FishStock is the portion of the Boston Local Food Festival that highlights the fisher folk and the seafood that are local to New England and meet a set of values that include social, economic, environmental, and food justice. Brought to us by Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), The Seafood Throwdown is the main event of Fish Stock! Two chefs will engage in a culinary battle of skill and creativity with the secret seafood ingredient.  The Throwdown will be immediately followed by a fillet demo presented by Seafood Throwdown competitor Chef Mills.

Fishstock is presented in partnership with the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and highlights cooking with locally caught and values-driven seafood. The seafood for the Throwdown was caught by Rhode Island-based fisherman, Steve Crandall. The dogfish filleting demonstration by competitor Chef Mills will help visitors get more comfortable with filleting whole fish and home and will also provide quick cooking tips and a demo for preparing a dogfish dish of their own. The dogfish for this portion of the event was caught by fishermen of the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative and donated by Red’s Best.

(Downloadable PDF Map here)

Seafood Throwdown 12:30 – 2:30 PM

Emcee:  Amy MacKown, NAMA

The Fisherman

• Steve Crandall, fisherman out of Westerly, RI will be supplying the fish for this event. Steve’s family has been fishing this area for generations. He embodies the characteristics of sustainable fishing by catching a diversified portfolio of species based on what is available locally and seasonally. Many of the species Steve harvests are considered “under utilized” fish. He also operates a small oyster farm in the salt ponds near his home.

The Chefs

• Chef Alex MacDonald of Loyal Nine

• Chef “Ras Skills” Mills

The Judges

• Ali Berlow, author and food activist, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
• Robert Lewis Jr. The BASE, Roxbury, MA 
• Senator Marilyn Moore, Connecticut Senate, Bridgeport, CT 
• Lisa Raiola and Waterman Brown, Hope & Main, Warren, RI

About the Chefs:

Chef Mills– Chef Mills is a Jamaica native raised on fresh produce, herbs, spices, and wild caught seafood. He is an alumnus of the culinary program at the New England Center for Arts and Technology (NECAT) and has worked hard on building his name in the business winning awards city wide. Mills found a way to incorporate home cooked taste and new school flare into unique dishes that have earned praise throughout the Commonwealth. He’s a man of few words, big skills, and an even bigger appetite to win another championship!

Chef Alex MacDonald– Chef MacDonald has been working in the city of Boston and throughout greater New England for several years. He began working at Loyal Nine restaurant in Cambridge, MA three years ago. Loyal Nine focuses on direct relationships with farmers and artisans. In the cafe, you’ll find a dedication to ethically sourced coffees and teas with a menu that promotes New England culinary traditions.

About the Judges:

Ali Berlow is an author and food activist. Michael Pollan summed up Ali’s book, ‘The Food Activist Handbook’ in one tweet: “Just what the food movement needs now…for anyone hoping to build a local food system.”

Ali is pursuing a Master’s degree at Vermont Law School and is also the co-host of The Local Food Report on the public radio member station WCAI. She is the co-owner of Edible Vineyard magazine and the founding executive director of Island Grown Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to building and supporting a resilient community food system that includes farmers, fishermen and eaters. Her NPR essay series entitled ‘A Cook’s Notebook’ is available on the Public Radio Exchange. She lives on Martha’s Vineyard and in southern Vermont.

Robert Lewis, Jr. Founder and President, The BASE

Robert Lewis, Jr. is a nationally recognized thought leader, public speaker and passionate advocate for urban youth. He has become well known as a bridge-builder and catalyst for collaboration between diverse business, civic and public sectors throughout the country. In 2013, Robert pursued a lifelong dream to launch The BASE, with a mission to shift the national mindset about what it takes for urban Black and Latino youth to succeed. Since 2013, the BASE has had over 225 student athletes matriculate to college and has provided over $30 million in academic scholarships. In 2017, The BASE expanded its reach and opened a site in Chicago, Illinois. At its core, the BASE methodology is rooted in the values of excellence, resilience, respect and the belief in what’s possible.

A 2015 Boston Magazine cover story listed Robert among the city’s 50 Most Powerful Leaders, calling him “a tireless advocate for inner-city kids.” In 2016, Robert was honored by the Boston Business Journal as one of Boston’s Top 50 Game-Changers. Robert’s impressive career trajectory has included important roles such as Executive Director of the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, President and Executive Director of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), Senior Vice President of City Year’s national operations and Executive Director of City Year Boston, and Vice President for Program at the Boston Foundation where he directed the distribution of $16 million+ in discretionary grants.

Connecticut Senator Marilyn Moore, Deputy President Pro Tempore
Chair: Children; Human Services; Democratic Senate co-chair of the General Bonding Subcommittee of the Finance
Member: Education; Finance, Revenue & Bonding; Legislative Management; Public Health

Marilyn Moore, Democratic Senator and Deputy President Pro Tempore of Connecticut, was first elected in 2014 to serve the 22nd State Senatorial District communities of Trumbull, Bridgeport and Monroe. She was elected to a second term in 2016.

As a lifelong Bridgeport resident and community activist, Marilyn has been a force in advocating for health equity, living wage, and legislation that supports and protects Connecticut communities. Recognizing the rapid increase in morbidity and mortality rates among low income minority women with breast cancer, Moore founded and became President and CEO of The Witness Project, which seeks to address and reduce breast cancer mortality.

In addition, Marilyn has tackled the war against hunger by serving and being a member of several boards in Connecticut, including, End Hunger CT, Network Support Team Connecticut Food Systems Alliance, and the Food Solutions New England Coalition.