WICKER PARK — A former law office — flanked by a pawn shop and a wine cellar — will soon become a specialty grocery store offering frozen and canned fish.
DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser
Owner Matt Mixter, a Ukrainian Village resident who has over eight years of experience as a fish distributor, is running the venture with a team of four, including general manager Jacob Singer.
Singer, who previously worked as a server at Owen & Engine and as a literature professor, said part of his role at the helm of the 800-square-foot market would be to educate people on tinned goods such as sardines and anchovies.
"When you think of sardines, you think of sardines that are mushy and gross and cost $2, but it will be cool to show the potential of sourcing fish from Portugal and the northwest corner of Spain," he said.
That pocket of the world has the best waters for catching mackerel, calamari and octopus, according to Singer, who said that prices on the tins at Wixter Market will likely range between $5 and $10, with cockles being the most expensive.
The meat of a small clam, cockles are individually cleaned and prepared, though some lesser quality cockles still contain sand.
All the fish will be sold as fillets, with a goal of having seven-ounce fillets, depending on the fish, Singer said.
"Working in exclusively frozen fish, you have a more consistent price point. We want to offer affordable, accessible and quality fish. Our motto is 'frozen at the peak of freshness,'" Singer said.
Wixter Market/Facebook
If everything goes as planned, Wixter Market, which draws its name from a play on Mixter's last name, will also sell spices, seasonings, rubs and sauces and will open in June, Singer said.
"Basically we'll have everything you'd want from a specialty grocer in regards to cooking seafood at home," Singer said.
Wixter Market, 2110 W. Division St. Phone: 312-888-1683. Visit the market's Facebook page or Twitter, @WixterMarket for updates.
Wixter Market/Facebook
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