A great menu special on the westside of town
By Ari Weinzweig
One of my all-time favorite foods in the ZCoB that comes back every summer as a seasonal special is the Limeade Swordfish. It’s a wonderful kaleidoscopic coming together of different flavors, textures, and colors in a way that works remarkably well!
About the limeade.
We began making limeade at the Roadhouse about 15 years ago as an homage to Drake’s, the wonderful 20th-century Ann Arbor institution, whose limeade was a townie classic. For this dish, we turn the freshly-squeezed limeade into a marinade that we put “steaks” cut from Block Island swordfish in!
About the swordfish.
When swordfish is in season at the end of the summer, we source it from our friends at Foley Fish. We’ve been getting it form them for over 20 years now. They’re focused on finding only the best fish (they buy only whole swordfish, rather than pieces on which it’s harder to notice age). They work only with longline fleets (no trawling), all of which are very strictly managed for sustainability and minimal environmental impact.
When you order the dish, we cook the swordfish on the grill over oak, then top it with fresh avocado salad and serve it atop a plate of organic Anson Mills’ Jefferson 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 Red Rice
The Anson Mills Red Rice over which it’s served is as fine as the fish. Nutty, rich, super delicious, it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a long time. Glenn Roberts, Anson Mills founder, 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 shares 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.
Mixed with corn, the Red Rice makes a beautiful and tasty base for the swordfish. The more we eat it, the more we increase the odds of this wonderful nearly lost rice variety continuing to be grown and enjoyed! Biodiversity, super story, fresh seasonal sustainable seafood, a bit of Ann Arbor history, and fantastic flavor all come together in this one superfine dish! Swing by soon while the swordfish is at the height of its season!