It's amazing that as springtime comes around, our spirits seem noticeably lifted. The warmer weather and the sunny skies are reflected in our smiles as we start doing more outdoor activities and enjoying the flowers, green grass and budding trees the season brings.

Speaking from the world of Wildfire, the smiles get even bigger when we make our big announcement: halibut season has begun! So many devoted fans of our Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut delight in hearing this news, as it's been at least four months since they've enjoyed this treat. This item has been one of our most popular signature dishes for the last 13 years or so. 

Halibut was the highlight of my April 24, 2009 blog. In that blog, I talked about how the Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut came to be and discussed halibut's sustainability and Wildfire's commitment to the Chicago Shedd Aquarium's Rite Bite Program. This time, I want to talk to you a little more about the process of how halibut is caught and brought to the restaurant.

Through Bonnie Axelson, the proprietor of one of our seafood suppliers, Seafood Merchants, I was able to briefly chat with Andreas Ness, a halibut fisherman. He was just about to embark on a five day journey that would take him from Seattle, Washington to Juneau, Alaska for the opening of halibut season. The season for halibut fishing generally begins around the third week of March and last until mid-November.

Having a dependable source for seafood is something I'll never take for granted.  I've always had the utmost respect for these amazing fishermen who manage to fight so many elements to bring us consistently fresh and flavorful halibut. Knowing what Andres goes through for his livelihood has given me  a deepened appreciation for each piece of halibut that comes out of our kitchens.

Andres shared the process of fishing for halibut with me as well as these action photos taken on one of their outings. From the fishing boat they throw out long lines with baited hooks some 200 fathoms (each fathom equals approximately 6 feet) and bring in each line caught fish one by one. Once on the boat the halibut is quickly cleaned and iced down. Each boat brings back a surprisingly small amount of fish, but this allows them to get the caught fish back to the processing plant rather quickly. Bonnie of Seafood Merchants informed me that this is due to their high standards for quality and freshness. Within 24 - 48 hours of the catch, the halibut are in our restaurants.

Because of the popularity of our Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut, we go through thousands of pounds of halibut per week. Wildfire's halibut season begins March 26^th.  If you've never tried this dish, make sure you don't let another season pass you by!

Nice to see all those smiling faces once again!

From the wood burning oven,