Gussman arrives at 4 a.m. at the plant at South Ogden Drive and Olympic Boulevard, where it has been since 1948. He first fills orders, then he phones suppliers across the country, generally ordering two weeks in advance. His selections are based on his profound knowledge of the bovine. The best is corn-fed beef from the Midwest. Similarly, local fishmongers no longer go to the port at sunset to meet fleets of incoming fishermen for a round of haggling over the choicest catch.
Distribution is a global enterprise and most former denizens of the deep arrive by air.
Just ask Julee Harman, who was on her way to med school when she started going to fish markets and stumbled into the blackened redfish craze. The catch may be light and she may have only 100 pounds of fish to fill 200 pounds of orders. The fish may get bumped off the flight in favor of Mother's Day flowers. Quality depends on several factors. Harman prefers fish caught on hook lines because they arrive in better shape than those caught in nets.