How to Order Fresh Salmon in Seattle

Seattle's Puget Sound is a gateway for wild chinook salmon. Some salmon populations are threatened by overfishing and, while their fate is not known, one thing's for sure--the fish swimming the waters of the West taste darn good. Read on to ensure that the fish you eat has taken an environmentally friendly trip from waterways to restaurant.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Visit the source. Pike Place Market is a vast farmers' market, fish market, meat market (in more ways than one) and shopping center for Seattle foodies. City Fish Market at 1535 Pike Place sells delicious, environmentally friendly local salmon.

2. Ask around. Locals have a list of their favorite seafood restaurants, many of which might be in lesser-known neighborhoods or off the beaten track.

3. Read the menu. Local salmon that run the waters of the Pacific may be labeled as chinook, chum, coho, pink, sockeye, red, Pacific or Alaskan salmon. Avoid farmed Atlantic salmon. It doesn't taste nearly as good as rich wild salmon.

4. Ask the server how your fish was caught. Look for wild or linecaught fish. Depending on the waters and time of year, be wary even when ordering wild salmon.

Tips & Warnings

• Before visiting a restaurant, call ahead and ask if it serves local wild salmon.
• Don't order the endangered chinook salmon from the Puget Sound. Reputable restaurants and suppliers won't serve this endangered species.