Fishing for Sustainability: The quest for a more viable culinary scene

As the old adage goes, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Sure, the analogy makes a great cure-all piece of advice for someone going through a breakup (and an equally great dating-site name), but it also can be taken quite literally.

Look at almost any seafood menu, and you'll find a pretty universal, fairly limited selection of popular fish: grouper, salmon, tuna, seabass — the list goes on. Not only are most of these species overfished or unsustainably harvested, but there's also a wide variety of other viable options that are more plentiful and just as appetizing.

These fish, coined "trash fish" by fishermen who typically throw back the less desirable crop, took the main stage at chef Steve Phelps' inaugural Trash Fish Dinner last year. Sustainability has always been important to the James-Beard nominated chef and owner of Indigenous, so he organized the collaborative dinner to educate diners, highlight alternative species and emphasize conservation in an effort to change the way we eat.

Just 10 days after announcing the second annual dinner, which takes place at 8 p.m. this Sunday at Louie's Modern, the event was sold out.

"I think that says a lot," says Phelps. "Last year, we were down to the wire selling tickets. This year, we sold 100 tickets in 10 days, and people are still asking if there is availability. I can tell this crowd is really into the education aspect. They're fishermen, food enthusiasts and people who really want to do something with this knowledge."

This year's dinner, presented in partnership with Edible Sarasota, features new chefs, including Kyle Harrington from Libby's, Casey Lund from Shore Diner, Paul Mattison from Mattison's, Darwin Santa Maria from Santa Maria Consulting, Mark Woodruff from MADE Restaurant, Louise Kennedy Converse from Artisan Cheese Company and, of course, Phelps. The evening will highlight underutilized fish, such as bar jack, banded rudderfish, knobbed porgy, mullet and others, and proceeds will benefit Chefs Collaborative, a nonprofit sustainability organization that has popularized these types of dinners in larger cities. 

Phelps says he wants to continue to grow the event, possibly expanding to a weeklong series in the future, and do his part to introduce sustainable eating to Sarasota's philanthropic community.

"I hope we start to see more events like this," he says. "The interest is there, so I want to ride that momentum. There are so many opportunities — invasive-species dinners, neglected-fruit dinners — we've got a lot planned."

+ Trash Fish Dinner Pre-Party — takes place at 8 p.m. at Libby's L-Bar, 1917 S. Osprey Ave. 

Not quick enough to score a ticket before Trash Fish sold out? Don’t worry; you can still meet the chefs, learn about the cause and sample some trash-fish light bites at this pre-party. Guests will also have the chance to win one of four remaining tickets to Sunday night's dinner.