Sure, Citarella had the basics, tuna, sea bass, swordfish, and salmon, but there were fish I had only read about: sablefish, bluefish, pompano, not only red snapper but a glossy pink snapper, scales iridescent and shining brightly. Each lay on slabs of ice, waiting to be filleted. I breathed in deeply and smelled…nothing– just what you want from a fish market, no fishy smell, no disinfectant, just the sea. I took my time deciding what I would buy for that night’s dinner, until I spotted them, next to the skate wings, and directly above the tilapia– sardines.

Come in close, I have a secret for you– until last week, I had never had a sardine. Blame the waters of the Pacific Ocean if you have to, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. I simply had never seen them at the fish markets in the East Bay. But there they were, eyes clear and vacant, scales silvery and bright. I snapped up a half dozen or so, grabbed a lemon and headed home.

I knew that I wanted a simple preparation, something that would allow the fish to shine through. I consulted my cookbooks, and finally decided on broiling. Rubbed in olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and a bit of cracked pepper, I broiled the sardines briefly, about 4 minutes a side, before squeezing them with lemon. Now I will admit, eating, and preparing sardines are not for the meek, you are eating a whole fish. I imagine if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to eat things with a face, eating a food with the head still intact, even if it remains uneaten, is definitely out. And then there are the bones– while I found them to be a pleasant contrast to the meatiness of the fish, the thought of eating a fish, bones and all, might make the faint of heart squeamish.

But I am neither squeamish, nor faint of heart, so I loved them. The sardines were delicious, luscious, fatty, tender meat with the subtle crunch of the bones. Mmmm. Now my only dilemma is which fish to try next.