At Seafood Gourmet in Maywood, fresh wild fish is everywhere you look

On the way to the dining room at Seafood Gourmet, the fish market and restaurant in Maywood, customers on Saturday passed a display of wild-caught coho salmon and other fresh fish on a bed of ice, above; and shelves of prepared seafood, including Penne with Shrimp, Broccoli and Garlic & Oil, and Hickory Smoked Trout, below.

Editor's note: This post was revised to correct the day I visited Seafood Gourmet. It was Saturday, not Thursday, as I wrote originally.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

If you love fresh wild-caught seafood, you'll find a home at Seafood Gourmet, the fish market and restaurant on Maywood's bustling main street.

For our late lunch on Saturday, both me and my wife chose dishes with wild shrimp -- the only kind served in the 38-seat dining room behind the market.

I was in the mood for pasta, but got pulled this way and that by the lunch specials, including day boat sea scallops, a fritto misto; and a char-grilled trio of wild salmon, shrimp and octopus.

I picked a fourth special, Shrimp Santorini -- crunchy sauteed jumbo shrimp finished in a light plum tomato sauce, served over whole-wheat pasta and topped with feta cheese ($15).

A side salad, normally $3, was included.

My wife had Ceasar Salad with Shrimp ($12),  from the regular menu, and there was no charge for her cup of Lobster Bisque.

We also ordered takeout, Sole Stuffed with Lobster, an entree that came with rice and steamed vegetables ($16).

Fresh wild seafood, imaginative preparation, moderate prices and good service make every meal there a pleasure.

In northern New Jersey, only the sinfully expensive Legal Sea Foods in Paramus can match the quality of Seafood Gourmet. 

The whole-wheat pasta used in Shrimp Santorini was good, but organic whole-wheat pasta from Italy, such as the Luigi Vitelli brand sold at ShopRite, would be better.

Caesar Salad with Shrimp.

We shared a side of Sauteed Spinach ($5).

A side salad and a cup of Lobster Bisque were included.

The Lunch Specials menu on Saturday.

Seating is at tables for two or four, and when we walked into the dining room at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon with a half-bottle of red wine, most of them were occupied.

Seafood Gourmet is a BYO.

Details

Seafood Gourmet Fish Market & Restaurant, 103 W. Pleasant Ave., Maywood; 1-201-843-8558. Closed Sundays.

BYO, free street parking, reservations recommended for dinner, especially on weekends.

Website: The Restaurant at Seafood Gourmet