Oct. 1, 2009 (Business Wire) -- This October, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants [Nasdaq: MSSR] celebrates National Seafood Month with menu specials highlighting the country’s most popular seafood dishes. Started in the 1940s by the National Fisheries Institute, National Seafood Month originally marked a week-long event, but evolved into a month-long festivity in the 1950s. Today, McCormick & Schmick’s, one of the country’s leading seafood restaurants, is celebrating National Seafood Month with a tribute to seafood classics and providing fun facts and tips from their very own “King of Seafood.”
“Every year during National Seafood Month, we renew our continued commitment to providing our guests with the best and freshest seafood available,” said Bill Freeman, CEO of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. “This year, we’re giving our guests the opportunity to put together their own favorite seafood pairings of some of the most popular seafood choices in the U.S. – all for a great value.”
Throughout October, McCormick & Schmick’s encourages guests to try new seafood varieties or select from tried-and-true favorites with the Choose Your Perfect Combination special. This limited-time menu offer gives guests the option to choose from among five seafood classics, including Jumbo Gulf Shrimp, Fresh Water Tilapia, Atlantic Salmon, Alaskan Halibut or Crab Cakes. Guests can choose two for $19.95 or three for $24.95. In addition, guests can substitute a North Atlantic Lobster Tail, another popular seafood classic, for any selection for just $3.00 more. Three seasonal fall side dishes - Creamy Macaroni & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole – will also be highlighted on the menu throughout the month.
In the seafood business for more than 30 years, McCormick & Schmick’s knows a thing or two about seafood classics. In fact, in 2008, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants served nearly 10 million meals to its guests. A study about seafood consumption trends commissioned by McCormick & Schmick’s* shows that when dining out, seafood lovers across the country are most loyal to shrimp, followed by salmon and fresh tuna. At McCormick & Schmick’s restaurants nationwide, guests feast on approximately 515,000 pounds of shrimp and 470,000 pounds of salmon each year.
Chef Bill King, vice president of culinary development and training for McCormick & Schmick’s, is truly the “King of Seafood,” so who better to turn to for seafood tips during National Seafood Month.
“Think seafood and cheese don’t belong together? Our Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia served with capers and lemon butter sauce debunks that long-held assumption, and is one of my personal favorites,” said Chef King. He adds, “When pairing wine with seafood, you don’t have to go with white every time. In fact, many varieties of seafood pair well with red varietals.
