Limeade Swordfish at the Roadhouse

Great menu special on the westside of town.

by Ari Weinzweig

One of my favorite foods in the ZCoB is back on the specials list for however brief a window that we have to access this terrific fresh swordfish. The story starts about four years ago now, when we began making limeade at the Roadhouse. It was an historical homage to Drake’s, the wonderful 20th century Ann Arbor institution, whose limeade was a townie classic. It’s worth coming by for a glass of that alone.

Why our limeade swordfish is so good.

The dish on the dinner menu is made by marinating steaks of fresh New England swordfish in the limeade. They are cooked on the grill over oak, then topped with fresh avocado salad and served with a side of organic red rice and fresh local corn. A grilled lime wedge finishes the dish. The marinade gives the fish a lovely bit of citrus tang, a tiny touch of sweetness, and a beautiful delicate finish. 

About the heirloom red rice.

The red rice over which it’s served is just as fine as the fish. Nutty, rich, and one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a long time. We have access to it thanks to the always exceptionally good work of Glenn Roberts at Anson Mills. Glenn discovered it by accident in the Carolinas in a conversation with a colleague whose family has been growing rice in the region since the early 18th century. Glenn shared the story:

She took me aside and poured about 100 grains of very brown rice into my hand … this was her great grandfather’s Huguenot Red Rice from Provence, their family rice. Something struck me from that encounter that will last to the grave … she was crying … over rice.

Together with the limeade-marinated swordfish, the rice makes for a wonderfully flavorful—and also historically rich—meal!