Patch Passport: Treasure Hunt at Diamond Fresh Seafood

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in Lake Zurich well may look more like a kettle of fish.

A village-wide hunt for treasure recently yielded the discovery of Market and Lunch Café at 583 N. Rand Road.

This gem of a store, at its Lake Zurich location for more than two years, is the reincarnation of a fresh seafood store previously located in Lake Barrington for seven years – but this time, there’s seating for 20 or 30 lunchtime diners.

The addition of a café has increased Diamond’s visibility and popularity, said Carol Hannigan, who owns and operates the store with her husband, Patrick.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Menu choices range from a daily soup special such as shrimp bisque or chowder, salads, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, shrimp quesadillas, fish-based sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Diamond sells a wide selection of fresh seafood, from yellow-fin Thai tuna, to Alaskan halibut, swordfish, cod, salmon, scallops, perch, crabs, mussels and wild shrimp. Live lobsters are a recent addition.

“Everything’s made to order. Everything’s fresh, never frozen. Everything’s healthy, never fried,” said Carol Hannigan. “We get the whole fish in and we fillet it ourselves.”

She said customers frequently ask about how to prepare seafood dishes and how to reap the health benefits.

“People know us. We can teach you nutritional values,” she said.

The market at Diamond Seafood is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Monday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

For more information, call 847-438-4900 or visit www.diamondfreshseafood.com.