When it first opened in 1915, the Bright Star welcomed diners around the clock, serving doughnuts, soup, hamburgers, and chili to folks from nearby mining towns. In the 1930s, the restaurant started bringing in fresh snapper, and this simple, Greek-inspired entrée was put on the menu. The snapper fillets are drizzled with melted butter before being pan-fried and finished with a citrusy, oregano-infused vinaigrette.
Current owners of the JBF America's Classics Award–winning restaurant recommend buying a whole snapper and portioning it yourself (in fact, one of the dishes the Bright Star has become known for is fried snapper throats, a delicious example of culinary economy). For those who are less intrepid, precut fillets will do just fine. Get the recipe.
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