By Tamara Endicott
HQ 43 | WINTER 2002
One of the unusual culinary mysteries in Huntington is the love of a good fish sandwich. Few people have speculated about the reasons why, but Joe Beter, proprietor of Jewel City Seafood Market, believes it stems from Huntington’s rich history of heavy river and railway traffic — when finding good seafood in Huntington was the norm and not the exception.
“At the turn of the century when Huntington was booming, up until the 1940s and 50s, Huntington’s restaurants used to have a lot of seafood on their menus,” says Beter. “There even used to be a couple of fish companies down on the river. All the trains came through here and they used to railroad everything down from D.C., including big iced down barrels of oysters. If you look at a menu of the old Frederick Hotel from 1910-1915 when they first opened up, three-quarters of the menu was seafood. This used to be a big river city and we’ve forgotten that.”
Jewel City Seafood Market was originally opened as a retail-only business, but Beter soon found a strong need for a takeout menu. Since the market began offering sandwiches and dinners, the business has seen an 80 to 120 percent increase in sales from the previous year.
“When we were just a fish market we were only catering to 10 percent of the population,” said Beter. “When we changed over and started doing cooking in this town, we made lots of fish sandwiches. This town loves fish sandwiches. I didn’t realize how popular it was. My dad told me that when I first opened up, ‘You need to sell fish sandwiches.’ It’s turned out to be 60 percent of our business and growing every day. Our retail still has that locked-in customer base and is growing, but not nearly as fast.”
Jewel City Seafood Market, located at 2759 Fifth Avenue, derives its name from another turn of the century tradition. Riverboat captains used to nickname the cities along the river and Huntington was heralded as the Jewel City. Although, a trip into the market feels more like walking into a seafood shack found in an East Coast harbor.
The seafood market was Huntington’s first business license of the millennium and Beter believes that fact, coupled with local and family history, is a sure sign things were meant
to be. “I learned later that my Uncle Mike started out here in Huntington years ago and had a place on 16th Street where he made fish sandwiches,” says Beter. “And what’s even stranger is the apartment I live in is where he used to clean the fish back in the garage. I found out all this after I started this market.”
One of the most anticipated pleasures while planning a vacation to the beach, says Beter, is the opportunity to dine on fresh seafood every night. West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky are considered a “retail dead zone” by the seafood industry, but Beter is working to change that idea. After 20 years in the seafood business, traveling regularly from Maine to Miami, Beter has the knowledge and connections necessary to bring fresh seafood into the community. His goal is to allow Huntingtonians to enjoy their oceanic favorites right here at home.
“Up here we just have to work a little bit harder, a little bit smarter, to bring this in,” says Beter. “It’s kind of neat. I like what I’m doing. And it’s because we’ve got something special that everybody really likes it. If you look at the way our menu is set up, it’s inspired by items from Florida and the Outer Banks. That’s where a lot of people vacation and that’s what they expect.
“The funny thing about it is, I went to South Carolina for the first time this year, because all my customers are always coming in and telling me about the Outer Banks. Well, I got down there and realized they are all buying from the same people I’m buying from and their prices are more expensive than what we sell seafood for up here.”
With Huntington’s growing diversity comes a customer base of buyers who grew up in island nations like the Philippines and Japan, says Beter, many of whom previously had to drive to large metropolitan cities to stock up on weekly seafood supplies. The 20 year relationships he has established along the East Coast allow Beter to obtain a higher quality product for customers who know the difference. Beter likes offering his patrons not only “cherry pick” fish, but also enjoys sharing recipes and culinary instructions for anyone who asks. Beter and his staff take pride in being able to assist their customers in the best way to cook any of the products they offer.
“The thing that sets us apart is our helpful staff. If you need advice, just ask one of us. We supply recipes and explain how to cook particular items. It’s an ongoing learning process which is supported by our website. We probably have a million and a half recipes linked into our web site and we’re constantly upgrading and adding new ones. If you want to know how to cook elephant, you can go to our website and figure out how to do it.”
Open Tuesday through Saturday, the market offers everything from the usual seafood fare such as clams, oysters, crab and lobster to the unusual like octopus, squid, conch, eel and alligator. While most of the seafood market’s business has been through word-of-mouth, the business now offers shipping to anywhere in the Tri-State area. Many customers would drive two hours to stock up on fresh seafood, says Beter, but now can have it delivered to their door. For more information call (304) 529-7961 or toll-free (877) 340-8405 or visit their website at www.jewelcityseafood.com for a complete listing of the takeout menu and fresh items available.
CIOPINNO SOUP
This seafood soup was created in Seattle by Italian immigrants who fished off Washington’s coast; it is sometimes served in hollowed out bread bowls.
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
2 stalks sliced celery
1 chopped bell pepper
2 cans whole tomatoes (hand crushed)
5-10 peeled and cubed red potatoes
1 pinch of saffron
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
½ lb. skinless boneless white fish
½ lb. peeled medium shrimp
6 littleneck clams
½ lb. snow crab legs
½ lb. squid or octopus
1 dozen live mussels
3 Tbsp. hot sauce
Using a stockpot, sauté onion, celery and bell pepper in oil. Add tomatoes, potatoes and spices. Cover with clam juice and water. Allow mixture to cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Add seafood, cover with more water and allow mixture to cook at low boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve. Can be made in advance and served the next day. This allows the flavors to marry well.
JOE’S #1 FISH RECIPE
1 to 1 ½ lbs. of mild white fish (haddock, cod, flounder)
Butter
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
Garlic powder
Pour melted butter over fish, then sprinkle cracker crumbs over top of fish. Sprinkle garlic powder over fish and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 20. Minutes. Squeeze ½ fresh lemon on top. Bon appetite!
