CCCRT – Business & Blogging

So for obvious professional reasons I don’t usually tell anyone involved with work about my blog.  A few of my co-workers know about it and I suspect my bosses know but don’t discuss it (it has come up in conversation because we do social media for work) but I never tell clients.  It’s not a secret or anything…I just feel like it’s more personal life as opposed to professional life.

This time the convention and cocktail parties had such great food that it was killing me not to be running around playing paparazzi…especially after a couple of weeks out of my usual blogging routine.

There were perfect little quiches for breakfast, and creative hors d'oeuvres for the the cocktail hours in the exhibit hall.  We went to multiple private cocktail parties and two of those had AMAZING food spreads.  What I wouldn’t give to have taken pics of the sushi poolside!! 

One of the parties had “around the world'” food stations…I wasn’t starving but I did partake in dim-sum and it was lovely.  They also had a wine station, whisky station, and a girl hand rolling cigars!

Oh and I almost forget about the Opening Reception at the Vancouver Aquarium.  There were many passed snacks and hot food tables but it was very hot inside so most of us were milling around outside watching the beluga whales and enjoying the beautiful weather.  At one point I went inside and discovered…wait for it…THE MASHED POTATO BAR!

I thought it was a taco bar, but no…instead it was a glorious bowl of smashed baby red potatoes that you could top with cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream.  Heaven.  Especially since I’d barely eaten and it was an open bar.  :)  Hard to look hot eating potatoes but I think I pulled it off.  haha.

I love this awesome picture of the jellyfish tank I got on our way into the Aquarium…

On the final night things were winding down and we didn’t have any obligatory cocktail hours so we took the opportunity to relax and pick out a nice spot for dinner with one of our clients (hi John!!).  John had been recommended Blue Water Cafe but none of us felt like getting more dressed up yet again so we decided on Joe Forte’s Seafood and Chophouse instead.

Michelle is a Louisiana girl (by way of California and Colorado) and John is a Boston boy so I wanted them to get some great West Coast seafood.  Not to mention I just got back here so it seemed fitting!  (Pleasant surprise for me to have two dinner companions that actually like seafood too!!)

Here is where I wish I had mentioned my blog to John sooner.  The whole dinner experience at Joe Forte’s was fabulous.  It helps that all three of us love food!!  Part of the reason we wanted to try one of the higher end seafood places is because we were looking for a raw bar…specifically local oysters.  We found them!

We ordered a dozen which included four different types.  It’s been forever since I had fresh oysters, and while I thought I only liked the little Japanese style variety, Kushi…turns out I was a big fan of the largest variety we ordered, Sawmill Bay!

John also ordered us the shrimp cocktail, which was actually Poached Jumbo Tiger Prawns the size of my fist.  Nom!!

We were all so enamoured with the food that at this point I finally said something about my blog.  We weren’t working right then and I could tell that no one was going to look at me like I had two heads because clearly all three of us have a passion for food.  So when the dinner platter arrived I did get a photo.  Sadly, one grainy photo… this meal deserves so much more. 

Our server, Jamie, was a large part of the enjoyment of the meal for me.  He was so friendly and gave us fantastic suggestions.  We even exchanged restaurant recommendations for Victoria.  :)

John and Michelle almost ordered the same meal, but Jamie suggested that if we were all friends here that maybe they would like to order something different and share.  They agreed so when it came my turn I said I’d better order something else too because I wanted in on the sharing action! 

Jamie helped us choose and then suggested he would have the chef put everything on a platter family style for us.  Perfect.

We opted for Queen Charlotte Halibut (it’s in season!), Miso Marinated Sablefish, and Halibut Cheeks (we were all intrigued and these were Jamie’s choice for us).  Everything was a winner.  I swear we didn’t talk for 10 minutes except to mumble “nom nom nom, this is sooooo good” once the food came.  The Halibut Cheeks were my favourite for sure…and I was pretty much in love with the yummy edamame hash that came with the Sablefish.

To top this all off we had the.best.side.dish.ever.

When we sat down at the bar to wait for our table we saw/smelled a dish go by that we totally needed to investigate.  It was a still steaming individual cast iron skillet so I scoured the side dishes on the menu and deduced that it must be the Mac & Cheese.  Jamie confirmed it so we added that to our already large order.  Can’t pass on the gourmet Mac & Cheese!

Um, heaven in a hot little pan. 

Let’s just say that we were all full and didn’t finish our whole platter, but the Mac pan was cleaned out!

Conveniently I now live just across the water so maybe I’ll go back just for a pan of the Mac on my own.  :)  Sadly, John and Michelle live way far away so I guess our next culinary adventure will be at whatever the next convention is…let’s hope it’s in foodie friendly territory!  (gasp, I think it’s Vegas…maybe I’ll finally get to eat at one of the schmancy restaurants instead of just running for pizza in the Caesar’s food court…LOL).

If we didn’t have a cocktail/dessert party to wander off to I would have been hounding my dining companions to order dessert because they had Crème Brule on the menu, and anyone who knows me knows that I HAVE to try the Crème Brule wherever I go.  Yet another reason to go back I suppose.  :)

Now go check out Joe Forte’s website and drool over their pictures.  Do it.