Personal Service And Quality Product Make Elliott Seafood A Popular Choice

For the very freshest in seafood, customers of Elliott Seafood out of Woodbury and New Milford know that a restaurant or supermarket is not the place to go. Rather, patron’s of Anton Gonch’s mint green seafood truck rely on the long established “itinerant vendor” to supply them with seafood so fresh they would have to take it off the hook themselves to beat it.

Mr Gonch has been involved with Elliott Seafood for 15 years, working with the original owner for many years until buying the business in 2002, when Stan Elliott retired. Mr Gonch’s father had been a customer, and eventually the seafood expert became a family friend, dining with the Gonch family every Thursday evening. Mr Elliott invited Anton Gonch to assist him when the young man was barely into his teens. Mr Gonch’s interest in the business grew with the knowledge handed down to him by his mentor.

“Everyone in Woodbury knows Elliott Seafood. It’s an institution,” said Mr Gonch of the truck that can be found every Thursday parked in the lot on Route 6, next to John’s Café. “And as the business has grown, I’ve learned to supply whatever people want,” he said.

Elliott Seafood carries seafood as diverse as mussels from Prince Edward Island to wild Alaskan salmon, grouper from Florida, oysters from the North Atlantic or other world sources, or even Mediterranean sea bass (Bronzini). “Since the 1970s, when Stan Elliott started, the world has shrunk,” Mr Gonch said, “and I can get fresh fish from anywhere in the world.”

The standard supply of fish at Elliott Seafood comes from regional sources, though. Cod, sole, flounder, and lobsters are from Maine, as are haddock, halibut, and farmed salmon. Bluefish out of Boston is available year around, as is swordfish. Scallops come from Maine or Boston. Fresh tuna, never frozen, is available seasonally from fishing waters of the United States and Canada. Mr Gonch takes great pride that all of the fish sold, other than one variety of deveined and shelled shrimp, is never a frozen product. “But I also carry fresh shrimp, from the Gulf of Mexico — south of the oil spill,” Mr Gonch said. “Mexican shrimp come from colder water, and actually hold up better than shrimp from the lower US.”

Prices at Elliott Seafood may be slightly higher than those in a supermarket, but customers find that “the quality is much better.”

And at Elliott Seafood, Mr Gonch is happy to hand out free advice on the best way to prepare a purchase. “People are timid about buying fish. If you don’t know, I can tell you how to cook anything. One of the best things about my truck, is sharing recipes back and forth with my customers,” he said.

He has developed a rapport with his clients, watching families grow, from young couples with newborns to harried parents of first-time drivers. “I know most of my customers, in Woodbury and in New Milford, by their first names,” Mr Gonch said.

Customers appreciate the effort he goes to in order to give them the best product available. “The business can be tough,” said Mr Gonch, who travels each Tuesday evening to Boston and to Maine in order to meet the day boats early the next morning and purchase fish from them. “You have to earn the respect of the suppliers, and you have to be willing to work long hours.” By Wednesday midday, he is back on his way to Connecticut with his “catch.”

Elliott Seafood takes special orders for fish. Customers can call 860-210-0571, one week before delivery, and leave a message. Mr Gonch will return the phone call to confirm any special order. Or, customers are welcome to place special orders in person.

The Elliot Seafood truck is located every Thursday, from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, in the parking lot next to John’s Café and across from the Good News Café, in Woodbury, on Route 6. On Friday, Elliot Seafood is located in the parking lot of Layton Oil, across from Valero Gas Station, in New Milford, on Route 7, from 8 am to 6 pm. The truck is only not on site in Woodbury on Thanksgiving Day. No credit cards are accepted. Cash or personal checks only.