ottawa foodies

Skate's one of those fish that I only see if I'm not looking for it. Any hints on which places I should be getting in touch with for fresh-fresh-fresh skate are, therefore, welcome!

Skate comes in on Mondays and Thursdays. Even if it's not on display, it's likely to be in one of their shipping boxes.

I paid $10.50 for two wings which should easily serve four people, if not six, assuming you're making a nice salad and a vegetable or two.

Nice! Is it a regular thing, or should I call ahead?

Fresh skate is often available at LaPointe's Fish Market...Byward Market location. They'll even get rid of the hooks for you!

I was at Market 168 last Tuesday evening and something extraordinary happened. A red snapper winked at me then whispered "buy me". Just kidding but *wow* I have fished for snapper and these looked like the haul from my cooler. I bought two and grilled them that evening with black olives, cherry tomatoes and capers. Super delicious.
When buying fish, freshness can be assessed by odour, bloodiness, gill colour, meat colour and (depending on species) the clearness of the eyes. I also know the big determining factor in maintaining freshness is handling. Of course I can only guess what happens between water and store but I like Market 168 because (phrasing this as nicely as possible) amongst the shops on Somerset, they seem to understand the importance of refrigeration.
They have a very impressive/wide selection of fish/seafood (Who was looking for Skate? They've got that.) I was going to call Market 168 the dark horse of fish markets in Ottawa but I think, based on the amount of traffic in there, I'm late.

p.s. I bought squid/calamari as well. A+
p.p.s I will not comment on chicken feet. They seem to be A-O.K. stored in cardboard boxes on the floor. :)