Seafood lovers and Lent observers are in for some treats at San Pedro Fish Market.
The San Pedro Fish Market, located at 706 S Harbor Blvd., and its Long Beach and Wilmington locations are hosting Fish Fridays. Visitors can enjoy featured and specialty menu items and participate in the restaurant’s Instagram page contests to enter to win prizes every Friday until the promotion ends on Easter Sunday, April 20.
Michael Ungaro, CEO and owner of San Pedro Fish Market, said he and his family grew up Catholic and attended the Mary Star of the Sea Church in San Pedro and other Catholic schools. He said Lent has always been a big part of his community. In Christian tradition, seafood is eaten during Lent (for those who observe), usually on Fridays, to commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday. Fish is considered a cold-blooded animal, so seafood is allowed as a substitute for the cuts of meat produced by warm-blooded animals such as beef and chicken.
“Our customer base is primarily Catholic, so typically, on Fridays, this time of the year, our customers come looking for seafood,” Ungaro said in a phone interview. “Over the years, we’ve tried accommodating that with some specials so the food is not so boring. If you’re observing Lent, and that’s part of your tradition, we want to make sure that we have something a little different, not just fried fish.”
The first special offered on Friday, March 7, was a salmon sandwich with a side of fries. Other items and instructions for how to win free food will be revealed every Friday. While the sandwich is a personal dish, the restaurant offers others that emphasize sharing.
“We’ve found that celebrating food and family is one of our niches for which people visit us,” Ungaro said. “We’ve noticed over the years, especially on Sunday, which has been our busiest day right when mass is finished. We have a religious Catholic and Christian customer base that comes together as a family, celebrates in church and…
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