{"id":1693,"date":"2009-11-04T22:21:54","date_gmt":"2009-11-04T22:21:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ietransfer.wpengine.com\/?p=1693"},"modified":"2009-11-04T22:21:54","modified_gmt":"2009-11-04T22:21:54","slug":"a-passion-for-fish-and-the-planet-passionfish-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/articles\/a-passion-for-fish-and-the-planet-passionfish-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"A Passion for Fish and the Planet: Passionfish Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Some people say you eat with our eyes. <\/span>At Passionfish restaurant<\/a> in Pacific Grove, California, you do so with your heart — at a place where the local is celebrated, showcased, and conserved. <\/span>Sometimes, savoring a meal can nurture our body while helping preserve or restore the planet.\u00a0 One day, every meal will be consumed this way. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While my family and I make every effort to eat local and lower on the food chain — <\/span>mostly vegetarian \u2013 when we travel, we occasionally become “flexitarians” and enjoy a seafood dish or two when we\u2019re at the edge of a vast ocean, perhaps with a wharf at the end of the street. <\/span>At Passionfish, a restaurant nestled in the scenic Monterey Peninsula just a mile from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we connected with the Pacific Ocean by both its salty breeze and through the food we savored. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Opening in 1997, Passionfish is the brainchild of Chef Ted Walter and his wife Cindy Walter. <\/span>Besides being restaurateurs, the Walters’ might as well be called “marine activists.”\u00a0 This dynamic duo have ambitions of changing the world by educating people about what they eat, especially if what they eat comes from the sea. <\/span>Using their restaurant as the alluring (and delicious) platform, the couple promotes sustainable seafood as well as locally sourced, fresh, organic vegetables and fruits. <\/span>Even their meat products are pasture-raised.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We were quickly blown away by Chef Walter\u2019s simple, seasonal (the menu changes daily) and sustainable creations, like seared scallop with an artichoke risotto cake and Monterey Bay spot prawn \u2018sushi\u201d for starters, tilapia with a garlic balsamic vinegar butter and thyme mashed potatoes or California Sturgeon with coconut rice and sweet potato fritter with red curry vinaigrette for main courses. <\/span>Their desserts (we tried their mint and espresso mud pie) and wine list reflect the owner\u2019s passions for cuisine — bound to make anyone a believer in the sustainable business movement. <\/span>They\u2019re ecopreneurs<\/a>, through and through.\u00a0 Their passion for cuisine and healthy eating parallels their commitment to the environment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cWe have a fifteen second soapbox to introduce our customers to our sustainability story,\u201d explains Cindy Walter, whose knowledge of the Monterey Bay started when she was very young, having grown up as a fisherman\u2019s daughter. <\/span>Today, keenly aware of the ecological changes both in Monterey Bay and globally, she\u2019s an ambassador and spokesperson for the sea life on which her business is based.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Problem, according to Passionfish:<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Today our oceans are in serious trouble. Within the past 15 years of industrial fishing we have depleted nearly 90% of our ocean\u2019s large predatory fish according to a report published in Nature, 2003. Worldwide, we remove over 88 million tons of seafood from the ocean each year, according to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. To meet consumer demand, several fish high on the marine food chain, such as Pacific Red Snapper (rockfish), shark, and swordfish, are being harvested before they reach reproductive age, resulting in a dramatic decrease in their populations. Habitat destruction, caused by a number of industrial fishing methods, has also contributed significantly to dwindling sea life.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Passionfish\u2019s Solution:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

By better managing the harvest of seafood, it is still possible to turn these numbers around in just a few decades. If we all take responsibility for the seafood we eat, by insisting on only sustainable seafood, the plight to save our oceans will be successful. There are plenty of seafood choices that are sustainable.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Approximately, 70% of all seafood consumed in the United States is served in restaurants. Therefore, as restaurateurs, we at Passionfish have a tremendous responsibility. Passionfish sets an example with the strict policy of sustainable purchasing. The commitment also includes the use of organic, pesticide-free produce and low-impact or biodegradable restaurant supplies.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

A large part thanks to Chef Walter and Cindy Walter\u2019s efforts, the City of Pacific Grove has revised its grease trap ordinance and adopted a Sustainable Seafood Resolution in 2005 that fosters restaurants and markets giving preference to seafood harvested locally and in sustainable ways. <\/span>The Walters also advocate for ecologically sound fishing practices through the Seafood Choices Alliance<\/a> as well as the ban of non-recyclable products.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In 2006, the Monterey Chapter of the California Restaurant Association inducted The Walters into the \u201cCalifornia Restaurant Association Hall of Fame,\u201d in recognition of their work.\u00a0 In 2007, Cindy Walter was presented with the \u201cSanctuary Reflections\u201d Award, by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments for outstanding business practices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For more information the environmental health of various seafood species, including printable pocket guides, visit the Environmental Defense Fund Seafood Selector<\/a> and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch<\/a> websites.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photography: Courtesy of Passionfish<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people say you eat with our eyes. At Passionfish restaurant in Pacific Grove, California, you do so with your heart — at a place where the local is celebrated, showcased, and conserved. Sometimes, savoring a meal can nurture our body while helping preserve or restore the planet.\u00a0 One day, every meal will be consumed 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At Passionfish restaurant in Pacific Grove, California, you do so with your heart — at a place where the local is celebrated, showcased, and conserved. Sometimes, savoring a meal can nurture our body while helping preserve or restore the planet.\u00a0 One day, every meal will be consumed…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1693"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1693"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=1693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}