above: Shucking tips accompany the recipe for Bloody Mary and Cucumber Jalapeño Oyster Shooters.
The history of Rowayton Seafood and the Conroy family is as anchored to the sea as the restaurant’s menu itself. From the mid 1970s when patriarch Kevin Conroy first purchased the market to the chic waterfront restaurant they operate today, the Conroy family truly lives the Salt Life.
A Touch of Salt, the new book by Barbara Bates Conroy, celebrates that deep connection to sea. Beautiful on both the outside and the inside, the book is likely to make its way from your coffee table to your kitchen and back again.
Each chapter pays tribute to a different species of seafood, beginning with a history of the species and wonderful stories about the fishermen and harvesters who bring them to our tables. For example, in chapter one, Bates-Conroy tells the story of Rowayton native John Markowsky, who has been fishing these waters since he was a child and who is still a commercial lobsterman today.
The inviting recipe pages will inspire you to head to the market and recreate Rowayton Seafood favorites like the Connecticut Lobster Roll and the Baked Oysters. Or they may inspire you to make a reservation and take a drive down to Rowayton Seafood to enjoy the views along with the cuisine. Either way, the book will leave you with a deeper appreciation for sea life and the men and women who bring it to us.
A Touch of Salt is available to purchase at the Market at Rowayton Seafood or at rowaytonseafood.com.
