Chris Nelson’s parents used to own The Kissing Cod, a fish market in Nova Scotia. The shop’s sign now graces the hallway of Nelson’s own fish market, Brookies, which recently opened at the Texa-Tonka center.
While we have bakeries and butcher shops all over town, true fish markets are few and far between. Nelson worked for many years as a wholesale rep, helping chefs and restaurants source the best seafood until he burned out on the hours. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he became his own boss.
Nelson now sells cuts of fresh fish and pounds of smoked fish, along with oysters and clams, and still gets to see his family. If you don’t find the fish you want at Brookies, Nelson will do his best—using his connections—to get it.
“It’s not just about opening a shop in a community,” Nelson says. “It’s about being a part of the community.”
8024 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-500-9209, brookiesfishmarket.com
Stephanie March
Food and Dining editor Stephanie March writes and edits Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Eat + Drink section. She can also be heard Saturdays on her myTalk107.1 radio show, Weekly Dish, where she talks about the Twin Cities food scene.
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February 24, 2023
12:00 AM