TORONTO — On Tuesday night, 14 chefs from local Ocean Wise-partner restaurants brought their best recipe to the table at the annual Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Chowdown held at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto’s Distillery District.
For the second year in a row, a judging panel of food-savvy media, chefs and industry leaders selected chefs Chris Torgis and Joel Gray of Bruce Wine Bar as the Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Chowdown Champions. The Thornbury, Ont.-based restaurant served up a patriotic Canada 150 Coast-to-Coast Chowder featuring a mélange of sustainable seafood — including Ontario farmed whiteleg shrimp, Gulf of St. Lawrence crab, Lake Huron smoked whitefish and wild Pacific ikura — complemented by local corn velouté, wild-leek pesto and pickled roots. Scout’s Cannery was awarded the People’s Choice Award, selected for its Scout’s Scullery Soup, made with clams, mussels and haddock.
“This event is a celebration of the amazing culinary scene Ontario has to offer and the people who have helped it grow, including food lovers, industry leaders and chef partners,” says Ann-Marie Copping, Ocean Wise seafood program manager. “The energy in the room was palpable, as guests buzzed about their favourite chowders and cast their votes for the top prizes. Everyone there is united in their support of sustainable seafood, helping to ensure our oceans are healthy and flourishing for generations to come.”
The event also featured breweries from across the province pouring everything from pineapple IPA to refreshing lagers and wheat beers. Guests could also take their pick from other delicious beverages including a gin smash from Georgian Bay Spirit Co. and the perfect, sustainable Caesar from Walter Caesar and Dillon’s gin. Patrick McMurray, better known as Shucker Paddy of The Ceili Cottage, was also back to host his popular oyster bar.
