Jason Janson started his business for purely selfish reasons.
“It was almost impossible to find great, fresh seafood in this town and I love great seafood,” Janson said. “I spent years in Charleston as a restoration specialist and was a frequent visitor to seafood markets like Crosby’s or Simmons. And I was certain this could work here because surely there’s a lot of folks like me that want great seafood.”
Today Janson and wife Cecilia run Broadwater Shrimp, a mobile seafood market that can usually be found at the Travelers Rest farmers market. Based on anecdotal evidence, Broadwater Shrimp may be the most popular vendor at this market, as every time I’ve been, there’s a line. I don’t mind waiting in line for his seafood because it is that good and he always makes sure I have what I came for.
Broadwater Shrimp is also quite popular among our town’s aspirational chefs. Menus from our finest restaurants such as Scoundrel, Ristorante Bergamo, Mr. Crisp, The Anchorage and more feature his stellar seafood. Along the way, Janson has learned valuable lessons for thriving in the retail arena.
“A lot of our orders are online, so Friday evening we’re preparing those orders. I’ve come to recognize how my customers want their fish, their favorite cuts, how they like it trimmed and packaged. I believe what’s important to the experience of shopping with us is recognizing and taking care of our customers. Plus, I always make time to listen,” he said. “I know Saturday mornings at the market can be crazy, but if a customer wants to tell me how they cooked their most recent purchase, I’m going to listen because the other folks in line, they might also want to chat a bit and it’s those little things that are important to thriving in retail.”
Naturally, I’m a fan of East Coast seafood, especially after cooking in the Holy City for six years. One of my favorites is wreckfish, a member of the grouper family. Its firm flesh and buttery mouth feel lend itself to a bit of acid and fresh herbs.
“A fresh fish such as wreck, I like to keep it simple,” he said. “Sear in a little butter and finish with sea salt, a knob of fresh butter, lemon and some chopped parsley or basil. That’s all that’s needed to make a fresh piece of fish something wonderful.”
I’m a fan of fresh shrimp with the heads on because one can make a lovely shrimp stock from the heads, then turn that stock into a shrimp bisque or an exquisite batch of shrimp and grits. However, those heads with their high fat content can spoil quickly. So when Mrs. Malik and I head to the Travelers Rest market, I quietly whisper to no one in particular, “Maybe Jason has some shrimp heads.”
If so, all is right in the world.
“City Juice” is a colloquial term for a glass of tap water served at a diner. John Malik is a culinary adviser and broker with National Restaurant Properties. He can be reached at [email protected].
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