Asheville in Alaska: The Market Place chef William Dissen takes readers on a sustainable sourcing trip

The Market Place chef William Dissen is in Alaska learning about the fishery from which he sources his sockeye salmon. Photo courtesy of Dissen

As the owner and executive chef at upscale Asheville eatery The Market Place, chef William Dissen is a firm believer in food with integrity. The ingredient activist makes regular trips to Capitol Hill to fight for transparent labeling of genetically modified foods and always sources his downtown eatery’s inputs with a keen eye toward sustainable production.

This week, the chef is traveling to Bristol Bay, Alaska, and he’s agreed to take Xpress‘ entire readership along for the ride. He’ll share updates and photographs throughout his sockeye salmon sourcing trip, during which Dissen plans to investigate “one of the most sustainable fisheries on the planet and what it takes to get wild seafood from ocean to fork.”

Chef Dissen’s initial check-in details his arrival in Alaska and goals for the trip:

Hello Alaska! I can’t believe I’ve finally made it here! My trip started out earlier this week with some personal exploration into the Kenai Peninsula, specifically over to Girdwood [in Anchorage] and Alyeska Ski Resort and then on to Homer and the Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park.

Hiking, adventuring, and exploring Alaska and “the Last Frontier” has been an eye-opener into the vast grandeur of the wilderness of our most northern state. And with the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Alaska, I had to make sure to squeeze in as much adventure as possible!

But today, the real adventure starts. I’ve joined up with my cohorts from the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Authority, journalists from around the US, and others in the sustainable food industry. Together, we are here to examine the salmon fishery in Bristol Bay: how the fish begin and end their life cycle, how they are harvested from the rivers and sea, and how they’re processed and sent around the world to get to our dinner tables.

My trip was put together by two great groups — The Chefs Collaborative (a national organization of sustainable chefs) and the Bristol Bay Regional Development Association (a state organization focusing on the development and operation of the fishery in Bristol Bay) — to help promote the sustainability of this federal fishery and to deepen understanding of the importance of sockeye salmon to this unique ecosystem, as well as how wild salmon help to feed the world.

At The Market Place restaurant, we are proud partners with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and have made a commitment to serve and sell only “sustainable seafood.” This means that the fish we put on our tables every night have not been over-harvested, have come from a federally-regulated fishery, and are safe to eat both in terms of health and their effect on the environment. We’ve made this connection for the health of our customers, and because of our desire to preserve the opportunity to eat seafood for generations to come.

I’m hoping to showcase to everyone out there that there aren’t just “a lot of fish in the sea,” and that how we harvest seafood and the decisions we make about what we eat can have a direct effect on our environment.

As you follow me the next few days, I hope to give you a view into one of the most sustainable fisheries on the planet and what it takes to get wild seafood from ocean to fork.

Stay tuned for more online coverage of chef Dissen’s Alaskan adventure in the coming days.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.