Freshness and quality are a way of life at Burhop’s, one of the oldest Chicagoland retail establishments for premium fish and seafood. Through several direct connections and long-standing relationships, Burhop’s buys only the highest quality fish and offers it on-site for customers to purchase the day that it arrives in the store. With speed and quality control afforded by refrigerated air freight, Burhop’s seafood can be on your table in less than 24 hours after being in ocean waters.
Burhop’s fish is cleaned, filleted and skinned right in the store and displayed in separate stainless steel pans (no parsley or sliced lemon to contaminate or distract from the original taste) on ice made fresh and crushed on the premises every day. These are just some of the steps Burhop’s takes to insure its solid reputation for freshness.
Burhop's typically stocks at least 20 different kinds of fresh fish, most of it cut to order, plus almost as many types of shellfish. Depending on what's in season, varieties range from popular -- whole rainbow brook trout, Atlantic and Pacific salmon, swordfish and cooked jumbo shrimp -- to such exotica as New Zealand green-lip mussels and Florida stone crab. Within a day’s notice, Burhop’s can deliver almost any type of specially ordered seafood item.
For customers looking for a fast dinner, refrigerator cases feature items such as chowders, bisques and gumbos and pan-ready items such as crab cakes that come with a mustard sauce. Those who want to make dinner themselves can select their catch and a variety of cocktail sauces, marinades and breading mixes.
Many ready-to-heat items are available in the stores, such as soups, crab cakes and shrimp cakes, as well as some frozen foods -- usually seafood that isn't available fresh -- and breaded shrimp, scallops and clam strips. Popular deli items include hand-sliced smoked salmon and lox, seafood harvest salad (surimi with vegetables), marinated baby octopus and seaweed salad. Burhop’s experienced staff can pre-prepare any fish a number of ways for customers to cook at home, including en papillote (in parchment paper) or stuffed with gourmet fillings.
Burhop’s primary objective is to provide a full-service approach in an environment where customers can purchase an entire meal. To complement the seafood items, seasonal organic produce such as tomatoes, onions and fingerling potatoes are available, along with dry goods (pasta, rice, crackers), Burhop's own sauces and seasonings - including bottled Creole sauce, Tahitian marinade, dill-sour cream sauce and made-on-the-premises mustard sauce – and a variety of California, French, Australian and other wines and popular desserts such as Burhop’s own key-lime pies. New York brand bagels and bialys and Casa Nostra breads are delivered fresh to the stores seven days a week to round out your meal.
If it Swims, Grill It!
Whether you prefer a "steaky" fish, a "flaky" fish, or even a "non-fishy" fish, Burhop’s fish experts are very well trained and can offer you terrific seasonal recommendations as well as cooking "tips" to please your palate. As you make your meal selections, a variety of recipe cards are easily displayed throughout the store. Every Saturday, free cooking demonstrations (with on-site sampling) are held in the store's demo kitchen to introduce you to cooking options from poaching to grilling. Cooking classes and a variety of seafood cookbooks are also available to introduce you to more sophisticated seafood cooking methods.
|