2010 November 16 : Tiny Bites

Our tips for eating your fill at the Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder ChowDown

1 Comment Karen HamiltonNovember 16, 2010

Last December, my husband and I found ourselves wandering through the maze of tanks at the Vancouver Aquarium. We marvelled at the jellies, peered at the bioluminescent marine life, and a touch disturbingly, downed a whole lot of seafood chowder in front of the Aquarium’s residents.

We’ll be there again this year for the 3rd annual Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Chowdown, featuring the chowder wares of 2010′s Ocean Wise member finalists.

This event is one of my favourite food outings of the season for many reasons:

I am a sucker for a well-made chowder
Craft beer + chowder = love love love
Can’t miss an opportunity to sneak in an Aquarium visit
All this fun while supporting the sustainable seafood movement and the Ocean Wise program!

One of the things we discussed as we headed home last year was how to improve our sampling experience. Whether it’s your first time out or your third, I’d like to share our 2009 post-mortem findings as tips for you this year.

Tiny Bites Tip Sheet to Optimize Chowder Happiness

Map out your game plan

Chowder and beer stations will be scattered throughout the vast upper floor of the Aquarium, which has two branches: the Treasures of the BC Coast (where the jellyfish live) and the Tropic Zone on the right. Last year, the BC wing was a traffic jam as the event kicked off, leaving the stations in the Tropic Zone relatively unencumbered till people tried all the BC ones. Take a few minutes at the start of your evening to identify the congested areas and consider visiting those spots at the end of your tour. Unless you get there 30 minutes before close, I doubt you run the risk of missing out on any chowder under this plan of attack.

You’ll likely see us starting with the stations in the back and working against the flow of traffic, ’cause this lady doesn’t like to wait.

Make your line-ups do double duty

If your date doesn’t mind, split up the task of queuing for your supper: one gets the chowder while the other gets the beer. You could halve your total wait time and might even experience a beer visitation on your way to pick up chowder (or vice versa).

Finish your faves; sample the rest

It was our experience that the individual chowder samplings measured a half-cup per person each last year. If you were to eat every last drop of your samples this year, that could mean 6 cups of chowder to digest – and we still haven’t factored in how many pints of craft beer you’ll accumulate!

If that sounds like a welcome challenge to you, disregard this tip. If, like me, the math is already giving you heartburn, go for the divide-and-conquer method: share the sample with a friend. If you really love a particular chowder, you can always go back for seconds!

Keep an eye out for the servers

Another way to reduce your waiting game is to scope out the servers that mingle amongst you. Some carry trays for dirty dishes; some carry trays of samples for the guest judges (Rebecca Bollwitt of Miss 604 is one this year); and the best kind carry trays of samples for general distribution. Mark these people. Befriend them. If you ask nicely, perhaps they’ll seek you out when their next tray goes out.

Know where the water is

Not everyone is into beer, and even those that are craft beer aficionados might still appreciate a palate cleanser. When you scope out the grounds at the beginning of your evening, make sure you find that watering hole, and fill up as is necessary to avoid an unintended drought in your glass.

…Or just load up on beer.

Sit with the fishies

I go to a lot of events where you eat your weight in food and drink. The nosh may be spectacular, but I tend not to notice my surroundings. It’s a rare night when the venue itself adds to the magic of the evening. So, don’t forget that you are at the Aquarium. Wander around while your belly begs you to pace yourself. Ponder the life aquatic as you stare into the depths of your favourite galleries. Get entranced by jellyfish. Make friends with the sea turtle.

Buy your tickets

This event sold out last year and no tickets are sold at the door. Get your tickets early!

The 3rd annual Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder ChowDown
At the Vancouver Aquarium
7 – 10pm
Tickets are $40 for non-members and $32 for members and their date

12 of BC’s top Ocean Wise chefs reveal their newest chowder competing for the Best Sustainable Seafood Chowder on the West Coast. 12 top BC craft brewers provide delicious pairings.

Celebrity Judges: Popular food reviewer Jamie Maw, celeb chef David Hawksworth and Robert Clark, famous blogger Miss604 join industry heavyweights to choose the winner on site!