Nordic Fish In Fairfield Celebrates Milestone

FAIRFIELD, CT — To say Jardar Nygaard knows fish would be an understatement.

The owner of the popular seafood market Nordic Fish in downtown Fairfield has worked in the seafood industry since he was 16. While he chuckled and wouldn't divulge his age, that experience dates back almost 40 years.

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"When I was 18, I got in a van and drove down to the Fulton fish market," Nygaard told Patch. "I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured it out, because, you know, that old market was like the Wild West. And, you know, it worked out alright."

Nygaard has worked on fishing boats and started his first seafood business at 18. And he has been serving up the freshest fish he can find ever since.

On Wednesday, Nordic Fish celebrated its seventh anniversary in Fairfield with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by First Selectperson Christine Vitale, state Sen. Tony Hwang, Fairfield Chamber of Commerce President Beverly Balaz and more.

Nygaard said doing business in Fairfield has been a dream.

"This town is so helpful," Nygaard said. "Doing set up here was incredible. I've opened up in a lot of different towns, but, you know, Fairfield was very welcoming to a private business. No stone walls in the way, no one gives you a power trip. Everything is about, 'what can we do to help you, how can we help you get your permits, what can we do to help you get up and running'?"

Nordic Fish specializes in fresh seafood, sourced from fish companies in Connecticut, New England, New Jersey, the West Coast and Scandinavian countries.

"Yeah, we do a lot of business with Norm Bloom and Sons in Norwalk (Copps Island Oysters)," Nygaard said. "We do a lot of business with the businesses at Stonington dock. We get a lot out of New Jersey, for example, because now we're in that season, we're getting some bluefin tuna, swordfish. You know, I'd say probably 75 percent of our fish is within 180 miles of here, harvested within 180 miles."

That's one of the keys for why Nordic Fish's offerings are so fresh. But Nygaard says obtaining so much of its seafood from nearby sources is also important for another reason.

"It's about sustainability," Nygaard said. "We prefer to buy local, domestic fish when we can, just because the carbon footprint's a lot lower. You know, when buying locally, we're not spending all that money on, you know, jet fuel and everything else."

In addition to the seafood market, Nordic Fish also serves sushi, lunches and takeout. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Visit NordicFishFairfield.com for more information.