I bought absolutely fresh (not frozen) Dover Sole at the Fish counter at Eataly. I saw Grant, the manager, unpack it. He cleaned the whole fish for me. We cooked it on the bone. It was as delicious as any sole I have had in Europe. Call and ask for Grant, the manager of the fish market. He’ll tell you if they have it or when they will get it. It was $30 a pound. One fish was about 1 pound and enough for 2 people
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All that is true. But naming conventions for fish causes a lot of confusion.
It is extremely unlikely that you bought “true” Dover Sole.
Fishmongers and restaurants are legally allowed to call a completely different Pacific species Dover Sole.
Many people think the fresh Pacific Dover Sole is actually better than the frozen true Dover Sole that is available here. I wouldn’t say you got an inferior product AT ALL. Just saying that if someone is looking for true Dover Sole specifically, it’s actually a challenge.
I may not have all relevant information, but that is my current understanding.
It was caught in Holland
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You got fresh fish at Eataly in Century City that was caught in Holland?
For $30 bucks a pound. Probably flew up front in F, soaking in Krug, then whisked through VIP customs.
Why not? Korean markets in Ktown sell live halibut from Korea all the time. Planes are an amazing thing.
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Petit Trois serves true Dover sole (Solea solea) from Brittany, which is why it’s $89 or whatever. I’m still pissed at myself for balking at the price last time I was there.
So-called Pacific Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) is a kind of flounder.
Hard to imagine it would only be 30/lb.
Might be one of those things that restaurants can special-order that aren’t generally available retail, like scallops with roe or real langoustines. The Eataly fish counter might be using the same specialty wholesaler, or they might have connections through their European branches. Sometimes those wholesalers will sell retail
…or fresh crawfish in L.A.
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You might have to schlep to Long Beach, unless one of the Vietnamese markets has them.
When it’s on special, Republique does it. Otherwise it’s pacific dover sole.
Okay thanks. During crawfish season I see them in L.A. grocery stores, but they’re always cooked.
Have also had true Dover Sole at Water Grill, but only at South Coast Plaza. Never go to DTLA anymore. That and the fries are just about the only things worth ordering there. Maybe a couple of oysters too.
I’ve had bad experience with oysters at Water Grill (broken shells, liquor poured off, etc.). Shuck is our go-to for oysters.
You used to be able to catch your own. Don’t know if Uni High still has them in the spring that was in the back of the school and there used to be a bunch in Ballona Creek, but that was many moons ago.
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Wow… I didn’t know there was a spring behind Uni, or that crawfish could be found in California waters. I figured places like Whole Foods sell them cooked because they travel from Louisiana and it’s hard to keep them fresh. 
Sorry about going off-topic folks. Carry on! The Dover Sole discussion is interesting. Can you tell the difference in taste?
I wouldn’t trust eating anything that has lived its life in the Ballona Creek. The factories that used to operate within eye distance of that creek used to dump untreated chemicals and other waste into it - probably for decades.
I remember as a kid touching some of the liquid coming out of one of the runoff pipes that was directly in line with the Hughes Aircraft facility. The liquid was clear and warm but it turned my hand a grayish color and smelled of solvents and petroleum. Couldn’t rinse off the color or smell in the creek. Went home and tried washing it off with no luck. I think it was either gasoline or paint thinner that got the color off. The smell didn’t go away for a couple of days.
The type of runoff that the creek catches year around is mostly from local street gutters. It’s not pleasant. I know crayfish require relatively clean water to thrive, but at the same time, they must tolerate some pretty nasty water quality in order to live in that creek.
Uni High has a natural artesian well that flows under/through it. That might be far less questionable than Ballona Creek.
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Yeah. I’m not a fan of Water Grill, myself. I haven’t been often enough to truly judge if I’ve just had bad luck, but it’s not a place I choose.
Still, they have true Dover sole and I think they can cook that fish competently.