Monday, January 14, 2008

NE Aquarium "Celebrate Seafood Dinners"

It always amuses me to think of the New England Aquarium hosting a seafood dinner. Seems a bit ironic. Do bad fish at the aquarium get punished by ending up on the dinner plate? Can you check out the fish in the main tank and pick out what you want for lunch? If a fish at the aquarium dies, is it gutted and then fried up for supper?

But it certainly makes sense that they would support sustainable seafood. And now you can learn more about sustainable seafood while enjoying an excellent meal.

The New England Aquarium will host a "Celebrate Seafood Dinner Series" which offers delicious seafood that is also good for the ocean. Some of Boston’s best chefs will create the three-course dinners, paired with wine, and using sustainable seafood. You will also get to see informative cooking demonstrations while you dine. The dinners will take place at the Aquarium's Harbor View Cafe and guests will be seated at large tables to foster conversation.

Five dinners are planned for 2008 with different celebrity chefs for each event. The scheduled dates are: February 5, April 1, June 3, October 7 and November 18. Each dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.

The first chef, on February 5, will be Rebecca Newell of The Beehive, certainly one of the most popular new restaurants in the city. She will join Aquarium chefs George Kierstead and Tim Ridge for an evening of informative and fun cooking demonstrations before each of the three tastings. Rebecca will prepare a delectable, farm-raised rainbow trout. The menu will also feature wild-caught Dungeness crab and farm-raised hybrid striped bass. Each course is expertly paired with a fine wine and an explanation detailing what makes it a sustainable choice. Each guest will also receive a printed recipe booklet of the evening’s dishes.

Here is the basic schedule:
6:30-7 p.m.: Cocktails
7-7:45 p.m.: Intros, First Course Demo, Discussion & Wine Pairing
7:45-8:30 p.m.: Second Course Demo, Discussion & Wine Pairing
8:30-9:15 p.m.: Third Course Demo, Discussion & Wine Pairing
9:15-10:00 p.m.: Dessert, Coffee and Q&A

The price is $65 for NE Aquarium members and $75 for non-members. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Call (617) 973-5206 for reservations or visit their website for more information.

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