That's because a new Lakeview neighborhood store is not only curing all of their fish in-house, they're also making some pretty creative spreads to go along with their bagels.
After working for a pair of seafood restaurants, Bill Montagne wanted to get back to his roots, dealing more with the customer, rather than the back of a busy kitchen. So he and his partner struck out on their own recently, opening their version of a New York City fish curing store, where it's mostly about the bagels, the shmears and of course, the thinly-sliced trout and salmon.
The refrigerated case up front reveals more than just an assortment of fish, it shows patience. Because at Snaggletooth - a new Lakeview café where the emphasis is on entire sides of fish that have been gently cured in salt, sugar and spices for days, nothing comes quickly.
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"Everything here is made in-house. So we butcher our own fish, hand cure it ourselves, hand-slice it ourselves, and you can see that all done in front of you," said Montagne, the store's co-owner.
Indeed. Ask for a sampler of a few different fish, like trout or salmon or hamachi, and either Montagne or his partner, Jennifer Kim, will hand-slice it before your eyes, garnishing them with pickled mustard seeds, fruit preserves and some crispy, housemade matzo crackers.
One tip is to get one of the bagels - courtesy of New York Bagel and Bialy in suburban Lincolnwood - then hit the Shmear Bar, where you can choose from among a half dozen creative options like kimchi or black lime, then add a few slices of cured trout and some baby radishes for a hearty brunch.
The secret to their cure is spices, of course. But they apply them to fish that's been covered in cheesecloth, which results in a more delicate, gentle cure. After five days on a side of trout, or just two days on hamachi, the cure transforms the fish into a firm-yet-delicate ingredient that elevates anything it covers.
"We use some interesting things like pink peppercorns, fennel seed; we use an Indian spice called ajuwan, which has a really beautiful floral aroma to it," said Montagne.
EXTRA COURSE VIDEO: Snaggletooth
Snaggletooth
2819 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
(773) 899-4711
http://snaggletoothchicago.com/