• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Event Calendar
    • Submit Event
  • About Us
    • Our Contributors
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • Dayton Club Scene
    • On Screen Dayton
    • On Screen Dayton Reviews
    • Road Trippin’
      • Cincinnati
      • Columbus
      • Indianapolis
    • Spectator Sports
    • Street-Level Art
    • Visual Arts
  • Dayton Dining
    • DMM’s Brunch Guide
    • Restaurants with Private Dining Rooms
    • Dayton Food Trucks
    • Ten Questions
    • Food Adventures
  • Dayton Music
    • Music Calendar
  • On Stage Dayton
    • On Stage Dayton Reviews
  • Active Living
    • Canoeing/Kayaking
    • Cycling
    • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Runners
  • 19th Amendment

Dayton Most Metro

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Virgina

Foremost Seafood: The Freshest Fish in Dayton

July 20, 2013 By The Food Adventures Crew 3 Comments

Owner Tom Patterson with a fresh fish order

Hey seafood lovers, Food Adventures with The Big Ragu & Crew is about to change your world.  There is a little known secret that has been in the Miami Valley for 30 years.  It is called Foremost Seafood, and it’s located at Woodman Center Drive in Kettering.   It is a seafood distributor, that has a retail store open to the public.  What’s the big deal?   Foremost gets daily shipments (not Sundays) of fresh caught seafood from Boston, Virgina, Florida and Alaskan suppliers.  This allows Daytonians access to an incredible variety of nautical fare and ensures the freshest seafood.  This is the type of access that is usually only found in mega cities.

It started with owner Tom Patterson, who in 1983 was typically listening to music like David Bowie in the basement of his parents home.  From that house he sold his first shipment,  fifty pounds of shrimp to the meat manager at Dorothy Lane Market, Helga.  He still provides seafood to Dorothy Lane Market to this day.  Over the years he has quietly built and empire and runs the buying for the business.  This is important because he is an expert.  Tom has a degree in marine biology from South Florida University.  He worked on shrimp farms in Ecuador in the late 1970’s.  During this time he also was setting trends in Galveston, TX by helping develop new shrimp farming technology.  His knowledge is Dayton’s gain, as this hometown boy is now a successful businessman, bringing quality eats to the Foremost faithful.  And they are faithful, most of his business is from customers that have been visiting the retail store for over a decade.  Today, deliveries from Boston and Virginia arrive by truck the next day, while seafood from Alaska and Florida are flown in specially to Dayton airport.

***HERE’S THE SKINNY:

Live Softshell Crabs are available in season, at Foremost Seafood

— Foremost Seafood is NOT a restaurant, it is a storefront to buy fresh seafood.  Think of it as a mini seafood market.

— Foremost provides seafood for most of the upscale, locally owned restaurants in Dayton.

— The fish they sell were caught on ‘day boats’ (only 1 or 2 days at sea).  Translation: these are the freshest fish available and were not sitting in a ship’s cooler for two weeks.  Only the highest quality is the rule at Foremost Seafood.

— The fresh fish is not displayed, it is kept whole and sliced only at the time of the order.  The reasoning is to keep air and light from deteriorating the meat of the fish. “Be loyal to the fish” is their mantra.  You order from a price list of fresh fish, they trim the fish and bring your order out for the ‘ok’ before they wrap it.

— Locally owed since 1983 by Tom Patterson and his wife Pam.  Another true mom and pop establishment.

Fresh Carolina Shrimp – Never frozen

— Experts handle the fish once it arrives in Dayton.  People like Chef Tony Coletta who worked at Garstkas and Chef Nate Young currently at the Oakwood Club

— Foremost offers over 300 varieties of fresh and frozen seafood specialties.

— Hours are a little tricky: Tuesdays – Fridays 9am -6pm, Saturday and Monday 9am-noon, Closed Sundays

 

***MUST EATS:

Fresh Carolina Shrimp:  Caught just a couple of days ago, these huge shrimp run about $14.99/lb and have never been frozen, which in Ohio is practically unheard of.   Taste the freshness without having to travel to North or South Carolina.  These shrimp are usually the 21-25 count per pound variety, and are absolutely incredible.

Scottish Salmon: Foremost usually offers 4 types of fresh Salmon, but The Big Ragu & Crew recommend the Scottish Salmon for some killer grilling this summer !!

Chef Tony Coletta & the Big Ragu holding a fresh, Wahoo fish that was recently caught in Hawaii

Cherrystone Clams:  Yes, they are alive.  You can shuck them and eat ’em raw, but our favorite is to steam them then dip them in butter.  Either way, be prepared for a fresh taste of the ocean!

Sushi Grade Tuna:  This tuna is super-high quality and can be sliced and eaten raw.  If sushi isn’t your style, consider coating the tuna with red pepper, sesame seeds or any spicy rub.  Then pan-sear it on all sides (even the edges).  We tried it both raw and cooked and loved it all.   Check out our photo album below where we cooked lots of Foremost items and holla’ at your foodie boys.

 

Fresh Tilapia:  You can still see the knife marks on the filets where it was carved.  Talk about fresh!  This mild fish is a favorite, even for the pickiest eaters.  Try it baked for 20 minutes at 350degrees.  Use your own spices, Don’t ask us, we aren’t chef’s we are just two guys that love to eat !  Check out their table of free recipe cards.

Soft-Shell Crabs: This delicacy is for serious eaters!  They are alive.  You can’t get any fresher than that.  The most popular way to cook these are breaded and pan seared.  They are also used in local sushi houses stuffed into ‘spider rolls.’  Softshell crabs are consumed entirely.  That’s right, eat the whole thing, shell and all.  Only for true Food Adventurers, and The Big Ragu, Chef House, and Hungry Jax  say they are delicious ! 

Crab Dip:  This slightly spicy dip is so addicting, you will have to lock the refrigerator.  Get some wheat thins or melba toasts and go to town on this stuff.  Made from a mixture of pseudo-crab sticks and cream cheese, it is perfect party snacking.  Food Adventures will not be held responsible for brawls over the last scoop.

What are you lookin at? Fresh Red Snapper

A couple of side notes:  With the demand for fresh seafood, (over half of it coming from Boston),  once in a while they run out of items.  It is the nature of fresh offerings.   But there are so many other choices like Blue crab from Virgina, Snow Crab legs, live oysters, the list goes on an on.  Fresh fish that we have been buying for years include Red Snapper, Grouper, Wahoo, Bronzini and Halibut.  Also, special orders such as live lobsters need to be pre-ordered.   They even offer do it yourself fish frys where pricing is based on pounds of fish purchased.

For years, The Big Ragu, Chef House and Hungry Jax have been hitting up this place for our party food needs, cookouts, or just a craving for some fish at home.  It is truly one of our favorites.  Foremost Seafood’s philosophy is simple, freshness and being loyal to the integrity of fish in regards to handling.  Owner Tom buys the best and sells the best.

Now you know about yet another Dayton gem.   Our city is lucky to have access to this fresh food.  Don’t forget to visit the free recipe table. Whether you want to eat healthy, or just love fish, get yourself into Foremost Seafood and see for yourself.  There is nothing fishy here.

Check out our stunning photo album below and “like” Food Adventures on Facebook HERE.  Come on, don’t be shellfish….

[flagallery gid=48]

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Ahi, alaska, alaskan, Big Ragu, blue crab, boston, Bronzini, carolina, chef, cherrystone, clams, cookout, crab dip, crabs, Dayton, fish, florida, Food Adventures, Foremost Seafood, fresh, frozen seafood, grill, Grouper, Halibut, healthy, Kettering, lobster, mussels, nate young, oysters, pam, red snapper, salmon, Scallops, scotland, Scottish, seafood, shell, shellfish, shrimp, Snow Crab, soft, soft-shell, sushi, tom patterson, tony coletta, tuna, Virgina, virginia, wahoo, woodman

Primary Sidebar

Featured Events

  • Sun
    15
  • Mon
    16
  • Tue
    17
  • Wed
    18
  • Thu
    19
  • Fri
    20
  • Sat
    21

Third Sunday at Front Street

11:00 am | Front Street

A Dickens of a Christmas: Holiday Home Tour 2019

12:00 pm | St. Anne’s Hill Historic District

Sundays with Santa | Golden Lamb

12:00 pm | The Golden Lamb

Winter Market

12:00 pm | Meadowbrook at Clayton

The Dayton Ballet Barre’s annual Sugarplum Tea!

12:30 pm | The Dayton Woman’s Club

Holiday Historic Home Tour

1:00 pm | Harding Museum

South Dayton Dance Theatre presents the 26th Annual Nutcracker

2:00 pm | Dayton Convention Center

The Entrepreneurs Marketplace Grand Opening

2:00 pm | The Entrepreneurs Marketplace

A Charlie Brown Christmas LIVE ON STAGE

2:00 pm | Sinclair Community College Black Box Theatre

Kettering Children’s Choir Christmas Concert

2:00 pm | Kettering Seventh Day Adventist Church

Kettering Children’s Choir Christmas Concert

4:00 pm | Kettering Seventh Day Adventist Church

Holiday Wine Pairing

5:00 pm | Ele Cake Co Bistro & Wine Bar

WinterFest

5:00 pm | Kings Island

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

Food Fight

6:00 pm | Antioch College Birch Kitchen

A Dickens of a Christmas: Holiday Home Tour 2019

7:00 pm |

A Charlie Brown Christmas LIVE ON STAGE

12:00 pm | Sinclair Community College Black Box Theatre

BREW & CHEW BEER TASTING

5:00 pm | Whole Foods Market

Supper with Santa

5:00 pm | Frisch’s Bellbrook

Brush & Bottle: All is Calm…All is Bright!

5:30 pm | Oxford Community Arts Center

Indoor Cycling

6:00 pm | Up and Running

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

DRAFT Meeting

7:00 pm | Warped Wing Brewing Company

YuleTide Yammering presented by Mayhem & Mystery

7:00 pm | Spaghetti Warehouse

FriendsMas Toy Drive with RMHC of Dayton

7:00 pm | Toxic Brew Company

Community Night Benefiting Miami County Animal Shelter

5:00 pm | Moeller Brew Barn

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

Charcuterie & Chill 2019

6:00 pm | Texas Beef and Cattle Company

Farm-To-Table Community Dinner

6:00 pm | Antioch College Birch Kitchen

Suds and Succulents: Holiday Centerpiece Workshop

6:00 pm | Branch & Bone Artisan Ales

Chocolate & Champagne

6:30 pm | El Meson

Christmas Trivia

6:30 pm | Greenfire Bistro

Story Slam Dayton

7:00 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Central Jazz: A Big Band Christmas

7:30 pm | Central Christian Church

AFP Greater Dayton Annual Chapter Meeting

3:30 pm | The Dayton Club

Dine with Santa

5:30 pm | City Barbeque- Centerville

Champagne – An Over-the-Top Celebration

6:00 pm | DLM Culinary Center

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

Free Yoga

6:00 pm | Dayton International Peace Museum

Luxury Holiday Wine Dinner

6:00 pm | salar

Feast of the Seven Fishes

6:30 pm | Carrabba’s Italian Grill

YuleTide Yammering presented by Mayhem & Mystery

7:00 pm | Spaghetti Warehouse

Film Connections: Show & Tell

7:00 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Audubon Christmas Bird Count

6:00 am | Caesar Creek Nature Center

Beer Release: Scottish Reign Royal Bourbon

4:00 pm | Fifth Street Brewpub

Learn to Curl

6:00 pm | RiverScape MetroPark

Third Thursday Salon

6:00 pm | Dayton Society of Artists – DSA

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

D20 Anniversary Bash!

6:00 pm | D20 : A Bar With Characters

Lighter Than Beer Pub Run

6:30 pm | Heavier Than Air Brewing Co

Music Bingo

7:00 pm | Dayton Beer Company

A Very Soulful Christmas with Kenneith Perrin

7:30 pm | The Brightside Event & Music Venue

Anniversary kick off with Watershed Distillery

8:00 pm | Crooked Handle Brewing Co.

Holiday Boutique Mingle

2:00 pm | Heaven on Earth Emporium

Crafts and Drafts

3:00 pm | The Wandering Griffin

WinterFest

5:00 pm | Kings Island

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

7th Annual Songwriters’ Solstice

6:00 pm | Gem City Catfé

Dessert Beer Fest 2019

7:00 pm | The Barrel House

6th Annual Yellow Rose Gives Back for Dayton Children’s Hospital

7:30 pm | Yellow Rose Nightclub

A Low Hanging Fruit Christmas!

8:00 pm | The Black Box Improv Theater

Blue Moon Soup’s Dayton Snowflake Soiree

9:00 pm | Bar Granada

Coffee and Donuts Fun Run

8:00 am | Runners Plus

Free Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation

11:00 am | The Mall at Fairfield Commons

Greek Holiday Baking Secrets Workshop

11:00 am | tba

Cupcakes with Santa

12:00 pm | Twist Cupcakery

Love Shack: Free Community Wellness Day

3:00 pm | tend & flourish

WinterFest

5:00 pm | Kings Island

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill

6:00 pm | Clifton Mill

7th Annual Songwriters’ Solstice

6:00 pm | Gem City Catfé

Skabone presents a Demolition Crew Reunion and Beanie Benefit!

10:00 pm | Jimmie’s Ladder 11

More Events…

DMM E-Newsletter


Give us your email address and we'll send you our DMM E-Newsletters
Email:  
For Email Marketing you can trust

[footer_backtotop href="#top"]

Copyright © 2019 Dayton Most Metro · Terms & Conditions · Log in