Abundant Seafood

Charleston Raises Funds for Longstanding Fisherman Mark Marhefka | Eater Carolinas

"Owner Mark Marhefka supplies many of Charleston’s top-tier restaurants — including FIG, the Ordinary, the Obstinate Daughter, Nico, and Indigo Road — bringing triggerfish, grouper, wreckfish, amberjack, and more to their menus. After his boat was struck by lightning on July 1, electronic equipment and key navigation systems were destroyed, leaving the vessel unable to return to sea without replacement components; the crew was safe. FABconference founder Randi Weinstein launched a fundraiser to help: “I am launching a GoFundMe for him as his boat is honestly in pretty critical shape and will cost a ton to get him out on the water again,” she writes to Eater, “Mark has always been there for the community, events, food for chefs, CSF's (community supported fisheries), and more. I hope we can all band together to help him out.” Weinstein adds, “Mark is the most humble of men and honestly had no idea what the damage was once they made their way back after a 20 hour journey home without navigation. Mark just got back up and running after some medical issues that had kept him off the shores for a few months. I have never seen anyone work as hard as Mark. This is grueling work being at sea for days on end in order to bring this community, the Charleston community, the freshest of fish.” Chef Mike Lata (the Ordinary and FIG) stepped in early to help get the boat back out, and the fundraiser — backed by donors such as restaurateur Steve Palmer, chef Nico Romo, chef Cynthia Wong, butcher Ted Dombrowski, and chef Jason Stanhope — is less than $10,000 away from a $75,000 goal and closes on Friday, July 18." - Erin Perkins