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In 2016, Doug and Mary Ketchum decided to leave Salt Lake City for Tennessee and buy a wine store. Their daughter, Stacie, has cerebral palsy and, after she contracted pneumonia and had a lung collapse, her doctor urged the family to move to a different climate. After weighing available options, the Ketchums found a store, Kimbrough Fine Wine and Spirits in Memphis. Their daughter would be in a healthier environment, and being owners of a store would allow them the flexibility to care for her.

“I really never was much of a drinker, but Mary loves wine,” said Doug. “I thought this could be a really fun thing, because it’s something she’s really passionate about.” They had never been business owners, but they’d figure it out, he said.

But when the Ketchums applied for a liquor license, the Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association (TWSRA) pointed out to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) that the Ketchums did not satisfy a state law requiring applicants to live in the state for at least two years before obtaining a license. The TABC was also considering an application from the retail chain Total Wine & More to open a Tennessee store. The TWSRA threatened to sue the state if it approved the licenses.

The TABC executive director at the time, Clayton Byrd, was unsure whether the residency law was actually constitutional, and referred it to the courts. (Byrd has since been replaced by Zackary Blair.) Both a federal district judge and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the law was unconstitutional.

The TWSRA petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case. On Jan. 16, the justices will do just that, as the parties present oral arguments.

Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Zackary Blair et al has the potential to change the way American consumers buy wine. At the heart of it is a Tennessee law that requires liquor retailers to be residents of the state for a certain amount of time before getting and renewing a license. Is the law protected by the 21st Amendment, which has given states control over alcohol laws since Prohibition was repealed? Or does the law violate the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which prevents states from erecting business barriers with other states?

And Tennessee isn’t the only state facing potential change. A broad ruling by the court could challenge other barriers to interstate wine commerce, including bans on direct-to-consumer wine shipping by retailers.

On one side, the TWSRA (the petitioner) will try to convince the justices to overturn the lower courts’ decision. On the other, Total Wine and the Ketchums (the respondents) will ask them to sustain it. And then there are more than 20 other groups, including the governments of 35 states and a coalition of wine consumers, who have filed amicus briefs, arguments by interested parties, all arguing on various aspects of the case. Here’s your guide to the fight.

How strong is the 21st Amendment?

Many Americans, especially those who enjoy the occasional drink, know that the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, ending the nationwide ban on alcohol sales. But that’s Section 1 of the Amendment. Section 2 gives states broad authority to regulate alcohol within their borders. The idea was that individual states might still want strong restrictions, or even outright bans, on alcohol.

This principle is still in place today. The Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions that state restrictions on alcohol sales are constitutional as long as they maintain the goals of the 21st Amendment: promoting temperance among citizens or maintaining an orderly alcohol market.

The TWSRA’s brief to the court argues that when Americans ratified the 21st Amendment, “they rejected Prohibition—but not the temperance goals that motivated it.” Alcohol is still a product with the potential for abuse and shouldn’t be regulated like other commercial goods, they say. (The TWSRA did not respond to requests for comment.)

An amicus brief submitted by six different associations representing local governments, including the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities, cite figures from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the cost of alcohol abuse (including health-care expenses and vehicle crashes): In 2010, the problem cost $249 billion in the U.S., from $488 million in North Dakota to $35 billion in California. Their point is that local communities are impacted first by alcohol abuse, so local solutions are the best way to regulate its sale.

Tennessee’s residency rule: legitimate law or economic protectionism?

But the courts have ruled that states do not have unlimited power over alcohol sales. In 2005, the Supreme Court’s Granholm v. Heald decision struck down bans on out-of-state winery shipping in New York and Michigan, claiming they violated the Commerce Clause as the states allowed in-state wineries to ship directly to consumers. The majority ruled that the 21st Amendment did not allow the states to discriminate against out-of-state wineries. Since then, 43 states have allowed some form of winery-direct shipping to their residents, opening up more wine options to consumers.

The Sixth Circuit Court cited Granholm as one of the reasons it found Tennessee’s residency law unconstitutional: It discriminates against out-of-state retailers who want to do business in the state, while allowing in-state retailers to do so without a waiting period.

When the state of Tennessee legalized the sale of alcohol in 1939, it created a three-tier system and imposed residency requirements for retail liquor licensees. A licensee must have been a resident of the state for two years before obtaining an initial license. And while that license expires after one year, the licensee must be a resident for 10 years in order to renew. Additionally, 100 percent of the retail company’s officers, directors and stockholders must meet these requirements.

Does this requirement maintain an orderly market in Tennessee and promote temperance, or is it economic protectionism against out-of-state interests, therefore violating the Commerce Clause?

One of the main arguments in favor of the residency law is that it requires the licensee be acquainted with the community they will be selling alcohol in, making them more attuned to its needs and accountable to its welfare. “The longtime resident who attends football games on Fridays is less likely to be duped by the drum major’s fake ID on Saturdays,” says a brief by the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee (WSWT). “She is also less likely to do business with the town drunk if she knows he will drive around on the same streets that her family and friends use.”

“Duration requirements also allow the state to better evaluate the applicant’s qualifications and history,” states the amicus brief of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a strong opponent of direct shipping.

But supporters of the respondents don’t buy this argument, since the licensee doesn’t need to reside in the community itself, but rather in the state. “The notion that someone living in Memphis is more in touch with Knoxville than someone living in Asheville, N.C., which is 250 miles closer, is silly,” states the Total Wine brief. (Total Wine executives declined to comment for this article.)

The respondents also argue that rules can be put in place to promote temperance that are not discriminatory. Total’s brief points out that Tennessee laws require liquor license applicants to go through a criminal background check and demonstrate that they have adequate moral character and business experience. Why add a durational residency requirement on top of that? “The only conceivable purpose of these requirements is to exclude nonresident owners from Tennessee’s market for off-premises sales of alcohol and thereby protect in-state retailers from competition,” their brief states.

The brief for Affluere Investments (Doug and Mary Ketchum’s business) cites not just the Commerce Clause, but also the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment. That clause gives a newly arrived resident of a state the same rights as a citizen of that state, and was enshrined in the Constitution during Reconstruction. “The original public understanding of the clause was that it would protect the ability of the newly-freed slaves—and all Americans—to travel pursuing their own free labor,” states the brief.

In their lawyers’ opinion, the Ketchums were not granted the same rights as long-term Tennessee residents when they arrived in the state. With its residency requirement, Tennessee is regulating not just the sale of alcohol products in the state but also “who can and cannot engage in economic activities.”

What does Granholm really mean?

Since the Granholm decision, two questions remain in dispute: Was the case about products or business interests? And did it apply only to producers or to retailers also?

In its amicus brief, the Open Markets Institute, a think tank that opposes monopolies, urges the court to overrule Granholm in order to “reestablish the states’ full constitutional authority to structure markets in alcohol to advance public ends.”

Other supporters of the petitioner believe Tennessee’s law should stand regardless of Granholm.”The court doesn’t need to overturn Granholm to reach a decision here,” said Spencer Nevins of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, which filed an amicus brief because of its involvement in other cases challenging Michigan laws. “Granholm made a very narrow exception to the 21st Amendment in that you cannot discriminate against out-of-state products or producers.” Supporters of Tennessee’s law claim that Granholm applies to products, not retailers or other business entities.

But Total Wine argues that products cannot be separated from the people and businesses that produce and sell them. The National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR), which supports retailer direct shipping, opines that nothing in Granholm says that retailers cannot enjoy the protections against discrimination that wineries now do. “If wineries [selling by direct shipping] are doing anything, it’s retailing,” said Tom Wark, executive director of NAWR.

The states and wholesalers repeatedly cite the majority ruling in Granholm‘s statement that the three-tier system is “unquestionably legitimate” (a quote from the 1990 North Dakota v. United States case). But while no party in this case believes the three-tier system should be done away with, Affluere Investments’ brief argues, “Granholm‘s observation that the court had previously recognized the constitutional legitimacy of the three-tier system says nothing about whether every aspect of a state’s implementation of that system will pass constitutional muster.”

We the wine drinkers

Some opponents of Tennessee’s law hope that if the Supreme Court strikes it down, it could also endanger other states’ bans on out-of-state retailer direct shipping, which are currently being challenged in Illinois, Michigan and other states.

If the Supreme Court does issue a broad ruling on regulating retailers, the case could have a major impact on alcohol consumers nationwide. Lawyer Robert Epstein, who represented a plaintiff in the Granholm case, co-wrote an amicus brief called “81 Wine Consumers” with the aim of showing the court how its decision could impact them. “We wanted them to see that we as consumers have a stake in this as well,” Epstein told Wine Spectator.

The NAWR and Epstein argue that laws like Tennessee’s not only hinder retailers’ ability to access markets, they also negatively affect consumer choice. “Wine availability is not a question of quantity—it is a matter of variety and selection,” states the 81 Wine Consumers brief. “Wines are not interchangeable.”

The consumers who attached their names to this brief (who all contributed to a GoFundMe campaign to finance it), live in 25 different states and are frustrated that they cannot buy the wines they want locally and are prohibited from buying them from out-of-state retailers. In many regional markets in the U.S., access to small-production wines or older vintages, for example, is very limited to nonexistent.

“The Internet has fulfilled the Founders’ vision of a national economic union,” declares the 81 Wine Consumers brief. But alcohol sales have not enjoyed such freedom across state lines because of its nature as an intoxicant and a desire for temperance and an orderly market. Whether or not this is a necessary or an outdated mode of thinking will be up to the highest court to decide. The justices will hear the arguments in Tennessee Retailers v. Blair on Jan. 16. A ruling is expected in the spring.

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We find out from sommelier Vincenzo Donatiello at three Michelin starred Piazza Duomo in Italy.

My third day in Florida saw me at the beach. It was beach time people! I went with no beach ready bathing suits but I was going to be at that beach come what may. Visiting South beach on Ocean drive was different from visiting Bahamas fish market which was at an area that reminded me a lot of Lagos :). Ocean drive compared to the other side of town was like night and day.

In a city where hardly anyone speaks English, my friend and I felt like we had won the lottery when our Lyft driver picked us up to go to the beach and he could speak English! “You speak English?” I asked. “yes” he responded. My friend and I screamed like two crazy people. But listen, I will be learning some Spanish make person no sell me next time

Going to the beach met us with a lot of beautiful scenery. We drove by some cruise ships. I saw a couple of Disney cruise ships and I thought at once of my Ajebutters (children). They love the water for some reason and have always wanted to go on a Disney cruise. I find myself working to give them the best that life has to offer and what I never had. I think it is so with most parents. During the drive, I also saw the largest cruise ship in the world. It has 18 floors and houses 6000 people. People are really out there living their best lives

On getting to the beach, I knew two things had to happen:

1. I had to dip my toes in the clear beach water. It was a must. Who goes to Miami without going to South beach and eating beach side?
2. I had to try a Coronarita. a Coronarita is simply margarita with one or two bottles of Corona turned upside down into a margarita glass filled with margarita and the beer slowly releases into the margarita as you drink from the glass.

After about 30 minutes on the beach, we went looking for the famous Coronarita and while walking the most talked about side walks of Ocean drive, we were stopped by a very “don’t take no for an answer” waitress who talked us into trying the drinks at the tables of Majestic for a two for the price of one deal. She introduced herself as Christina while we sat down and within 10 minutes, she brought our drinks. She was such a tiny lady, I wondered how she held our drinks with her tiny hands. Although the sizes of the drinks and the two corona bottles in each glass seemed a little intimidating, I was too excited to let it kill my joy. I was going to experience this drink whole heartedly and without fuss.

As I sipped, I got happier. Alcohol would do that to you :). Looking at the menu, I opted for a beef quesadilla. I wanted to know how the people in Miami made theirs. Was it going to be different from the ones we got in Georgia? My friend went for the fried wings with buffalo and ranch dressings with a side of French fries. I have to point out that Majestic on Ocean drive, is the only restaurant I have been to that serves you fried wings with an option of a dipping sauce. Most restaurants toss their wings in whatever sauce you choose and as much as I am a foodie, I don’t always find my wings tossed in sauce to be delicious. I sometimes want to dip my wings in my sauce just like I dipped my toes in the ocean and chose not to bath myself in the salty water

My quesadillas came oozing with cheese. When it comes to quesadillas, my plate from majestic is my favorite. I enjoyed my table on the side walk, sipping on coronarita and biting into deliciously cheesy quesadillas topped with sour cream and avocado. I tried a piece of wing from my friend’s plate and it was unbelievably warm and so crispy you could hear yourself biting into the fleshy wing. There is nothing as beautiful as biting into really good food.

 

We were having such a good time, we decided to slowly eat, drink and gist about everything; from boys to our children. We got tempted by a cigar girl to try cigars and we fell flat for the temptation. I got a small cigar that tasted like vanilla while my friend got one that tasted like cherries.  If you want to try cigars for the first time, go small. That way, you know if you’ll like it or not. Immediately, I got inducted into the cigar hall of fame because I puffed on the stick like a pro. I even began to think I was related the godfather at some point

 

While puffing on my cigar, we ordered dessert. I wanted something warm and chocolatey with some ice cream to make the warmth feel complete. you know how salty and sweet comes together or how spicy and sweet leaves you wanting for more? Warm and cold makes you feel even better. Biting into the warm chocolatey brownie with cool ice cream gave me all kinds of foodgasms. From the coronarita to the quesadilla and on to dessert, I got a high that I couldn’t even explain and that high saw me through the whole day. As for our waitress, she is one waitress with the attitude to beat. She had the most positive attitude. I came to find out that they (wait staff at majestic) had to sometimes solicit customers from the street to sit at their tables and you have to be sometimes and aggressive and street smart. I don’t even remember how Christina got us to sit at her table. but I had an amazing time and to me, that’s all that counts!

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The end is coming: The final season of everyone’s favorite medieval-fantasy-gorefest-drama debuts on HBO this April, and we’re not quite prepared to say goodbye to all the incredible wine references made throughout the show (we’ll always have Tyrion Lannister‘s immortal credo “I drink and I know things”). But one winery in Bordeaux has come up with a way for wine-loving superfans to give a proper sendoff to the beloved series: a taste of a real-life version of that fantastic Dornish wine all those Westerosi enophiles, Tyrion in particular, have been rav(en)ing about for the past seven seasons.

Vigneron Thibault Bardet of Vignobles Bardet, across the Narrow Sea over in St.-Emilion, got the idea to research how wine from Dorne would actually taste based on how it has been described in the GoT books and series, as well as how the climate of the arid southernmost region of Westeros is portrayed.

“The project began after watching an episode of Game of Thrones with a friend,” Bardet told Unfiltered. “We thought that it may be very interesting to have the possibility to drink the wine from Dorne. Sadly, after some research, I discovered that there wasn’t a wine like that. So I decided to make my own.” (His libation is not to be confused with HBO’s branded GoT merch wine.)

Rarely an episode goes by that we don’t see a noble character holding a goblet of wine aloft as they make covert alliances or order death sentences, so we know the juice is likely quite good. Still, “in the TV show, they don’t speak a lot about the Dornish wine taste, but in the book, there are so many descriptions about it,” Bardet said. “After reading all [of the books], I had more than 40 pages of wine information. The main information was: fruity, powerful but easy to drink, and [with] intense dark color.”

For Thibault and his father, Philippe, that description had Merlot written all over it. Once they had their grape, they knew they would need to source it from vines in sandy soils, to mimic the terrain of the fictional peninsula that is Dorne; a warm, dry summer in Bordeaux in 2016 gave them appropriately Dornish weather.

The result is not one but two cuvées made in the Dornish style: Dornish Wine Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux Red 2016 and The Imp’s Delight St.-Emilion Red 2016. The latter—named after the wine Tyrion hopes to one day make when he retires from the spotlight and purchases his own vineyard—is vinted without sulfites, which Thibault thinks is probably how Dornish wine would have been made in those mythical days.

And while Westerosis (and Wine Spectators) typically prefer wine, those seeking the harder stuff might enjoy a new collection from HBO and Diageo of eight single-malt Scotch whiskies, each one corresponding with a major royal house in the GoT universe—the Lagavulin 9 Year Old House Lannister, the Dalwhinnie Winter’s Frost House Stark, and so on. “Valar dohaeris,” as they say—”all must serve.”

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Nail Salon Puts Tiny Champagne Flutes, Vodka Bottles at/on Your Fingertips

Russia-based nail-salon chain Nail Sunny wants to help you to keep your favorite glass of bubbly on hand at all times—literally. That’s the idea behind one of the salon’s new nail-art concepts: Mini acrylic-like molds of Champagne, vodka and brandy bottles (plus a mimosa pitcher) are sculpted and decorated, sealed to nails on one hand, then filled with actual alcohol using a small syringe. The party really gets out of hand—again, literally, of course—when the wearer “pours” the bottles’ contents into the molds perched atop their other hand, of tiny Champagne flutes and cocktail glasses.

From the looks of Nail Sunny’s Instagram account, the whimsical manicurists previously topped nails with baby bottles, flower corsages, chess pieces, lightbulbs, bottle openers and hand tools (once more, literally): functional fingertip Phillips-head and slotted screwdriver bits. Unfiltered is now headed to Moscow to get a set of corkscrews on one hand, and on the other, a foil cutter, Port tongs (two fingers), Champagne saber and Coravin.

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A post shared by Nail Sunny (@nail_sunny) on Dec 29, 2018 at 10:17am PST

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Scots Call for House of Lords to be Disgorged Over Champagne Habits

Britons deploy the euphemism “tired and emotional” to describe one’s state after imbibing, say, a mite too much Champagne. And Parliament’s House of Lords has been getting frequently tired and emotional on a not-insignificant amount of Pol Roger, according to figures obtained by the Scottish National Party. This while the Scots are getting very (literally) tired and emotional at all the antics of their neighbors south of the wall in the lead-up to their Brexit bugbear.

This latest hurly-burly began when the SNP discovered that the House of Lords’ mostly private watering holes in Parliament served 679 bottles of Champagne and Prosecco in the 2017-18 session, at what the SNP characterizes as discounted prices, subsidized by taxpayers who rarely have access to the members’ wine and dining venues. The subjects of the Crown pay about $1.5 million in taxes annually that goes toward catering and other Parli parties, including $894,000 on the Lords’ dining room.

“The House of Lords is a democratic disgrace—with party donors and cronies given a say on our laws without the chance for voters to kick them out,” Member of the Scottish Parliament Bill Kidd told the National (“the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland,” it should be noted). “It’ll stick in the craw of voters to hear that these unelected Lords are guzzling Champagne and Prosecco while others are struggling.”

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This simple dairy ingredient can work its magic in starters, mains and desserts. From dips to frosting, find all the recipes you need here.

The Japanese wine industry is maturing, gaining new recognition and increasing sales thanks to improving quality. That’s led the government to take the first steps toward a true appellation system, noting on labels where grapes were grown.

But that’s created a challenge for wineries, because most don’t own vineyards and many source fruit from multiple regions. And an aging population of farmers means that vineyard acreage is actually shrinking just as demand for local wines is growing.

New laws safeguard Japanese terroir

Wine is the only sector of Japan’s alcoholic beverage market that is growing annually by volume. In 2017, the government granted manufacturing licenses for fruit wine to 39 new entities, according to the National Tax Agency.

Before the new regulations, there were few rules for labeling wine in Japan. This meant consumers with little knowledge of domestic wine couldn’t easily distinguish between bottles. Wine made from imported grape juice concentrate was sold alongside domestic wine as “Japanese.”

Imported grapes could also be blended with domestic grapes, and the resulting wines sold without concern for place names. There were no official restrictions on naming regions on labels when mixing grapes from different locations, with the exception of wines sourced from the Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures. (Those regions have a longer winemaking history, and labeling laws were enacted more than a decade ago.)

The new regulations from the National Tax Agency, which went into effect at the end of October 2018, state that only wines made from 100 percent domestically grown grapes can be labeled as Japanese wine. The rules also create a new geographical indication system restricting the use of place names to wines using at least 85 percent fruit from that place. Also, more than 85 percent of a single grape variety must be used to put the grape name on the label.

With new rules, complications

While the new law will make it clear to consumers where their wine comes from, it’s also creating headaches for wineries. For a long time, wineries were not permitted to have vineyards. New rules passed in 2009 included measures to allow wineries to rent agricultural land, but it is still much cheaper for wineries to buy fruit than to cultivate vines.

While large companies are starting to plant their own vineyards and more established wineries have long-term relationships with farmers, smaller producers have to build partnerships and make spot buys, often from different areas each year. Under the new geographical indicator rules, wineries might need to redesign labels annually.

Hisayuki Kawabe, winemaker at Takahata Wine in Yamagata, said that many of Japan’s wineries name themselves after their town or local area, but don’t always source grapes from the same place. “Three quarters of our wine is made with local fruit,” said Kawabe, who spent 15 years making wine in California, “and I’m making the needed adjustments with careful consideration about how best to present new information on the labels.”

Takahata Wine also makes more than 50 private labels for hotels, resorts and other businesses around the country that want souvenirs to offer customers. All those clients will need to adjust their labels. Kawabe worries that up to half of the smaller businesses might simply stop their orders because the cost and time of consultation and redesign might be too much.

Grape shortages on the horizon

The changes come at a time when the number of farmers is declining. Over the past 10 years, Japanese vineyard land has decreased by 3,600 acres, a reduction of roughly 8 percent, according to government statistics. While there are more wineries, the number of growers is decreasing due to the aging population. There are also reports that some elderly farmers refuse to sell land held by their families for generations, despite not having successors.

Even Japan’s most popular grape is hard to find. Koshu is a white grape variety, slightly pink in color, and long-grown in Yamanashi. A hybrid of Vitis vinifera and Asian grapes, it is considered native to Japan. Roughly 10 years ago, many growers replanted their vineyards, switching from Koshu to table grape varieties that sold for higher prices. Then, Koshu wine started to gain popularity, pushed enthusiastically by Japan’s wine community as being uniquely Japanese.

“The amount of Koshu grapes being grown is far below what winemakers would like,” said Kunio Naito, managing director of Tokyo importer and retailer Cave de Relax.

Lessons from two historic regions

While the new laws will create growing pains, two historic wine regions that have had similar rules for more than 15 years show the long-term impact may be good for the wine industry. Yamanashi is Japan’s oldest and most famous wine region—the first record of wine produced there is from the 16th century, and some believe winemaking dates even farther back. It’s home to quality wineries like Château Mercian. It has the highest number of wineries and is home to the town of Koshu, which the grape was named for. Just across the border in Nagano is Shiojiri, another well-known wine area.

Toru Mochizuki, an advisor at the Yamanashi Wine Manufacturer’s Association, said most Yamanashi wineries use local grapes. Wineries there have been focusing on growing the region.

Neighboring Nagano has acted to encourage growth within its wine sector by designating four new wine areas, said Sasateru Maruyama, an official at the local spirits section of the Nagano prefectural government. “The Chikumagawa, Kikyogahara, Nihon Alps and Tenryugawa Wine Valleys promote wine production and tourism in the regions,” said Maruyama.

The region is also addressing the issues of dwindling farmland. “Despite the decrease in farmers here, the area of local cultivation is increasing as prefectural policies and training programs help wineries and younger growers take over farmland,” said Takaro Miyajima, from the government’s horticulture and livestock division. New vineyards are also being created with joint funding from the Japanese government.

While the new regulations will strengthen the position of Japan’s winemakers, the next step is ensuring vintners have enough grapes and educating consumers about regional wine. And it will be up to winemakers to make that push. “There are no penalties attached to the new regulations,” said Kawabe. “We don’t know if everyone is going to protect the new regulations or not.”

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I have never been to the Bahamas, so when I was told that the Bahamas fish market was a great place to get seafood in Florida, I slept counting sheep because I couldn’t wait. After watching an episode of “Parts unknown” with the late Anthony Bourdain eating fried fish in the Bahamas, I knew my experience was going to be kind of close. Besides that, I had always wanted to go to Miami because apart from it being kind of a one stop hub for Cuban food, I wanted to simply experience the beauty of the ocean and eat fried seafood; yes! fried seafood.

Getting to Bahamas fish market, I didn’t know what part of town I was at but it reminded me so much of Nigeria. There were different stores and mechanics around the corner. The whole environment though busy was quite bubbly. It felt like being in Lagos in the day time

 

Walking into the restaurant felt like being human in an aquarium as the restaurant was painted to look like one or even like the sea. If I wasn’t sane, I would have thought I was Ariel from the little mermaid.

The Bahamas fish market reminded me of a small Nigerian food shack/diner. It was filled with friendly people and really good food. In Nigeria, we have places where one can get the point and kill fish. It’s a place where when you visit, they show you an array of live fish and seafood. You pick the one that interests you and tell them how you want it cooked; according to what they have on the menu.

In Bahamas fish market, the fish/seafood is already harvested and cleaned then placed in an ice box to be preserved for the customers for the day.

Trying to take a seat in the restaurant, I did not know what to expect. I just knew I wanted some Cuban spiced fried fish. On sitting down, a beautiful waitress who introduced herself as Nadia walked to my table with a glass of water, a bowl of lime and a small basket of saltine crackers. I had to stop myself from eating the crackers because I had waited all day for some seafood

I ordered some fried oysters as my appetizer before realizing they had ceviche. If you have never had ceviche before, you have got to try it. It’s basically a seafood dish made from fresh seafood/fish cured with lemon or lime. It is then seasoned with spices, onions and herbs. Personally, I prefer ceviche to sushi; even if they both serve different purposes and taste differently. After ordering oysters for my appetizer, I decided to order a serving of fried fish for my main course. To make my order of fish, Nadia walked me to the ice box where they were being preserved and I had to make a choice. I was spoiled for choices and though I wanted some cod, I settled for a pound of yellow tail snapper, yellow rice and tostones; (pronounced “tos..to..nes”) which is simply twice fried unripe plantains.

The oysters, fresh and cleaned; then seasoned, battered and fried was served piping hot with fresh lime and tartar sauce. I have to say it was one of the freshest and most delicious oysters I ever had. It didn’t taste like it came from a freezer. I kept munching on each piece forgetting I had ordered some fish for my main course.

 

My fish was brought to me by Nadia and just like the oysters, it was piping hot and you could smell the crispiness of the oil. You know when Nigerians ask “can you hear the smell?” I could hear the crisp smell and I dug right in using my hands. I ate a bit of the rice and some of the tostones, but the fish was the main attraction. The whole dish was served with a tiny ramekin filled with a mixture of chopped sweet peppers and onions drenched in lime. It kind of reminded me of eating fish and attieke. This mixture was what I instinctively poured on my fish and the taste went from 100-100 in a matter of seconds. At this point, I had to order a cold bottle of Coors Light which was served with a chilled glass and a lime wedge.

I forgot all about the side dishes until I had devoured almost the whole fish. I was so full, I felt my stomach would burst open. Imagine your stomach is the size of your fist and I have a tiny fist, so you see My stomach was pleased and filled with crispy fried oysters and fish I felt so full, I had to take the remaining fish home. I normally wouldn’t eat a fish head, but I wasn’t going to let this particular fish head go just like that. I ate all the pieces and sucked on the bones until they were dry and white. That’s what you do when you are served really good food

I wouldn’t forget Bahamas fish market in a hurry. The good food and the great conversation with Raphael, Consuela and my waitress; the beautiful Nadia.

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