Let me qualify that headline: They’re still going to sell an incredible selection of fish at the 17th Street Market, but the counter where you could saunter up and order from an enormous selection of fresh fish is no longer in operation.
That counter was one of the best places — actually, probably the best — place to buy fresh fish in Tucson, and it will be missed.
For the time being, the market is still buying many, many varieties of fresh fish and filleting them on site. The fillets are available in the freezer section next to the other meats. The selection right this moment is limited, but they’re working on that. Check in over here for more information.
This article appears in Sep 8-14, 2011.
I used to think that the 17th St Market had the best fish in town, but I switched my allegiance to Lee Lee (Orange Grove and La Cholla, for those not in the know); that has the advantage of a very good Vietnamese restaurant onsite. (Not that I in any way disparage the great sandwiches at the 17th St Market.)
My husband was the main guy at the fish counter at 17th Street. If they say they’re fileting fish on sight, I would seriously doubt that. No one else there, other than him and the other lady they let go when they abruptly shut down the department, knows anything about fish. Sadly – including the owner. And if they ARE fileting fish, I doubt I would buy it. The department went down because they don’t really know how to run a business. In the time my husband was there, the department did better than ever. Now he works at AJ’s, and loves it there so much better. He’s even seen a few 17th Street customers wander into his department. And yes, based on his years of experience in Seafood, he would say AJ’s and the “former” department at the 17th Street Market has a greater selection and quality than Lee Lee’s.
Another marker in the inexorable decline in the quality of life in Tucson. Exactly two places in town to buy a piece of fish (AJ’s and Lee Lee’s). Not as noticeable as the end of Spring Training or the Opera pulling up stakes but a marker none the less.
Let me clarify my comment above. I didn’t mean to put down the whole market or make them sound ignorant. There are some good people that work there.
Yes, January805, there are some good people who still work there, my family and I being a part of them. And I’m sorry, but badmouthing your husband’s former employer for all of Tucson to see is unclassy and just plain tacky on your part. I’m glad that he has a better job, and loves it so much, but all you did was destroy his reputation that he had here, and I can tell you, first hand, that he had a good reputation here.
I’d like to remind you of something that I learned when I was in Kindergarten. If you can’t say something nice, please don’t say anything at all.