Sharks Seafood and Deli
Posted on 25. Sep, 2009 by Jeff Budzowski in seafood
Some people say that smell is the sensation that is most closely linked to memory, I however will disagree. I believe that taste is. Whether it be a melt in your mouth pot roast that makes you think of your mother’s home cooking, a bite of a great big juicy hamburger fresh off the grill that excites memories of summer cookouts, or the velvety goodness of a pumpkin pie transporting you to a living room after thanksgiving dinner; nothing can send you back to a specific moment in time like putting something into your mouth. This is exactly what happened the first time I ate at Sharks Seafood and Deli.
Sharks may be a little further off the beaten path, but this little establishment located at 3826 Lee Road is a great foodie find. The first time I tried some of their fried fish I was immediately flooded with memories of fishing in Lake Erie off of the brake walls for perch with my Grandfather, and the tiny bars in Marblehead where I would go with my family to get fresh fish and chips when I was younger. From that moment on when I crave some great fried fish I stop what I’m doing and head to Sharks.
When you enter Sharks you can smell the delicious blend of fresh seafood, spices and fryers. As you walk in you will see a large cooler like the one that holds the lunchmeat at your local grocery store, only this is filled with a variety of fresh seafood and ice. Above the cooler painted onto the wall is the extensive menu, which could be intimidating at first. Here is the breakdown: On the left hand side are all of the non-seafood items, like corned beef sandwiches, chicken fingers, burgers, and gyros. In the middle you can find the selection of fish and the size orders they offer. Red snapper, orange roughy, and tilapia are 3 of the 10 different varieties of fresh fish they have depending on the season. If you come hungry I would recommend getting the dinner portion because it comes with three to four fillets, fries, slaw, and hush puppies. If you are looking for a lighter meal get the sandwich. Finally, on the right side you will find the other seafood selections like shrimp dinners, combination dinners, and even a lobster tail dinner.
The last time I made the pilgrimage to Sharks I went with my partner in cuisine. We ordered the butterfly shrimp dinner, the ocean perch dinner, and a polish boy. The first thing we dug into was the perch dinner. It was great! The light flaky fish went well with the bold seasonings in the breading. There are a couple things that make this fish dinner so great. First is the fish itself. It is always really fresh. They also leave the skin on when they fry it so you get that extra burst of flavor and crunch when you bite into it. The other thing is the sauce. When you go pay the extra 25 cents and get an extra hot sauce to go with your meal. It is so good you will be sure to use all of it. The shrimp were the next things in our path and we quickly downed them too. After our meal we were stuffed and the best part is we only paid a little over six dollars a person.
Every time I go to Sharks I have a truly satisfying experience. It is a place that may not be very ritzy but they are clean, fresh, and tasty and I recommend you try it. EAT CLEVELAND!
