DINING IN, DINING OUT/STYLE DESK | September 8, 2004, Wednesday

FOOD STUFF; Stalking the Wild Salmon

By FLORENCE FABRICANT (NYT) Some consumers have crossed farm-raised salmon off their shopping lists for environmental and health reasons. But what kind of smoked salmon are they buying? Western smoked salmon is usually from wild fish caught in Washington or Alaska.

Acme Smoked Fish in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is now cold-smoking wild sockeye from the Pacific Northwest that's almost vermilion in color, right. It has a firm, muscular texture and a mellow mildness. In about a week it will be sold under the Blue Hill Bay label at Costco stores, $9.95 for 12 ounces. Smoked king salmon bearing the Acme label ($32 a pound at Russ & Daughters), is paler and more assertive. Acme's outlet store, 30 Gem Street in Greenpoint, carries these fish on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fairway markets carry cold-smoked wild Baltic salmon that's a charming tea-rose color, satiny without being too fat, and sweetly briny, like fresh mussels. It's $27.96 a pound.