Local Lounge Wins 2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown

Chef Paul Cecconi of Local Lounge (middle) wins 2011 Chowder Champion. Photo: Dana Lynch

Last night, my partner and I joined the 560(!) guests at the sold-out Vancouver Aquarium’s 2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown for an evening of chowder and beer tasting that was a rousing success. Along with the other guests, we sampled different seafood chowders from 12 of Vancouver’s top chefs, each paired with a different BC craft beer.

There were two big winners last night: Local Lounge and its Chef Paul Cecconi won the title of 2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Champion with their “Smoked Outlandish Oyster Chowder,” while the underdog-ish Sunset Bay Yacht Group and Chef Natasha Harris took home the People’s Choice Award, as voted by the diners themselves. My partner totally agreed with the Sunset Bay win; their ultra-creamy “New England Style Chowder” was the only one he went back for twice!

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Local Lounge Wins 2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown

Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown at the Vancouver Aquarium + Prize Package Giveaway!

2010 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. Photo: Vancouver Aquarium

What happens when 12 of Vancouver’s top chefs compete to make the best seafood chowder you’ve ever tasted? You get one of the best Vancouver foodie events of the year, the annual Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown at the Vancouver Aquarium. (Don’t worry: You get to eat the chowder, too!)

The Chowder Chowdown has all the ingredients to make it a perfect night out. Not only do you get to sample all 12 gourmet chowders and the local beers they’re paired with, you also get to support one of the Vancouver Aquarium’s most important conservation programs, Ocean Wise. All proceeds from the Chowder Chowdown support Ocean Wise’s efforts to educate restaurants and consumers about the importance of sustainable seafood. Which, given how important seafood is in Vancouver, should be a cause close to all our hearts. (You’ve probably noticed the Ocean Wise seal of approval beside menu items at restaurants like Blue Water Cafe and Araxi.)

And the kicker? You get all the seafood chowder, beer and good karma for just $40 per person!

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Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown at the Vancouver Aquarium + Prize Package Giveaway!

Featured Attraction of the Week: Vancouver Aquarium (Free Tickets!)

Photo: Vancouver Aquarium

Welcome to Inside Vancouver’s new “Featured Attraction” series. Each Monday we’ll be featuring a different Vancouver attraction, and giving away free tickets to our readers. To be eligible you just need to post a comment or send a tweet!

From now until November 6th meet the Vancouver Aquarium’s family of rescued marine animals, including dolphins, harbour seals, sea otters and even a sea turtle. Learn about the unique stories behind their rescues and their extraordinary fight to beat the odds. Plus, find out about the dedication, perseverance and unwavering devotion of the hundreds of staff members and volunteers who cared for them.

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Featured Attraction of the Week: Vancouver Aquarium (Free Tickets!)

Meet Vancouver Aquarium’s family of rescued marine animals

Rescued baby seal pup, Lemongrass, by Meighan Makarchuk

The Vancouver Aquarium is offering a rare and heartwarming opportunity to meet their family of rescued marine mammals now through Sunday, Nov. 6. The aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre team picks up over 150 animals in distress per year along the British Columbia coastline. Don’t drag your feet about choosing a day to visit. The animals sharing their individual rescue stories with the public will soon be fully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Among the compelling cast of characters, there’s Daisy, the harbour porpoise, who was found stranded near Victoria, and precocious Tanu the youngest of the sea otters, who was orphaned as a pup near Alaska.
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Meet Vancouver Aquarium’s family of rescued marine animals

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Kicks off this Saturday at Kits Beach

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The Vancouver Aquarium is much more than a beloved local institution and attraction; it’s also a nation-wide leader in environmental and conservation efforts. One of its most influential initiatives—in concert with the WWF—is the annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a community-led effort to clean up one of our great natural resources: our beautiful beaches and shores.

Each year, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup coordinates clean-up events at hundreds of beaches across the country. In 2010, the week-long event removed 98,071 kilograms of litter from Canadian shores!

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Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Kicks off this Saturday at Kits Beach

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