I love food. I am not a big fan of recipes, though – I don’t always have the patience to follow them. Instead, I’ve always found little tips and ideas more valuable. So, I’ve started a new photo album (which I’m continually adding to) on SeaBear’s Facebook page called “Camera in the Kitchen” – showcasing simple food and wine ideas.



I try to bring my camera with me whenever I’m around food (which is quite often!), and if I see something I think our food-loving customers will enjoy, I photograph it, add a few words, and post. There are ideas for appetizers, salads, meals, styling, wines and more. Take a look and let me know what you think (check out or other interesting Facebook albums, too). If you have something you’d like to submit, send it to me, or feel free to post it directly on our Facebook page. Bon appetite!

Mike Mondello
President
SeaBear Smokehouse

A part of my job I truly love is the opportunity to work with so many interesting people – people like Johnnie Anthony, the woman who runs our design agency.

When she’s not creating catalogs, Johnnie is highly involved in Sunflower Children, which focuses on providing vital support for healthcare, nutritional and other basic needs that enable children in target communities around the world to pursue educational growth. Their website is www.sunflowerchildren.org

Johnnie’s personal passion for this non-profit has been contagious, helping her accomplish amazing amounts of awareness, involvement and financial support from her many friends here in Western Washington.

We are proud to have our smoked salmon served at this year’s Seattle fundraiser for Sunflower Children, and thrilled to know people like Johnnie who do so much important work outside of their day job. Thanks, Johnnie!

What do we mean when we saySeaBear offers "Seafood Experiences to Share"? We see it as a celebration of what you, our customers, have told us time & time again about how you share SeaBear as a gift, share it with guests who come to visit, and share with family for a special meal at home. We’re honored that you do so, and whenever we receive such nice stories we post them on our walls at the smokehouse (and often in our customer raves section here on SeaBear.com) for all of our team to read. As always, thank you!

Mike Mondello
CEO & President
SeaBear Smokehouse

Are you on Facebook? If so, check out the SeaBear Smokehouse page. It’s a place to share recipe & serving ideas, post photos of your events, watch some videos we’ve prepared, make wine recommendations and more. Not yet on Facebook? Give it a try - I’ve reconnected with dozens from high school and college, from all around the country - and don’t forget to become a fan of SeaBear!

Mike Mondello
CEO & President
SeaBear Smokehouse

The Pacific Northwest, and the Okanagan Valley in particular, is home to many spectacular ice wines. The vinters at Carpenter Creek, a premier Washington state boutique winery, let Semillon grapes freeze solid on the vine, down to precisely 15 degrees, at which point they are optimal to harvest and squeeze for their sweet elixir. The result is a wonderful cornucopia of tropical fruit flavors including mango, banana, and passion fruit.

Fran Bigelow, the award-winning chocolatier, hand-picked Carpenter Creek as a perfect complement to her famous Fran's Smoked Salt Caramels. The butter caramel with rich milk chocolate softens the sweetness, and the smoked sea salt is the perfect counterpoint that highlights the complex flavors of the ice wine, heightens the flavor of the caramel, and helps both linger on your palate. Serve together for a very memorable finish to a meal shared with family and friends.

Every year we like to recommend a Pinot Noir for our fresh Copper River event. Recently, a local wine bar offered a tasting of Harlequin Wine Cellars. One tasting flight and my wife and I were hooked. You’ll surely enjoy their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with wild salmon on the grill, and if you’re a fan of Syrah, try their Minick Vineyard Syrah - we couldn’t stop talking about it!

Mike Mondello
CEO & President
SeaBear Smokehouse

Warm The Body, Soothe The Soul

Our Smoked Salmon Chowder has been a customer favorite for over 10 years. While we generally don’t tinker with success, Chef Dominique (who joined us when Gerard & Dominique Seafoods became part of SeaBear last year) had a few ideas to tweak our recipe a bit, and the new chowder now has an even fresher, smoother flavor with less sodium and fewer calories! You can try the new Smoked Salmon Chowder as part of our annual "Buy 3, Get 1 FREE" winter chowder event going on now through the web site (or by calling 1 800 645-3474) or if you’re in our part of the country stop by the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. We’ve partnered with this favorite local eatery to feature SeaBear’s Smoked Salmon Chowder from January 23rd through February 15th.

Either way, as winter settles in across the country, now’s the perfect time to curl up with a bowl of hearty chowder to warm the body and soothe the soul. Bon appetit!

Happy New Year

Thank you to all who shopped with us, worked with us, and in any other way contributed to our efforts in 2008, all of us at the smokehouse greatly appreciate it. Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous and memorable 2009 for all.

All the best -
Mike Mondello
CEO & President
SeaBear Smokehouse

From the Pacific Northwest to Chicago, Florida, New York and even Scotland, my family is spread far and wide these days, so our holiday get-togethers are particularly meaningful.

One of the best parts of my job is hearing from our customers about their holiday celebrations with family and close friends; and, all of us at SeaBear are truly honored when our products play a small role in those celebrations.

Thank you to all who have trusted us over the years to help you celebrate these important relationships, and here’s to another wonderful holiday spent with family and close friends!

Dominique Place, chef and found of Gerard & Dominique Seafoods (which became a part of SeaBear Company last spring) was recently recognized with a truly significant honor for his 30 year culinary body of work.

I was proud to attend the ceremony at which Dominique was awarded the Merit Agricole - a French honor created in 1883 to recognize those with exemplary contribution to the preservation and spreading of French culinary culture.

As a recipient of this esteemed and historic award, Dominique is now recognized as a Knight in the Order of Agricultural Merit.

It’s fun to have a Knight among us!

Michael Mondello
President - mikem@seabear.com

One year ago, we held the World’s Largest Dinner Party to celebrate our 50th birthday. It was a simultaneous celebration of parties across the country - with food provided by SeaBear, of course! - all tied together by a webcast toast from our home event in Anacortes.

The party was a huge hit, and a number of attendees gave us a suggestion: do it again, this time with dinner parties donated to charities all across the country to auction off at their fundraising events.

So, we’re starting to plan for the World’s Largest Dinner Party II, targeted for next Spring. To learn more how your favorite charity organization might participate, give us a call at the smokehouse.

Michael Mondello
President - mikem@seabear.com

The "Summer of Fresh & Wild" offerings are some of the finest wild salmon you will ever eat. As we have said many times, our favorite accompaniment to a great wild salmon is an equally spectacular Pinot Noir.

With the bounty of Oregon’s Willamette Valley just hours south of us, we are fortunate to have many from which to choose. Our favorites right now are from Chehalem of Newberg, Oregon - a small estate winery established in 1990. Friends shared a bottle of Chehalem’s 2004 Oregon Pinot Noir Reserve with my wife and I, and we were hooked. Visit their website at chehalemwines.com.

Pour yourself a glass as your Fresh & Wild salmon slow cooks on the grill, kick back, and take in all the sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes that summer has to offer.

Mike Mondello
President & CEO
SeaBear Company
mikem@seabear.com
www.seabear.com
www.madeinwashington.com

We are very proud and excited to announce new member of the SeaBear family - effective April 1st, Gerard & Dominique Seafoods has become part of SeaBear Company. We have worked with Gerard & Dominique - or "G&D" as we have known them here - for many years, and have often had them do our Nova style smoked salmon for us. G&D was created in 1990 when two premier chefs could not find a Nova style smoked salmon that met their standards, so they decided to create one. Today, G&D smoked salmon can be found in some of the finest restaurants, hotels and high-end grocery stores in the country, and even the world.

While G&D will continue to operate as a separate organization, we will soon be proudly featuring their Nova Style smoked wild Sockeye and King salmon on our web site, and hope to be adding some of their other great products soon (I particularly love their smoked scallops and their halibut spread!).

Please see below (in the archives_, for the press release containing more information on this new addition to the SeaBear family.

Welcome to Dominique, ChouChou and the whole G&D team, from all of us at SeaBear.

Mike Mondello
President & CEO
SeaBear Company
mikem@seabear.com
www.seabear.com
www.madeinwashington.com

ANACORTES, WA (April 1, 2008) – SeaBear Company has acquired 100% of GD Seafoods, which does business under the Gerard & Dominique brand. Both are privately held companies; terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

SeaBear and Gerard & Dominique are both Northwest-based seafood brands which compete in the category’s premier, specialty niche. With this acquisition the combined company enjoys the leverage of a broad line of high quality products, two highly-respected consumer brands, and strength across multiple distribution channels, positioning it for significant growth in the high-end niche of the seafood business.

“Both the SeaBear and Gerard & Dominique brands are built on premium product quality, specialty niche marketing, and a deep passion for customer service.” says Mike Mondello, President & CEO of SeaBear Company. “This strong alignment of our core beliefs is what got us both interested in the potential of joining forces.”

While both companies approach the business from similar philosophies, each brings to this new partnership core strengths which promise to make each brand even better. “We are thrilled to be joining the SeaBear team, as their depth in sales and marketing will allow us to serve our existing customers even better, and help us expand to reach new markets as well.” says Dominique Place, President of G&D. “And, we are excited to bring to SeaBear an extensive line of new products, strong recipe development capabilities and strengths in specialty product production.” adds Dominique.

Perhaps the most significant complementary area of this partnership is in channels of distribution. SeaBear brings a long-standing leadership in direct-to-consumer distribution, marketed via catalog and web. G&D has a strong foodservice business serving a host of high-end restaurants and hotels across the U.S., and other countries as well.

Dominique and wife ChouChou, who together were sole owners of G&D, will remain with the company, as President and Vice President of Sales, respectively. “Dominique and ChouChou are the heart and soul of this brand, and we are thrilled they will part of our team.” according to Mondello. “By leveraging some of the systems we already have in place we hope to help them spend even more of their time focused on what they are particularly great at: creating and producing superior products and serving their customers with the passion and care of a family-owned business.”

The SeaBear brand will continue to operate out of its Anacortes, WA facility. The Gerard & Dominique brand, with its 20 employees, will continue to operate out of its Woodinville, WA facility.

About Gerard & Dominique: Gerard & Dominique Smoked Salmon (www.gdseafoods.com) is the salmon of choice for many prestigious hotels, elegant restaurants and specialty markets around the world. Customers include: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, The Pierre in New-York, the Heathman in Portland; Morton's of Chicago chain of restaurants (from all the US restaurants to Hong-Kong, Macau, Singapore); Select Fish / Whole Foods Markets, The Fresh Fish Co. in San Francisco; cruise lines in Miami and Los Angeles; Northwest & KLM Airlines; Metropolitan Markets, Town and Country / Central markets and QFC, among many others. Made with only the freshest natural ingredients, Gerard & Dominique products are carefully hand-filleted and smoked by owner Dominique Place according to old-world traditions. G&D began when Chefs Gerard and Dominique, who owned French restaurants Gerard Relais de Lyon in Bothell and Dominique’s Place in Seattle, respectively, could not find a smoked salmon that met their high standards, so they created one. In 1990 G&D Superior Food Products was founded, and the 10,000 square foot Woodinville production facility was built in 1997. Gerard retired in 1998, with Dominique & wife ChouChou taking over 100% of the business.

As 2007 begins to wind down, we reflect on what a year it has been for us at SeaBear. We celebrated 50 years in business by hosting The World’s Largest Dinner Party. We were thrilled to be recognized as ACCM’s Gold Medal Winner for small web merchants, Employer of the Year by Business & Professional Women/USA, and received a strong rating/review in Zagat’s Online.

Among our team, we celebrated two weddings, and a new birth; five women employees sucessfully completed the Subaru Women’s Triathlon. Plus, our coed softball team actually won a game!

Thank you all for trusting us with your business, and for the many wonderful comments and ideas you have shared with us throughout the year.

Have a great holiday season!

Michael Mondello
President - mikem@seabear.com

Our packages and our website have long featured recipes & serving suggestions for our smoked salmon and other artisan seafood. Now, we’re adding a new resource: the Seafood Experiences to Share video series on SeaBear.com; featuring short, easy to follow videos such as:
Serving your Smoked Salmon
Seafood Surprises
Shucking & Serving Oysters

There’s even a video on how to create Tuna Lollipops for your guests - an appetizer they will love! Please take a look, and let us know what you think.

You can view the videos below in two methods: you can right click and "save as" to save the video on your computer, or click on each link to open the video in your preferred player or browser. We have two formats - Windows Media Player and Apple Quicktime - so please choose the one that’s most compatible with your system’s current software!

Windows Media Player (.wmv) format:

Shucking & Serving Oysters
Tuna Lollipops
Smoked Salmon 101
Seafood Surprise

Apple Quicktime (.mov) format:

Shucking & Serving Oysters
Tuna Lollipops
Smoked Salmon 101
Seafood Surprise

You can also go to the individual product pages to find the videos

Fresh Pacific Oysters
Ahi Tuna Steaks
Smoked Salmon Trio
Smoked Copper River Sockeye 2lb Holiday Fillet
Nova-Style Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Nova-Style Smoked King Salmon

I love Halloween, even more now than when I was young. Our whole neighborhood - like so many across the country - comes to life halloween night, and my favorite parts are the small, fluid gatherings at open houses, where we all meet for a drink, share a light meal of chili (or maybe even some SeaBear Smoked Salmon Chowder!) and enjoy a mid-week celebration with friends.
I'm still deciding on my costume (most years I go as Igor); it's not easy to compete at the smokehouse, where there's always some memorable costume choices. Anyone dressing up as a salmon this year?

Michael Mondello
President - mikem@seabear.com

Here are some of the pictures we’ve received from Patrick out in Virginia
Patrick and his Exclusively Yours
Patrick’s friends and family

Out in Colorado, Kathryn & David celebrated with an "End of Summer" theme
Kathryn & David’s Exclusively Yours
Kathryn & David’s friends and family, during the toast

Werner, another host in Virginia, couldn’t keep his guests away from the main course
Werner’s Exclusively Yours

Bill & Mary, here in Washington state, held a salmon-themed party
Bill & Mary’s Exclusively Yours
Bill & Mary’s dinner toast

In Arizona, Barb and her guests enjoyed the food with a bright orange sunset & a smidge of rain
Barb’s Exclusively Yours
Barb’s friends and family

Bill and fellow Floridians had a full house and even fuller bellies after dinner
Bill’s Exclusively Yours
Bill’s friends and family

Axel had a party just a few states over in Wyoming - more warm & cozy "end of summer" colours
Axel’s Exclusively Yours
Axel’s family and friends

David sent us pictures from his party out in Michigan
David’s Exclusively Yours
David’s friends and family joining us on the web for a toast
David’s guests enjoying the food

New Hampshire’s Susan & Michael had guests from 4 surrounding states and 2 other countries
Susan & Michael with Smoked Salmon Chowder
Susan & Michael’s guests arriving at their party

Pam & Bill celebrated in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Pam & Bill’s food presentation
Happy Birthday to SeaBear!

Patricia from Pennsylvania was doing some business traveling around the time of the party, so she talked her sister Ginni & brother-in-law Kent into having the party at their house in California
Ginni & Kent getting the Exclusively Yours warmed on the grill
Patricia, Ginni, Kent & Friends from a bird’s eye view

Lon and Firooza had the honour of being one of our first web customers - their gathering was held in Colorado
Lon and Firooza’s family and friends
Lon and Firooza’s magnificent table setting

Ginny had a house full of guests in Union, Washington
Ginny’s Exclusively Yours
Ginny’s family and friends waiting patiently on their meal

With 50 simultaneous parties around the country hosted by customers and other great friends of the company, "The World’s Largest Dinner Party" helped us ring in our 50th birthday on Saturday, September 15th. We had a great event here in Anacortes, and from the photos and stories we’ve been receiving it appears people had a great time all across the country. We’ve posted a few of the photos which you can view by clicking the links at the bottom of the page.

We’d also like to share a slideshow of some of the milestones we’ve crossed during these first 50 years.

Thank you again to everyone who helped us celebrate our first 50 years. Stay tuned, and drop us a note if you have any ideas or might be interested in being a host if we do it again.

Cheers!

Mike Mondello
President
mikem@seabear.com

SeaBear’s Party!
(click on the underlined word to see the image)

We had a crew show up at about 2:30pm to help with setting up. We decorated the tables with free-form centerpieces, made from flowers that were bought at the local Anacortes Farmer’s Market. We set up the food and drink - BeerGarden Strips, Salmon Spread, our Exclusively Yours with strawberry salsa, Ceasar salad, fruit salad, Smoked Salmon Chowder, bread & crackers, Mousse Sampler packs, and Red & White wines (sodas for the kids and the designated drivers). Everything was ready, and just in time! At about 4:45 pm people started showing up - fish painting was a very popular activity, and people talked and visited for about a half hour. Then, at 5:30pm, Mike gave his toast. After that, everyone rushed to get in line for food. Thankfully, we all realized that it’s not being called "The World’s Largest Dinner Party" for nothing - the line was long, and we were all starving. Eventually everyone got fed, laughs and good conversations were swapped, and we had enough food for people to have seconds (and thirds on dessert!). Many thanks to Mike for taking the time to "work" on this big day - he did a great job of serving drinks to our thirsty guests. He also set a great example for all of his employees by reminding us that you’re never too busy to stop and smell the roses - literally.

Read More about the company by visiting the Skagit Valley Herald’s website

Back in the summer of 2000 we offered our first-ever Straight from the River Copper River salmon event. It started out small, of course, but now has grown to become a start-of-summer tradition for many of our customers. I look forward to the many notes & emails I receive each year describing the celebrations at which you've served this special salmon.

Our wine recommendation for this year's event (another part of the tradition) is Arcadian Winery's 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir which my wife and I discovered at our Valentine's Day dinner, and have enjoyed several times since. This winery has produced some spectacular Pinot Noir in recent years; you can find tasting notes and more information at arcadianwinery.com

Christmas Eve at our home always means a dinner of homemade cioppino, a traditional fisherman's stew. Creating the cioppino is an all-day affair: we start early morning, preparing the sauce and cleaning each variety of seafood (we use at least seven), then carefully mixing the ingredients. Then begins the day-long process of simmer-stir, simmer-stir, occasionally dipping a piece of bread in for a quick taste, just to make sure all is progressing according to plan. By the time evening arrives, our cioppino is ready to serve in hollowed out bread bowls, each garnished with a colossal prawn.

You can find the full recipe online here - it's also great for a casual New Year's Eve dinner.

A 35 minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle takes one to Bainbridge Island, where gently rolling hills, pristine seashore and a rich heritage offer 22,000 lucky residents the very best of Pacific Northwest life.

Bainbridge Island is also home to an exciting non-profit organization which we at SeaBear are proud to support - Islandwood, ASchool in the Woods. Through an innovative integration of technology, science and the arts - and their amazing 255 acre outdoor learning center - Islandwood offers the youth of our region a truly exceptional learning experience, designed to nurture a lifetime of community and environmental stewardship.

If you would like to learn more about Islandwood please visit www.islandwood.org

It has been our tradition each spring, as part of our Straight from the River event, to recommend an accompaying Pinot Noir, and we are thrilled to do so again for 2006. After tasting and comparing notes with friends on many fine wines from both Oregon & California, the one that truly stood apart is the Mueller 2002 Emily's Cuvee Pinot Noir, from California's Russian River Valley.

This big Pinor Noir has a rich Bing cherry red color, many enticing aromas and a rich, silky taste - of course, it is a fantastic partner to SeaBear wild salmon on the grill! Talk to your local wine merchant, or visit www.muellerwines.com to learn more.