What It Really Means to Source Sustainable Seafood And Why It Matters at One Willow
- May 8
- 3 min read
"Sustainable seafood" gets thrown around a lot these days. It appears on menus, in marketing, and across restaurant websites, sometimes with real meaning behind it, and sometimes as little more than a buzzword.
At One Willow in Highlands, New Jersey, it means something specific. And understanding what goes into that commitment helps explain why the food tastes the way it does.
Where the Seafood Comes From
The One Willow team regularly makes trips to the Fulton Fish Market, one of the oldest and most respected seafood markets in the United States to personally select whole fish for the restaurant. This isn't a passive ordering process. It's an active, hands-on approach to sourcing that puts quality and freshness at the center of every purchasing decision.
Beyond the Fulton Market, One Willow works with local fisheries and trusted suppliers who share the restaurant's values around ethical and sustainable fishing practices. The goal is simple: serve seafood that was caught responsibly, handled carefully, and delivered to the kitchen at peak freshness.
Why Sustainable Sourcing Matters for Flavor
There's a practical reason why sustainable seafood tends to taste better, and it comes down to how the fish was caught and how quickly it moved from the water to the kitchen.
Fish that is ethically caught using methods that avoid bycatch and don't damage marine ecosystems tends to be handled more carefully throughout the supply chain. Whole fish, sourced directly from a market like Fulton, retains its flavor and texture in a way that commodity seafood often doesn't. When a restaurant is selecting fish by hand rather than ordering by the case, the quality ceiling is simply higher.
You experience that difference when you eat dishes like the Bluefin Tuna at One Willow served with carrot ginger purée, sesame green beans, cabbage slaw, and salsa macha. The flavors are layered and intentional, but they work because the fish itself is worth building around. The same is true of the Hiddenfjord Salmon, paired with roasted fennel purée, pickled cabbage, quinoa, marinated tomatoes, and beurre blanc. These are preparations that respect the ingredient, because the ingredient earned it.
The Fulton Fresh Catch: Seafood at Its Most Seasonal
One of the most honest expressions of One Willow's sourcing philosophy is the Fulton Fresh Catch, a daily market-price offering that changes based on what the team found that morning. There's no fixed description on the menu because the whole point is that it depends on what was best that day.
This is the closest most diners get to the experience of eating seafood the way fishermen and coastal communities have always eaten it: whatever came in fresh, prepared simply and well. Ask your server what it is on the night you visit. It's almost always worth ordering.
Minimizing Waste at Every Step
One Willow's commitment to sustainability extends beyond sourcing. The restaurant is committed to minimizing waste throughout the kitchen by using whole fish, working with the full animal, and reducing what gets discarded. This approach isn't just environmentally responsible; it also pushes the kitchen to be more creative and more skilled, since working with whole fish requires more technique than breaking down pre-portioned fillets.
What This Means for You as a Diner
When you sit down at One Willow, you're not just eating a meal, you're participating in a supply chain that supports local fishermen, responsible fishing practices, and a healthier ocean ecosystem. That might sound like a lot of weight to put on a plate of clams, but it's also just the reality of where food comes from and how the choices restaurants make ripple outward.
The Grilled Littleneck Clams on One Willow's menu are a perfect example: local clams, Calabrian chili butter, lemon zest, sourdough bread crumbs. Every element is specific. The clams are local. The preparation is precise. The result is a dish that couldn't exist without that level of sourcing intention.
Or consider the Spaghetti & Local Littleneck Clams made with pasta from Semolina Pasta Shoppe, colatura, white wine, breadcrumbs, and aged Parmesan. Local clams again, anchored by quality ingredients across the board.
A Restaurant That Loves the Ocean
One Willow was born out of a genuine love for the ocean and everything it offers. Located directly on Sandy Hook Bay in Highlands, NJ, the restaurant exists in daily relationship with the water, and that shows in the way it approaches every aspect of the dining experience, from sourcing to preparation to the view from every table.
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