Fans of downing delicious whole fish, we have good news for you! The annual herring-palooza that is the new catch Holland herring season has begun, and the first buttery boatload is ready for you. Go quick, there aren't that many more fish in the sea!
Celebrated with a national holiday in Holland, the mild young herring that are the Hollandse Nieuwe are traditionally eaten in a very particular manner: the eater tilts their head back, opens mouth like harbor seal, chews a bit, and gulps. Think of it as sword swallowing, but with fish instead of blades. And a whole lot tastier.
Both the Grand Central Oyster Bar and Russ & Daughters on Houston got their first batch in yesterday and expect to have them for at least the next six weeks. But just because those fillets of fish are small, don't expect them to come cheap. R&D will charge you $4.49 per herring, or ten herring for $39.95 while the Grand Central Oyster Bar will charge you $7 per fillet. Know a place in town where we can find the Nieuwe stuff for less? We're all ears!
Meanwhile, if you prefer to eat your herring in a crowd, Russ & Daughters is again throwing a $75 herring celebration at Astor Center, this time with with the Spotted Pig's April Bloomfield as the non-fish attraction, on June 28.
