Eating up the Hill: One Tuesday, two receptions, lots of seafood

Someone told me there were 13 receptions around Parliament Hill on Tuesday night. That may well be true, I don’t keep an exhaustive list. But I did delay my nightly collapse onto my couch to venture to two that had caught my eye: Restaurants Canada at Riviera and Pacific Salmon Foundation and Sport Fishing Institute of BC at the Marriott.

I started off at Riviera, a few blocks down Sparks from my office, at Elgin, a fancy spot where I had lunch once – a decent steak frites – but is rather bougie and generally out of my price range. It was dimly-lit and pretty packed. Two drink tickets were provided on entry, and it was a challenge to get to the bar. Like when you get your drink, move away from the bar people!

Anyway, I got a glass of a Niagara pinot (everything was specifically tied to a geography) and moved about the crowd. A tuna appy was offered, but I passed. I don’t care for tuna. Although I have been told that maybe I do, and to not judge tuna by the smelly canned stuff. Still, trying the good stuff will need to wait for another day.

There were a lot of pass-appies, and a tray of what looked like sliders was done and dusted well before it got near me. Being both hungry and on the clock, I made a strategic decision to move near to where the appies come from the prep station, to maximize my app chances.

Up first for me was a little bowl with shrimp, scallop and oyster from Newfoundland in a broth – so, a seafood chowder of sorts. Delicious, flavourful, could have ate four more.

Up next was beef tartar on a kettle chip from Alberta. Usually, I steer clear of uncooked meat – yes, even you sushi to the shame of my BC brethren – but as it was a small amount I took the plunge and wolfed it down. It was fine.

Finally, an arancini ball. Delicious, creamy, hearty, satisfying. Would eat again.

There was a table with various meets and cheeses, but it was warm in there and the siren song of wild British Columbian salmon as calling me, so I ventured outside onto Sparks Street, handed my leftover drink ticket to an entering staffer, and walked a few blocks down to the Marriott.

I arrived mid-speeches, so for 10 minutes I stared longingly across the room at the table of appies while the sponsors spoke about salmon spawning, habitat and species restoration efforts, and different politicians voiced their support. As a BCer I’m well-versed in these issues and very supportive of efforts to revive and protect the wild stock – its massive for tourism, the commercial industry and the Indigenous community with treaty rights and a long historical ties to BC’s best fish.

So during the politicians’ spiels I quietly snaked through the crowd to the table which was getting sparse – and ran out not much later so good call by me.

There were no labels so I cannot offer you specific informed descriptions. But there was smoked salmon, some sort of pate, and a very fishy fish. So assorted tasty seafood stuff. 

I could have done with a whole fillet but that would have been challenging. Maybe salmon sliders? But it was tasty, and confirms West Coast is the Best Coast for fish.

Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers