Rockland Seafood Co. Returns After 4-Month Hiatus

It’s sad when a local business—popular for a good long time—shuts its doors.

However, when those doors reopen, the melancholia disappears.

“We did wholesale while we were closed,” said Brian Smith, who along with Josh Rosen and Tom DeCelestino, owns the 23-year-old Rockland Seafood Co. “Every time our van went out in public, people would ask us to pull over our van, or approach it and ask when we were going to reopen.”

Now, that’s missing a business.

Rockland Seafood Co. was closed for four months for personal reasons, but reopened on March 29. Smith and DeCelestino have had ownership of the business for eight years and Rosen is now part of the ownership.

The credentials here aren’t lightweight. Smith is the financial end, and Rosen—who went to high school locally—worked for prior owner Bill Ekin while in high school, and also while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. As for DeCelestino, he has been in the business since age 24 (over 35 years) and worked as a food vendor for restaurateur Peter Kelly, but grew tired of the eatery business. Smith and DeCelestino were friends, put their business, marketing, and food knowledge together and made a purchase in 2003.

“This is,” said Susan Zedek, a faithful customer of Rockland Seafood Co., “the freshest fish in the county!”

“What was missing,” said DeCelestino of the four months the doors were closed, “was attention to detail.” DeCelestino, an employee of the Fulton Fish Market, would know. He hand picks every fish he buys, and most of that he does on-site right after midnight. “The key to seafood is freshness. How and when it is caught, and when it is shipped. I do a good job of looking at the fish, checking the labeling on the box, and I’m always the first one there.”

“Our customers know the consistency of our product," said Smith.

And that product is delivered to the biggest and pickiest local restaurants and some very wise locals who know their seafood. There are many hot entrees on the list that are very popular like grilled or blackened salmon, grilled scallops with pesto bowtie pasta, shrimp marinara or scampi and authentic beer batter fish & chips. All meals can be served hot, not out of a case. There are also prepared dinners every day, with Cohen stocking the case with 40 – 50 dinners.

“It makes it easy for the customer. All they have to do is pop it in the oven," said Smith.

And Rockland Seafood Co. is more than fish. Chicken is also very popular, and prior to their four-month closing, they were preparing 80 to 150 pounds a week for customers.

“There is pressure sometimes," said DeCelestino.

“At Christmas time, we service half the county," said Smith.

It’s no fib. Between December 21 and December 25, the register clicks over 2500 times in four days, when Rockland Seafood Co. takes endless orders.

“The three of us live on Red Bull and pasta for five days," said Smith

Rockland Seafood Co. has a brand new Facebook page that coincided with their reopening. Please visit it for more details. Party platters and full scale catering are available.

Rockland Seafood Co., 110 Route 304, Bardonia, (845) 624-3660