PRESS | MEDIA
EXCERPTS FROM ARTICLES, MAGAZINES AND BOOKS
MEN'S FITNESS MAGAZINE
“As a regular reader of Men’s Fitness, you know that tuna is a superb protein source for those concerned with performance and muscle growth, as well as a harborer of loads of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And when portability is an issue, nothing beats a can of water-packed tuna. What you may not know is where to get tuna that leaves the supermarket variety in its wake. Enter this handy site from Captain Dave Greenberger, an independent fisherman who piles the Pacific out of Santa Cruz, CA. Eschewing the commercial-fleet approach to tuna fishing, called “netting”, a process that also kills birds, dolphins and other sea creatures — Greenberger uses fishing lines, a time-consuming and tedious process, but one with many advantages over netting.
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The fish do not lie trapped and/or dead for uncertain periods of time. As one is caught, it’s hauled up, immediately bled and iced. (Commercial fishermen don’t bleed their fish, which may cause the blood to acidify.) Upon return to port, the fish is hand-filleted and cooked in its own juices (without the addition of oil and sodium, a practice common in the rest of the industry), before being packed in tins. Greenberger’s dying-breed methods have netted him kudos from coast to coast. Order his seafood (everything from salmon to oysters to baby shrimp) direct by docking at his website, which also features recipes that’ll impress even the head chef at your favorite seafood bistro.”
THE BALTIMORE SUN
“Tuna fish, that high protein, low-cost pantry staple of every hardworking homemaker, has gone the way of artisan breads, boutique chocolates, imported cheeses and aged balsamic vinegar. In short, tuna fish has gone upscale. For $6.99, you can buy a 6 ounce can of Dave’s Gourmet Albacore at the new Whole Foods Market on Fleet Street in Baltimore.
High-end tuna fish is not new, but it is enjoying a new surge in popularity. There are many reasons for the renewed interest in gourmet tuna. Omega-3 fish oils, which are found in tuna, have received a lot of attention recently as nutritional good guys that fight cancer to heart attacks. Some customers also like the idea of purchasing tuna that was caught by an old-fashioned hook and line, instead of a net that can catch dolphins and other collateral creatures…one such company is Dave’s Gourmet Albacore, which has doubled in size every year since it began in 1991.
Owner Dave Greenberger oversees about a dozen fishermen who provide tuna and salmon for the million-cans a year his company sells, said Crista Jones, sales manager. The fishermen catch the fish one at a time, in contrast to commercial fishermen, who have as many as 200 hooks on their line, Jones said. As each fish is caught, it is pulled into the boat while it is still alive, then “bled” and put in a deep freeze.
“The fish are then cooked in the cans,” she said, adding, “It’s the best way you can eat a product out of a can and get all the nutrients.” Fish caught on 200-hook lines or nets are often dragged through the water, dead, for periods of time, Jones said. “They’re sitting in the water, warming up. They start to decompose,” she said. Large tuna companies often cook the tuna, then remove the bones, then can it and cook it again in the cans, she said. That’s why the pieces tend to be small. Dave’s Gourmet Seafood is available at Whole Foods markets in the Baltimore area and at Roots, in Columbia.
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ORGANIC STYLE MAGAZINE
“If you can’t find fresh wild salmon in your market, Dave’s hook and line caught canned salmon is the next best thing. Each fish is caught and prepared by hand, then packed in its own juices. Dave’s new Fancy Chinook King has just been endorsed by Seafood Watch. Buy at Whole Foods or Wild Oats markets, or directly from Dave’s at DavesGourmetSeafoodsc.com.
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THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Some independent fishermen, like Dave Greenberger, still cling to tradition. Mr. Greenberger, a weight lifter in Santa Cruz, California, who catches all his own albacore tuna by hook and line, including his Alderwood Smoked Albacore, which was second in the tasting (as “smoky” and “good texture”). He cooks, smokes, seasons and cans it himself and sells it to stores like Whole Foods and specialty shops across the country.
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THE NEW NUTRITION, DR. MICHAEL COLGAN
“The best tuna I have found is from a small California company: unbleached albacore, hand caught (not net caught), and with no oil, water or salt added. Dave’s Gourmet Seafood is the tuna to eat.”
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SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, EPICURE
“Some of the richest, most flavorful salmon I have ever tasted from a can is found under the Dave’s Fancy Salmon label, from the Santa Cruz company, Dave’s Gourmet Seafood. The company buys strictly hook and line wild king salmon from their fishermen co-op, then packs it skinless and boneless.” — Jay Harlow
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BOSTON GLOBE FOOD BY SHERYL JULIAN AND JULIE RIVEN
“Top of the line: If you love canned tuna, you’ll be in heaven when you try Dave’s Gourmet Seafood available at most Bread & Circus stores. Dave Greenburger, of Soquel California, cans hook-and-line albacore without salt, oil, water, or preservatives. Some companies cook tuna before it goes into their cans, and then process the cans again, essentially cooking it twice. Greenberger’s tuna receives only one hit in the processor. The juices in the can are from the fish and should be added to your cooking. Dave’s Alderwood Smoked Albacore is an ethereal smoked version.”