructor interested in joining our Right Bite program? E-mail rightbite@sheddaquarium.org for more information.
Restaurants
NAHA
If you're a foodie, you likely know of 2008 James Beard Award winner Carrie Nahabedian. She’s the owner of NAHA, a top Chicago restaurant and local icon for Chicago’s sustainability movement. NAHA's menu features sustainable choices like striped bass, lake whitefish and a Right Bite team favorite, arctic char.
Oceanique
ZAGAT ranks Oceanique as the premier seafood restaurant in the Chicago area. Lucky for us and our oceans, owner and executive chef Mark Grosz is just as passionate about healthy fisheries as his tasty entrees. Try one of Oceanique’s sustainable recipes at home: crispy fish ’n chips with parsley aioli.
Parkers’ Restaurant & Bar
When Parkers’ Restaurant & Bar chef Patrick McLaughlin learned about the issues surrounding seafood, his fascination with the ocean grew. He earned his scuba certification and spends much of his vacation time exploring the undersea world. Michelle Jost, director of sustainable practices, recommends Parkers’ wild Alaska halibut, “wood-roasted, please.”
Prairie Grass Café
Sarah Stegner, the James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Prairie Grass Café, learned firsthand about sustainable seafood after spending time with fishermen on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Be sure to save room for dessert when you visit! Prairie Grass Café features homemade pies by Chef Sarah’s mom, Elizabeth Stegner.
Shaw’s Crab House (in Chicago and Schaumburg)
Right Bite has many fond memories of Shaw’s Crab House. It’s where Kassia Perpich, sustainable seafood coordinator, learned how to slurp oysters. It’s also where Michelle Jost, director of sustainable practices, goes to enjoy a bowl of her favorite clam chowder. Ask your server to see Shaw’s sustainable seafood menu!
Uncommon Ground (on North Clark Street and West Devon Avenue)
With executive chef Brian Millman offering dishes like crispy halibut fish tacos and grilled Rushing Waters trout, the Right Bite team recommends that a visit to Uncommon Ground not be an uncommon occurrence.
Wildfire (in Chicago, Oakbrook, Lincolnshire, Schaumburg and Glenview)
Wildfire’s executive chef partner, Joe Decker, insists that the macadamia nut-crusted Alaska halibut has its own devoted fan base. After one bite, the Right Bite team definitely understood why. With Wildfire's five Chicago-area locations, this delicious and sustainable entree is easily within reach.
Retailers
Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop
Dirk Fucik, owner of Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop, is one of the friendliest fishmongers in Chicago. When visiting, you’ll find the Right Bite team’s favorite scallop and roasted tomato soup, but you won’t find shark, bluefin tuna, or orange roughy. Dirk no longer sells them due to environmental concerns.
Peapod LLC
Shopping for sustainable seafood is a breeze thanks to Shedd’s partnership with Peapod LLC, the country’s leading online grocer. Shoppers can type “Shedd approved” into Peapod’s search field to be taken to a virtual grocery “aisle” featuring sustainable seafood products selected by the Right Bite team.
Caterers
City Provisions
The Right Bite team first met City Provisions chef Cleetus Friedman at one of his delicious supper clubs. After spending just five minutes with Cleetus, his passion for sustainability was obvious. Hear Cleetus enthusiastically chat about sustainable seafood in the Chicago Public Radio segment, Eating Sustainable Seafood in Chicago.
Food for Thought
We suspected that the food service provider for the Adler Planetarium, Food for Thought, was out of this world. Our suspicions proved correct! Try one of Executive Chef Chris Opper’s delicious and sustainable recipes, aji panca pan-fried farm-raised catfish with yellow tomato and sweet potato.
Monogramme Events & Catering
Chef Melissa Graham of Monogramme Events & Catering has an especially soft spot for sustainable seafood. As a child on Long Island, she enjoyed her mother’s homemade clam chowder. Create your own seafood memories by trying Melissa’s whitefish diablo with fennel-olive relish.
Purveyors
Fortune Fish Company
In 2007, Fortune Fish Company launched its sustainability initiative in partnership with Shedd. The company highlights a sustainable seafood every two months. For every pound of that fish sold, Fortune donates a portion of the revenue to not-for-profit conservation organizations. Fortune is also a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified purveyor.
The Plitt Company
The Plitt Company is the first purveyor in Chicago to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certification. In 2008 the company won a prestigious Seafood Champion Award for its sustainability efforts, which includes improving Gulf of Mexico red snapper management and supporting fishing families and cooperatives in Alaska.
Seafood Merchants
The Right Bite team was thrilled to receive a call from Seafood Merchants in 2008. They had been hearing concerns about seafood sustainability from their customers. Within weeks of our connection, Seafood Merchants began the process to become a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified purveyor.
Supreme Lobster
Kassia Perpich, sustainable seafood coordinator, insists her workday isn’t complete without a call from Supreme Lobster sales rep Carl Galvan (a.k.a. Chicago Fish Dude), who is full of great ideas for promoting sustainability. Check out Carl and the Right Bite team in this recent podcast about seafood in Chicago.
Culinary Schools
Chicago Public Schools – Culinary and Hospitality Arts Program
Kendall College
Greater Chicago Food Depository – Chicago’s Community Kitchens
Robert Morris University
Other Friends
61st Street Farmers Market, Aquaranch, Chefs Collaborative, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, Facets Cinematique, Glenview Farmers Market, Green City Market, Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance, John Ball Zoo, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Lexington College, Minnesota Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Notre Dame Food Services, Purple Asparagus, Rushing Waters Trout Farm, Sky Full of Bacon, Slow Food Chicago, Whole Foods Market
Right Bite dinner
Calling all foodies! Every other month, Shedd holds a Right Bite sustainable seafood dinner at one of our partner restaurants. Learn more and make your reservation for the next delicious evening.
