What started as an early-pandemic move to stock pantries eventually forged a pathway for fulfilling world travel fantasies for those that developed a taste for collecting tinned seafood, also known as conservas. Premium quality tinned seafood is by no means a new cultural revelation, but forbidden travel to the Iberian Peninsula certainly was during much of the pandemic.
Over the past two years, there has been an influx of unique global tinned seafood products being imported to the U.S. for the first time, new North American tinned seafood producers popping up, and retailers selling artistically designed tins of seafood preserved at peak freshness like never before.
The primary new retailers are restaurants that pivoted their businesses in the wake of shutdowns, offering to stock pantries with gourmet provisions and pantry staples. Fortunately, many of these restaurants are still stocking their shelves with the likes of sardines, mussels, and squid to grab on the go, while others that were already serving tinned seafood have dialed up and improved their conservas menus, giving diners and drinkers something to enjoy on site. Here are some recommendations on where to buy and eat tinned seafood around NYC.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
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