A centuries-old method for tastier fish is catching on in Providence

PROVIDENCE — Using a small fridge in the corner of his empty shop as a table, Stuart “Stu” Meltzer was taking a break recently, using chopsticks to pick up slices of raw fluke and dunking them in soy sauce before snacking on them. His popular Fearless Fish Market on Hope Street was closed for the day when I visited him, and he handed me a 10-page packet of notes, titled “A fishmonger’s take on how we’re talking about fish all wrong.”

Three and a half hours of reading and conversation later, I had learned a lot. And I realized how lost I’ve felt when it comes to the basics of buying and eating fish.