THE WORLD’S BEST SUSTAINABLE TINNED SEAFOOD, FROM RESTAURANT PEOPLE.
We’re restaurant people: Nialls, Nick and Leah. Together, we own four restaurants in New York City that are neighborhood spots inspired by the coasts of the Mediterranean and have become destinations: Hart’s, Cervo’s, The Fly and Eel Bar. Since we opened the first spot in 2016, we’ve served hundreds of thousands of people, been reviewed by The New York Times and named among the best new restaurants in the country twice by Bon Appetit. But the biggest testament to what we do is the regulars who keep coming back. We’re proud to say we know good food. We’re also family and best friends.
Back in 2013, Nialls had just opened a tinned seafood bar in the East Village of Manhattan. Unsatisfied with the options available to him from distributors at the time, he started working directly with domestic and international canneries, creating relationships and importing the best of the best himself. Building on those connections, and our experience running restaurants together (turned specialty food markets for two years in the pandemic— shout out to all our regulars who kept and keep us going), we finally launched Minnow in 2021. Now we scour the world for the people preserving the best fish at the height of its freshness and with a deep commitment to sustainability.
We love the history and sense of place in each tin. We look for sustainable fishing and farming methods, preservation techniques that embody a deep respect for the food itself, capturing it at the height of its season, and preparing it simply, often with just oil and salt. Why? Because we want to taste the pure quality of the fish and because it means that product is a secret weapon in the pantry, ready to be included in countless and varied preparations depending on the cultures, tastes and moods of Minnow customers, who we know are as varied themselves as fish in the sea.
As restaurateurs we know how to throw parties, feed a crowd, and over deliver on quality. With families of our own at home, we need healthy, nutritious food in our pantries that can be on the table fast or thrown in the backpack for a weekend hike. Minnow represents the best of both our worlds — deeply personal and punching at the highest class of our profession — and it means so much to share it with you.
Want to know more about our tins? How do we like to cook with them, which tins go well together for a spread, what’s the nutritional information and how do we ensure they’re sustainably sourced? We’ve got all that information and more in the shop.