photo courtesy of The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival

Here’s an easy excuse to make that Vancouver Island trip you may have been considering lately!

The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival (and here on Facebook) is pleased to introduce this year’s list of BC grown chefs participating in the Gala Evening Dinner. On Saturday, June 19th, 2010, 200 guests will be treated to a nine-course gourmet seafood supper served outside along the lapping shores of Comox Harbour. For the first time, the festival is extremely excited to have two renowned chefs from famed Vancouver restaurants, Rick Bowman from Monk McQueens Restaurant & Patio and Scott Practico from Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House.
Also volunteering their time and culinary mastery are:
• Nigel McMeans, Executive Chef, Blackfin Pub at the Marina, Comox
• Jonathan Frazier, Executive Chef, Atlas Café, Courtenay
• Troy Fogarty, Executive Chef, Kingfisher Spa & Resort, Courtenay
• Ronald St-Pierre, Executive Chef, Locals Restaurant, Courtenay
• Aaron Rail, Executive Chef, Avenue Bistro, Comox
• Mark Duncan, Executive Chef, Union Street Grill & Grotto, Courtenay
• Matt MacDonald, Executive Chef, Berwick, Comox

Tickets are $120 - to order yours and more information contact:
Matthew Wright, Festival Producer
250.890.7561 / matt@bcsga.ca

photo courtesy of The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival

Table Champetre translates to country table, and being that this local food experience is held in a field, with food from the area farmers prepared by one of the Comox Valley’s newest Chefs, there’s no doubt the title is quite appropriate.

The event will take place at Tannadice Farm in Courtenay, BC on July 26th, with food prepared by Chef Ronald St. Pierre of the Valley’s very popular Locals Restaurant. Tickets are on sale now, so if you plan on being in the Comox Valley at this time, or considering a Summer Island excursion, this might just be the perfect dinner event.

I photographed some of Chef Ronald’s creations this week as part of a larger project (exciting details to come soon!) and I don’t think I’ve ever met a chef with a more outward sense of humor. During the shoot, he literally brought out a 4′ long painted ceramic fish and, holding it up towards me, asked “Shall we put this in the background of the gazpacho?” His humour, combined with his culinary skills and the local food scene in the Comox Valley will surely make this event a success.