Difference in taste, huge difference in texture. For that price it should be the real thing. John Dory’s another great fish I don’t see very often in the US.
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Thanks @robert. That price is prohibitive, but I’m sure I’ve had actual Dover Sole at one time or other. Normally, I judge my whitefish by preparation rather than origin, but this is interesting and I’ll pay more attention to what I’m served now.
Vincente has it.
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Well, that answers my question. This thread piqued my interest in Dover Sole. At present, I’m not about to spend 50+ dollars in a restaurant for it. Those fazools are reserved for my pursuit of premium Nigiri and Sashimi. But I thought “I’ll buy some fresh and make it at home. Let me scroll up and see if anyone posted a location.” 
Nope, won’t do it.
Frozen fish can be perfectly acceptable, depending on the processor. For example, I buy frozen pink Florida shrimp and they are sweet and delicate. You will never find fresh Florida shrimp here. The only real fresh shrimp available in California is spot prawn, which I usually buy at farmers markets. It’s nice, but I find the Florida shrimp better, even frozen.
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Hi Bookwich -
I guess you’re right. I don’t mind frozen fish. It would be nice to try the Dover Sole fresh. But that ain’t gonna’ happen, so I’ll buy frozen if I see it. I wonder if the restaurants are using frozen? Hmmm…
P.S. Good tip on the Florida shrimp.
Might be the only kind readily available, but I occasionally see other kinds fresh at specialty fish shops or restaurants: Gulf shrimp, Oregon pink shrimp, some kind of giant prawns from Hawaii, grass shrimp from the Sacramento River delta and San Pablo Bay, and various I-don’t-know-what shrimp in live tanks.
https://www.santamonicaseafood.com/seafood/oregon-pink-shrimp
https://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Sizing-up-shrimp-It-s-America-s-favorite-2680518.php
This is my understanding, as well.
I’m going to keep an eye out for those, but I’m guessing the Bay Area gets fresh shrimp that doesn’t make it down here.
I suppose I misspoke. I should have said the only fresh shrimp I’ve found in Los Angeles are spot prawns. Next time I’m up north, I’m going to visit some fish markets.
The thing about frozen and why I don’t buy it is there is so much fresh seafood available. Plus - unlike @Bookwich’s sweet, pink shrimp from Florida - frozen doesn’t always retain the texture and flavor. The defrosting process can cause flesh to absorb a lot of water. I would like to try that Dover Sole though.
You’re lucky. Here in Reno we have little fresh fish. Salmon is the main one and, of course, we don’t really care for it 
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See, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. We’re lucky here. I don’t miss what I’m missing.
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It’s now a misdemeanor on first offense, right?
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Shit. I’m probably a felon in multiple states by now.
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Not in Utah
Fish King/King Fish is a legit outfit and that looks to be a decent price. I would go for it.
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I think this is legit. There is a company called Nordic Catch or something along those lines, and they bring the fish to LA directly from the Atlantic and sell wholesale and a bit at farmers markets. I happened to ask them about Dover Sole at La Canada farmers market last week and they said they just sold their entire shipment to Fish King in Glendale.
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This is pro level intel right here. Thanks!
Farmers market intel can range from great to WTF. I do question why someone from a farmers market would be selling or know of a shipment to a medium sized distributor though unless they’re selling well down market. If you have more info about the Nordic Catch company I could probably suss it out a bit better.