Don’t mess with Dan Szabo.
He once tamed a 71-pound striped bass.
His next conquest: The Valley seafood market.
With partner Chris Schaffer, Szabo has recently opened Szabo’s Seafood at 615 Howe Avenue in Shelton.
Valley Indy: Mr. Szabo, I see that you have a picture of a very big fish you caught on your wall. How much did it weigh?
Szabo: It was a record 71 pound striped bass. It was the record for Connecticut and Long Island for the 1987 – 88 year.
Valley Indy: Tell us about your seafood experience.
Szabo: I started when my brother, Joe Szabo, opened a retail fish market in Ridgefield back in 1972. I would go after school and stay until I had to go back home in Westport to go to school on Monday. We prepared food using my grandmother’s recipes making stuffed clams, chowders, lobster bisque and other foods.
Valley Indy: What is your goal here?
Szabo: All our stuff is made fresh, like our crab cakes and sole and we will make stuff that people can bring home and bake in their own ovens. You can stop in and get take-out that is already cooked, also. What we will accomplish is quality food.
Valley Indy: Tell what’s good about having a take-out fish market in this spot near downtown Shelton.
Szabo: What’s really good is having this guy next door who sells pasta. They (customers) can pick up most of their foods between us both. They can get foods such as fresh clams in here and fresh linguini in there.
Valley Indy: What the average cost for your fresh market fish?
Szabo: Around $10 or $11 for cod or yellow tail flounder – it’s a better quality flounder.
Valley Indy: What will pull people in here instead of the larger, cheaper box store or supermarket?
Szabo: Service. We will clean the shrimp and even cook the lobster at no extra charge.
Valley Indy: What’s your background Mr. Schaffer? How did you come about co-owning a seafood business with Mr. Szabo?
Schaffer: I am a graduate from Columbia University but I have worked with Dan before. I also worked in a natural food company called Red. I helped develop an all natural burrito that is sold to retail markets.
Valley Indy: How will you decide what fish to sell here?
Schaffer: Once we learn what the area wants we will buy it. We will target those fish so we don’t have waste. With such a time sensitive product, we have to gauge the clientele’s wants and needs so we can get it to them as fresh as possible.
Valley Indy: What do you predict will sell well?
Schaffer: The fried fish dinner. Fish and chips. Fish on Friday will be popular. The chowder is popular so far. The coleslaw is made right here and everything is made in-house.
Valley Indy: I see you have fish and chips, shrimp and chips, scallops and chips and New England clam chowder. Are you going to expand your menu?
Schaffer: Yes we will expand to burgers and wraps, Manhattan clam chowder, lobster bisque, fish stews and chicken wraps. We will also be cooking salmon and swordfish to expand for everyone’s taste. There is nothing wrong with fish and chips but we’d like them to try other fare.
Valley Indy: Do you fish, Mr. Shaffer?
Schaffer: I certainly do fish, recreationally. I catch blue fish and striped fish.
Valley Indy: Do you cook what you catch?
Schaffer: I am more of a catch and throw back fisherman.
Valley Indy: If this works here, do you think you will expand, Mr. Szabo?
Szabo: I’m talking about it. Maybe in the summer we will put tables outside on the sidewalk but as far as another Szabo’s – bigger is not always better. However, we do have a truck we are putting together.
Valley Indy: A truck? For what?
Schaffer: A food truck. A mobile restaurant where we can serve seafood out of the truck.
Valley Indy: Where do you plan to park it?
Szabo: We haven’t decided yet.
Szabo’s is open Wednesday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To place holiday orders and contact Szabo’s call 203 – 543-2351 and or visit www.Szabos-seafood.com.
