Today I ate a platter of salty fish for lunch. And it was incredible.

I’ve been waiting for my personal favorite fish market to open up an outpost closer to home, and the day has arrived. After a soft-ish opening yesterday, TJ’s was fully functional today and that’s how I found myself diving face-first into the Charcuterie of the Sea, filled with a whopping four different kinds of smoked fish, shrimp (that I gave away), and all the fixins. A normal person might not choose this for lunch. They might choose the fish tacos (next time!) or possibly a nice Caesar with grilled salmon. But I’m far from normal, and my obsession with smoked fish is probably serious. I’ll be going back tomorrow to pick up a big hunk of salmon to smoke at my house, in fact, on the grill inside a stovetop smoker for friends. Can’t. Wait. The fact that I can do this without having to trek out to Preston Forest is a real thrill, honestly, and I wish Jon Alexis and his team the best.

Check out all the photos and more about TJ’s Seafood Market and Grill in my post on City of Ate.