6 minute read
TJ’s Seafood Market and Grill, A Family-Owned
TJ's Seafood Market & Grill is a staple of the Dallas dining scene. This iconic neighborhood restaurant has been serving seafood enthusiasts for 30 years.
A family-owned business; John Alexis bought the restaurant from his parents who’d purchased the neighborhood fish market from the original owners, Tom and Jim (hence the name), in 1999.
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With multiple daily deliveries of pristine seafood from all over the world, TJ’s serves some of the city's best fresh catches. In addition to a broad selection of fish and shellfish, they offer a tempting range of prepared items at the seafood market counter for take-home meals.
I love to stop by and ogle the counter cases with their tantalizing cuts of fish, scallops, crab, lobster, and more. Often enticed to choose something to take home for dinner, I especially love the printed recipes and cooking tips that are available to grab at the counter.
The Coronavirus Challenge
After celebrating 30 years in February, Jon could not have imagined then that the restaurant would face the challenge of surviving the coronavirus shutdown just one month later. TJ’s pivoted from dine-in service and provided curbside take away during the stay-at-home measures, and is now open for limited dining service with additional safety measures per city ordinances.
Great seafood in land-locked Dallas
When asked how the Dallas seafood scene changed over the years, Jon says it's all about the diner. "People finally believe. Everyone used to say you can't get fresh seafood in Dallas. Being equidistant to both coasts gives more varied access to seafood than most coastal cities. With DFW Airport right here, all you have to do is grab it off the plane."
An Apostle of Seafood
Jon is a self-proclaimed "fish nerd" and loves teaching about seafood and omega 3's. "Seafood is the most nutritionally dense food," says Jon. "It has the best protein to fat ratio, the most vitamins, and Omega 3 cleanses out your arteries. It's a true superfood."
I chatted with Jon on a variety of topics about what's important to him as a restaurateur.
TJ's is known as one of the top seafood restaurants in Dallas. To what do you attribute its success?
We are as picky about our team members as our seafood. You can't have great seafood if you don't have great fishmongers carefully examining the product. You can't have a great bar without great
Photos: Cone Shrimp @TJ's Seafood ; Curry Mussels @TJ's Seafood
bartenders. You don't have great hot lobster rolls without talented sauté cooks.
How has coronavirus pandemic affected your day-to-day business, and what are your plans?
The pandemic caused us to change our entire business model overnight. Literally, and having just gotten home from vacation, I had to do so from my couch. We expanded take out options, added beef and poultry to our fish markets, created "heat at home" meals, did holiday boxes for everything from Passover to Mother's Day. We used social media to directly ask our guests what they wanted from us and then promoted those products to our audience.
What did you want to be when you grew up —and did your parents influence your career choice?
I have worked in many fields: armed service, politics, retail, ad agency, restaurant, health care, and more. I guess I've never grown up - I keep trying new careers. My parents owned TJ's before me, so they directly influenced my career choice!
Are you self-taught in the kitchen, or did you go to culinary school?
I am not a chef nor a cook. I can say with confidence that I understand food/flavor intellectually and creatively...but I lack any of the physical dexterity or coordination to cook.
What is the biggest challenge in running
and owning a restaurant? Besides the fact that we don't even know if people will be allowed to dine, let alone have the means to do so in a recession, and when they are permitted, we are at high risk for spreading infectious disease? Ha!
Where does your seafood come from, and how important is the sustainability of the seafood supply chain?
Sustainability isn't just a buzzword - who stands to lose more from overfishing than a guy who makes his living selling fish? TJ's supports sustainable wild seafood, but we also support gold standard conscious aquafarming. There is aquafarming as high quality as what we consider the best organic free-range poultry. We will deplete the oceans of wild fish if we don't supplement with good, clean aquafarm seafood it's math.
What is the most popular dish on the menu at TJ's? And what is your favorite?
Our most popular is our fish tacos. We offer grilled or coconut fried fish or shrimp and choice of flour, corn, or lettuce wrap. We serve my grandma's crab cake recipe, which has always been my favorite.
Photos: Glazed Salmon @TJ's Seafood; Oysters on the half shell @TJ's Seafood
In your opinion, what makes a great restaurant experience?
After closing for the pandemic, our litmus test for when we were ready to open was, "can we deliver a great experience?" To make that decision, we had to think hard and define, "what makes a great restaurant experience?" We wouldn't open until the experience was gracious, comfortable, precise, and satiating. Those four words capture what I want from a restaurant.
TJ’s Seafood Market & Restaurant 6025 Royal Lane #110, Dallas, Texas 75230 (214) 691-2369
Named "Dallas' Best Seafood Restaurant,” they feature seasonal seafood for everything from a quick lunch to a special occasion
https://www.tjsseafood.com together gently (add a bit more if mixture and fold together a few times just break the lumps.
Recipe
Since Jon said that his favorite dish served at TJ's is his grandma's crab cakes, well, of course, I had to ask for the recipe to share with our readers!
TJ's Maryland Style Crab Cakes
Makes around 6 large crab cakes
1 cup mayonnaise 1 egg 1/2 yellow onion, fine dice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp dry mustard 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 1# regular crab meat, picked from shells 1# jumbo crab meat, picked from shells 1. Mix together the mayo, egg, onion, salt & pepper, mustard, Worcestershire. 2. Add the regular crab meat and fold together gently. 3. Add the panko breadcrumbs and fold is too soft). 4. Add the jumbo lump crab meat until the lumps are evenly distributed, being careful not to
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 5. Allow to rest for 1 hour to overnight in the fridge. 6. Portion into 4-5 oz balls. 7. Pan sear in olive oil or clarified butter, 3-5 minutes per side.
Photos (clockwise): Lobster Night at TJ's @TJ's Seafood; King Crab @ TJ's Seafood; Maryland Crab Cakes @TJ's Seafood