Chef Fritz Blank, owner of Deux Cheminees restaurant, wants people to know that he is not a zealot or an activist, but a man who likes his fish to have some character.
He just finds Chilean Sea Bass to be very bland.
Blank has decided to take the endangered fish off of his haute menu, joining more than 50 other restaurants around Philadelphia in boycotting Chilean Sea Bass.
Other notable restaurants, like the White Dog Cafe, have signed on to the national campaign "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass," the goal of which is to prevent extinction of the exotic fish.
The Chilean type of sea bass has been overfished and fished illegally to keep up with high consumer demand.
According to White Dog Chef Kevin Von Klause, the restaurant stopped offering the fish two years ago because of reports concerning environmental hazards. They say they plan to continue the boycott until the fish is able to repopulate.
And some of the White Dog's most devoted customers have shown their support with frequent words of encouragement.
"The White Dog is the epitome of a socially responsible business. It's really got the social conscience at heart, and doesn't cave in to consumer demand," said Penn Environmental Group Co-Chairman Andrew Pike, a College sophomore.
Von Klause has since replaced use of the fish with more local fish, such as the wild striped bass and white tuna. And the restaurant currently orders its fish products from the Ecofish Co., a provider that only supplies environmentally-sustainable seafood.
"You really have to be on your toes... now that we're educated and informed, we have to be vigilant around everybody we buy our food from," Von Klause said.
The sea bass preservation campaign was launched in February 2001 in San Francisco, where over 70 local restaurants signed a pledge against the sale and purchase of the popular fish. The program then progressed to Chicago, signing 60 restaurants to the pledge. And on April 9, the campaign officially began in Philadelphia.
While area restaurants like White Dog and Rx support the campaign, one notable campus establishment does not.
Asian fusion and sushi haven Pod currently still offers the fish on its dinner menu and has no plans to stop serving it.
Ken Weinstein, owner of Cresteim Cottage restaurant, chastised Pod's unwillingness to sign on with the campaign.
"I think it's short-sighted if they continue to [sell Chilean Sea Bass] because their customers would be supportive if they knew" about the fish's potential extinction, Weinstein said.
"The Chilean Sea Bass is a vital part of the ecosystem that needs to be conserved to exist, and unless we [conserve], it won't exist," Weinstein added.
The Cresteim Cottage formerly sold the fish at $18-20 per plate, but has since replaced it with alternative dishes, such as Mahi-Mahi and salmon.
Former PEG Co-Chairwoman Emily Quesada said she believes restaurants like Pod need to follow the trend of providing environmentally-safe delicacies.
"I am always proud of the White Dog for the decisions they make, and I hope that Pod can turn around and see the light," the College junior said.
In the end, Von Klause summed up his restaurant's decision as just one more thing they are trying to do to make the world better.
"I kind of wish for the old days when we didn't know about factory farming and all the other horrors animals have to go through, but as part of our mission, we try to serve the Earth and leave a very small footprint in our daily business," he said.
