I wonder if anyone has a good suggestion about the best place to get fresh fish to take home from Seattle. There are a number of places at Pikes Market, and I am assuming, maybe wrongly, that I'd pay premium for location. Thoughts?

You might contact Mutual Fish - http://www.mutualfish.com/ - to see about their packing and/or shipping rates. Also I believe Uwajimaya - http://www.uwajimaya.com/ - packs fish for travel. (Both probably can Fedex orders, which might be cheaper than carrying it yourself.)

In the north end, University Seafood - http://universityseafoodandpoultry.com/ - is the go-to place.

I am sure the 2 places linked above are great, but will you have a car and are you willing to head to either just before flying home?

The truth is, fish may cost more, but the convenience factor of buying "packed to fly boxes" from the fish mongers at Pike Market maybe well worth the extra price. Easy to pick up shortly before your flight home. I know that the boxes last 24 hours [more if you pay for extra cooling power] but I prefer the shortest amount of time between packing and putting the fish in my home chill chest.

WhatDebit said. DS brought us back some from Pike's, as she says, all packed to go.

Thanks all! Think I'll go with Pikes since I'm staying downtown unless I see a better idea. We have free bags, so airline fees are moot.

I would do the fish as carry on, not checked. You may never see it again....

Will it fit overhead? That's cool.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip...come again and stay longer. When you tell friends where you got your fish, remember that it was PIKE PLACE MARKET, not Pike's or Pike Market. No one named Pike involved, just a street location.

(Temporarily in California and feeling snarky. Torrential rain in the Bay area, too...so unlike Seattle.)

Forgive me father for I have sinned. Is calling it Public Market [like the sign says] ok or is that a no no, too?

Yessir.

Whatever happened to fresh fish right off the boat?

I remember so many fish dinners as a child - either something we had caught, or bought off the boats at the town dock, or at the seafood restaurant right next to the dock. Nothing could taste better.

Well, that doesn't happen in a lot of places, nytraveler. It sure doesn't happen here in the southwest.

Or West Virginia.

When I moved to Boston from a flyover state, lo these many years ago, I couldn't believe the quality of the fish on my local supermarket. Now I wouldn't touch it.

I still buy some kinds of fish from fish markets because they understand how to handle it.

But I hsve the privilege of eating fish for dinner that is less than three hours from the hook. It is incomparable. So, like nytraveler, I am spoiled, happily. It is one of the joys of living on the coast, though I wish there were some place other than my own kitchen where I could get. New Mexico style enchilada. Only texmex enchiladas seem to be served in the East.

Shellfish travels much better than fin fish because it is alive when packed and alive hen you get and open it. Low fat fin fish ( flounder, sole, etc ) generally travels better than fat fish like mackerel or bluefish.

just ship it online.....

http://www.pikeplacefish.com/

I agree Katzgar, You can go and pick your fish out and just let them ship it home. My parents bought a whole fish and had it shipped to our house, as they thought the fish would beat them home(Oklahoma) and it did.

I ordered the fish from the Pike Place Market, and it will be delivered to our hotel before we leave. Shipping is an additional $45, and I didn't want to do that.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Thank you.

To me half the fun is picking the fish out, watching them toss it and sing there little chant. Isn't it going to cost you an additional baggage fee? (assuming that your not flying on southwest). I'm not sure how much fish you ordered.

Enjoy your fish, it will be great!!

Spirobulldog, I don't think there will be an additional fee. I get one bag checked free, and my other is a carry on. I didn't get the fish from the fish throwing place, too crowded.

I'm excited and hope it all goes as smoothly as I hope.

Just to share our experience... we brought home fish hubby had caught from the ocean on a vacation...just went to a "walmart"... bought a large insulated bag and used as a carry on. I believe it made it home following about a six hr trip successfully. The simple inexpensive methods sometimes work!