Food News
The state’s “Flat is Back” campaign is putting the underutilized fish on menus at restaurants across Massachusetts — and trying to help local fishermen in the process.
Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is trying to make flounder go viral.
At the beginning of September, the department launched its “Flat is Back” campaign with 10 local chefs highlight the fish on their menus all month long. The campaign aims to put flatfish that is already caught on consumers’ plates and support the “depressed” cost of flounder, said Dan McKiernan, the director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
“Massachusetts flounder is a beautiful fish to cook with—it’s fresh, delicate, and incredibly versatile,” Jeremy Sewall, chef and owner of Row 34 and one of the participating chefs, said in a statement. “By putting it on our menus, we can create something memorable for diners while supporting the local fishermen and coastal communities that make Massachusetts seafood so special.”
Flounder, also known as sole, dab, fluke, and plaice, is best baked or sautéed and cooking it “require[s] a little more skill” due to its thinness, which occurs because flounder live horizontally on the ocean floor, McKiernan said. Despite its thin nature, flounder has the “fantastic flavor” of a mild white fish and minimal flakiness, McKiernan said.
Through Sept. 30, the 10 chefs, known as the Massachusetts Flounder Chef Council, are featuring dishes including cassava flounder croquettes, crab-stuffed flounder, and coconut and sesame crusted sole lettuce wraps at restaurants across Massachusetts.
Although McKiernan is unsure how flounder is faring on local menus, the department’s posts about “Flat is Back” are doing seven times better than their typical posts about events, he said.
“Over the last 20 years, some of the [flounder] stocks were very low in abundance” due to overfishing, causing flounder to lose its share of the market, McKiernan said.
Flounder are caught alongside other fish species by Massachusetts fishermen. However, “the founder species are among the most underutilized fish” in terms of its yearly quota, which can cause the price to collapse to under $1 per pound and commercial fishermen to leave the area, said McKiernan.
Additionally, consumer preference shifting toward salmon, haddock, cod, and other fish contributed to flounder’s decrease in popularity. In 2023, 77% of all seafood consumed in America came from just 10 species, with shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna being the most popular, according to the National Seafood Association.
Restaurants serving flounder through Sept. 30:
Bistro du Midi in Boston
Comfort Kitchen in Dorchester
Catalyst Restaurant in Cambridge
Puritan Oyster Bar in Cambridge
The Black Whale in New Bedford
Candela Cucina in New Bedford
National Club Mexican Cantina in New Bedford
Davio’s Northern Italian Restaurant in Boston, Lynnfield, and Foxborough
Row 34 in Boston, Cambridge, and Burlington
Sail Loft in Dartmouth
Sloane’s Tavern at Miraval Wyndhurst in Lenox
Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham
Straight Fish Wharf in Nantucket
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Dining and Cooking