Catch of the Day

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Calgary restaurant is committed to serving only Ocean Wise-recommended seafood

Catch & the Oyster Bar serves up a menu of 100 per cent Ocean Wise-recommended seafood in the heart of land-locked Calgary, Alta. The restaurant — comprised of two concepts under one roof — boasts a long-standing relationship with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise. It’s a founding partner for the program in Calgary as well as the first seafood-focused restaurant to commit to serving only Ocean Wise seafood.

Catch offers a variety of seafood-focused dishes such as halibut cheeks with gnocchi, taber corn velouté, crispy black trumpettes, roast onion purée, red bell pepper and thyme ($38); and warm octopus terrine with tomato fondue, fava beans, crème fraîche and chorizo emulsion ($18). The Oyster Bar offers more casual fare, including a Thai curry shellfish bowl with scallops, prawns, clams, mussels, vermicelli and toasted coconut ($27); and grilled swordfish with coconut and chorizo white bean cassoulet, roasted poblano pepper, cherry tomatoes and fried okra ($29).

“We have two very popular restaurants and we take a lot of produce from the sea, so we’re very aware of the effect that has,” explains restaurant manager Thomas Hill. “We are very interested in keeping [Ocean Wise] principles alive so we can [preserve this resource] for future generations.”

When developing menu items, the team at Catch & the Oyster Bar must always keep its Ocean Wise commitment in mind, especially since it’s not a static program. “It’s changing all the time; some things that were once Ocean Wise may not be in the future,” says Hill. However, he notes the commitment to sustainability has some perks. “Because we are a popular restaurant, and because we are take the Ocean Wise approach to things, we are offered some products as a priority over other establishments,” he says.

Hill also sees demand for sustainable seafood growing and becoming the norm at restaurants. At Catch & the Oyster Bar, Ocean Wise logos often spark conversation between staff and diners. Hill says guests often ask questions about the program, which he and the team are always happy to answer. “Our guests are becoming more clued into [the program] and it’s part of our principles that our team passes on that knowledge and enthusiasm to [our guests],” he adds. “Because [the logo] is attached to every item on our menu, we take great pride in educating the staff and keeping them fully up-to-date on what Ocean Wise means.”

In addition to sourcing sustainable product, the kitchen makes the most of everything they get in, using bones to make broth and even offering raw cuts (as well as shellfish) for sale to home cooks through the restaurant’s Buycatch program.

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