Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Toronto 2011

Join Ocean Wise at the Fairmont Royal York on Nov. 2nd

Ten of Toronto's top Ocean Wise chefs battle it out to be the Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Champion of 2011.

Date: November 2^nd, 2011

Time: 6 – 9pm

Where: Fairmont Royal York – The Concert Hall

Tickets: $40

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Meet the Contestants

Chef Timothy Palmer - The Fairmont Royal York, EPIC Restaurant

Timothy Palmer, chef of The Fairmont Royal York’s EPIC restaurant, comes to Toronto from Bermuda.Chef Palmer’s first hand knowledge of the water surrounding Bermuda, and his awareness of the importance of keeping the ocean healthy, provide a perfect fit with EPIC’s commitment to ocean conservation, through the Ocean Wise sustainable choices program. EPIC’s Chef educates guests and his culinary brigade about the importance of making environmentally friendly seafood choices on every menu. At EPIC local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients are always menu highlights.     

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Executive Chef Martin Kouprie & Chef de Cuisine Derek Bendig - Pangaea Restaurant

Martin Kouprie has been the executive chef and co-owner of Pangaea Restaurant for more than twelve years.  Kouprie has been an active participant in programs such as Ocean Wise, likewise, Kouprie works closely with local farmers, foragers and ingredient suppliers so that he can create cuisine form every food group that has regional, sustainable roots. The high standards and culinary imagination Kouprie uses to set Pangaea's menus have won him accolades from near and far: Gourmet Magazine, Toronto Life, The Financial Post, and The New York Times have all given Pangaea Restaurant their seals of approval.  Pangaea has also received the Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence for many years and continues to grow its wine list.

Chef du Cuisine Derek Bendig may come across as a tough guy (his favorite after work pastimes include playing bone crushing sports such as hockey and lacrosse) but he has a deft touch with food and a seriousness about his craft that belie this tough guy persona. After graduating from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts with numerous awards, Derek joined Pangaea’s kitchen team as a cook. Although he left for several months to take a stage in the Michelin starred Le Pic restaurant in France, Pangaea has been Derek’s culinary home ever since and he has risen through the ranks to become chef du cuisine.

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Chef Ted Corrado - C5 Restaurant

Crystal Five (C5) Restaurant Lounge’s Chef de Cuisine Ted Corrado comes to the ROM with over 10 years experience in the culinary industry,  most recently in the position of Sous Chef at Toronto’s elite George restaurant where he worked and trained under renowned Executive Chef Lorenzo Loseto. Corrado’s menu at C5 captures the essence of Toronto’s cultural fabric with modern and imaginative dishes. Taking inspiration from the flavours of the city’s ethnic markets and fusing them with the fresh qualities of local Ontario ingredients, Corrado’s choices closely reflect his personal flair and extensive training at award-winning restaurants.

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Chef Andrea Nicholson-Jack, Killer Condiments 

For the past 15 years, Andrea has been consumed by the art of food: as a creator, teacher and connoisseur. Andrea is a Red Seal certified chef who received her culinary training at George Brown College in Toronto.  Her professional experience includes positions in respected Toronto restaurants and culinary institutes, as well as traveling the culinary globe and working with internationally acclaimed chefs.  Andrea also holds a diploma from the A.P.N. of Naples, Italy, distinguishing her as a Pizzaiuoli. Andrea’s passion for food is evident in her masterful creations, which celebrate the purity of local and seasonal produce.  Supporting sustainability, Canadian farmers, purveyors and Ocean Wise is the central tenet of her cuisine.  Andrea has received several awards and recognition for her culinary artistry. Killer Condiments are hand crafted artisan Condiments and a glimpse into Andrea’s whimsical and creative culinary world.

Chef Andrea was also a contestant on Top Chef Canada see on the Food Network.  

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Executive Chef Morgan Wilson - Trios Bistro Marriott Toronto Downtown Eaton Center

Chef Morgan Wilson is a Bocuse d’Or laureate & was recently awarded the prestigious ACE Chef of the Year 2010 title for Marriott International. The Bocuse d'Or is one of the premier international cooking competitions in the world. It is organized under the stewardship of famed French chef Paul Bocuse, and is held every two years in Lyon. Two days of intense cooking culminate in the presentation of the Gold Bocuse trophy to the overall grand winner. Chef Wilson placed 8^th, the top non European Chef.

Chef Wilson currently is the Executive Chef of the Marriott Toronto Downtown Eaton Centre Hoteltheflag ship Marriott Hotel in Canada with 463 guest rooms and 18,000 sq ft of banqueting space. Trios Bistro is a recently re concepted 3 meal a day restaurant He leads a brigade of 45, which includes stewarding and purchasing. 

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Chef and Owner Shawn Hartwell - Simple Fish Company

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Chef Shabbir Chowdhury - Mill Street Brew Pub

After starting his restaurant career as a line cook, Indian-born chef Shabbir Chowdhury trained at Toronto’s George Brown College. He worked at Remy’s restaurant as chef and then followed onto work at The Duke of York as head chef. He has now joined Mill Street Brew Pub in 2009 as Head Chef.   Shabbir seeks to fuse sustainable and heirloom ingredients with local craft produced beers and spirits with a simple and approachable flair.

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Kristin Donovan began her cooking career in the sophisticated backwoods of Northern Ontario. Living out of a tent, cooking 19 hours a day for a camp of hungry treeplanters in sub zero temperatures, Kristin found her calling.

Formal education and training began at the Stratford Chefs School, where Kristin was fortunate enough to work with Ruth Klahsen (Monforte Dairy) and Neil Baxter (Rundles Restaurant). Since graduation in 2001, Kristin has worked with some of the most respected chefs in Canada, including Anne Yarymowich, Chris MacDonald, Jamie Kennedy, Tobey Nemeth, and her husband, Dan Donovan. Most recently, Kristin was Executive Chef at Dish Cooking Studio in Toronto.

Kristin and her husband Dan opened Hooked in March 2011, choosing to supply Torontonians with fish they could feel good about purchasing. Hooked sources directly from both Canadian Coasts, seeking only product that is Oceanwise approved, fresh out of water, flown direct to Toronto. Kristin is extremely proud of the new family business.

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Chef David Friedman - FishBar

Although joining the chef game late, chef David Friedman has had the opportunity to work with talented chefs in Toronto, Vancouver, Italy and Japan who have helped to focus his interests on all things Seafood. As a graduate of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, David has been involved in the Ocean Wise program since his student days and is part of the foundation of his philosophy of using Local, Seasonal and Sustainable ingredients. This is evident on the menu at Fishbar, which focuses on simple dishes, strong flavours and most importantly using sustainable seafood as the star.  

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Chef Shaun Edmonstone - Bruce Wine Bar

Culinary industry veteran Shaun Edmonstone is home in Thornbury, Ontario after fifteen years experience in Toronto. After honing his practice at distinguished Toronto restaurants including Pangaea and The Windsor Arm’s, he is currently  Chef of Bruce Wine Bar. Shaun earned his Red Seal Certification at George Brown School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts in 2005.

Shaun aims to satisfy the pallet while keeping the bigger picture in mind: he manages to source the freshest, local, organic produce and customizes dishes on a seasonal basis in order to maximize sustainability and flavour.

His passion and innovation with nature’s finest ingredients is what provides the menu with brilliant multiplicity

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A Special Thanks to all of our Sponsors