St. Petersburg Times
Ah, to food blog again...
I was glad to see this issue brought to light. I quit a lucrative job last year because the "chef" purposely and with no real reason as to why sold all types of fish as others, at inflated prices. I have a high level of integrity when it comes to food, and feel it's my professional responsibilty to educate the consumer on foods, so if fresh Florida Grouper is too expensive, or not available, then I believe it's my duty to teach the diner that other fish from the Gulf of Mexico, or Atlantic are out there, and have a high quality of flavor and nutrition. I believe the diner is or can be educated, and do not believe in the "I know more about food than you" attitiude so many chefs I've met have. When the local news is running daily stories about a Grouper ban, how in good conscious can I still be advertising Florida Black Grouper?
The article clearly outlines how to recognize restuarants selling imitation Grouper by price. It's not to say the $7.99 sandwich isn't tasty, it just isn't what is advertised.
I have no issue with Tilipia, just don't want to pass it off as what it isn't. That can go for a lot of species. There's more than Red Snapper out there, why not just say it's Porgie?
I'm also glad to read that some of the local franchises are re-wording their menus to reflect the true nature of their products. That should be the case in all ingredients, not just with fish.