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Went over to Orange beach this weekend. Went to Bahama Bob's where the Sweet One treated me to FD dinner. I like Bahama Bob's. Ordered a grilled fish entree that I really like. Excellent, light, tasty, large filet. Remembered, this time, to look up the fish in question - new name to me - "Pangus". Can't find squat about it except for a couple of CHINESE export outfits offering it for sale. I think, sitting in a restaurant on the beach on the Gulf Coast, I'm ordering a frazzling farm raised imported Chinese version of talapia on steroids. Anybody know anything about this? AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Wiki for Pangus (Pangasius Hypophthalmus)

Jeez - I think your right, bluto. What's with this?? We're in the fish capital of the planet and they're serving an imported farmed catfish deviant? As for me, I feel like a mullet.

You had a great date with your special someone and you enjoyed the moment. I assume you had some great dessert...so go with the positive and just never order it again.

With all of the low cost, high quality locally farmed catfish, this seems insane. It's even more insane considering all of the great wild caught local fish available in that area. I guess it is all about $$$. They're hoping most patrons aren't like you and won't bother asking what they're eating.

I went to a seafood restaurant in Pensacola and ran across the same thing. Ordered an interesting-sounding fish assuming it was a gulf fish. It was terrible. Got home and googled it and it was a native of like the Indian Ocean.

Great link. The Basa mentioned is available here in town and I have friends that prefer it, being wild, over the static, farm raised local catfish. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Lucie wrote:Great link. The Basa mentioned is available here in town and I have friends that prefer it, being wild, over the static, farm raised local catfish. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

My thought is that anyone that is importing seafood rather than buying a superior local product is selling an inferior product that may have questionable quality control (in the case of asian seafood, only IMO),

I don't think you're making a fair comparison, because wild caught local catfish is available (see Bozo's). Static farmed-raised catfish isn't ideal, but wild MS and LA catfish are available, and catfish is pretty marginal as seafood anyway.

sore_bluto wrote:With all of the low cost, high quality locally farmed catfish, this seems insane. It's even more insane considering all of the great wild caught local fish available in that area. I guess it is all about $$$. They're hoping most patrons aren't like you and won't bother asking what they're eating.

We have great wild fish. Travel anywhere and you will see how few restaurant fish options you have. Times are real hard on the panhandle, emerald coast , places closing left and right, Creola !?! But please, serve great local fish (as the law allows).

---------- Post added at 12:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 AM ----------

buzd wrote:My thought is that anyone that is importing seafood rather than buying a superior local product is selling an inferior product that may have questionable quality control (in the case of asian seafood, only IMO),

I don't think you're making a fair comparison, because wild caught local catfish is available (see Bozo's). Static farmed-raised catfish isn't ideal, but wild MS and LA catfish are available, and catfish is pretty marginal as seafood anyway.

Thanks , I would love to try local wild catfish if i could purchase nice fresh specimens. Catfish can be marginal compared to whatever some people think is exotic. 40 years ago, sport fishers in Maine were throwing away whole giant Bluefin Tuna until the Japanese found out about it. Execs at JAL started filling their freshly emptied electronic cargo planes with fresh frozen Blue Fin for the trip back to Tokyo. I read that in the book "The Sushi Economy" or something like that. Talk about a win/ win .
For a back yard fish fry, it would be great to aquire some catfish of some reputable, healthy provenace. Thanks.

Get your fill of wild catfish at the Des Allemands catfish festival on July 10-12.
http://www.laffnet.org/LA%20Catfish%20Festival.htm