2nd Annual Sustainable Seafood Expo in San Pedro:

Savvy Choices for Seafood Lovers

By Gina Ruccione, Restaurant and Cuisine Writer

Organic, sustainable and locally grown, are concepts that often come up when it comes to sourcing and procuring food.

This growing awareness has raised consumers’ expectations of food purveyors and their ethical responsibilities. However, most of these conversations tend to refer to vegetables or meat. Rarely do I hear anything about the sustainability of seafood.

But that’s going to change Oct 11, when the second annual Seafood Sustainability Expo comes to San Pedro from noon to 5 p.m. at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles. The event features a variety of information booths, cooking demonstrations, seafood sampling and plenty of wine and craft beer, all of it intended to both educate and stimulate.

The Sustainable Seafood Expo is Southern California’s only major sustainable seafood event. It’s hosted by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and its supporting organization in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, founder of SeafoodWatch.org, which helps consumers choose seafood that’s fished or farmed in ways that have less impact on the environment.

It’s particularly appropriate to hold the Sustainable Seafood Expo in San Pedro, where fishing has been crucial to the local community and its culture for so long. The Expo will give people the opportunity to sample new seafood options, sustainable wines and craft beers while providing practical information about purchasing seafood, whether in a market or a restaurant. Experts and volunteers from the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium will be on hand to explain fisheries, habitats and other factors that affect ocean ecosystems.

The event is designed to be informal, yet informative, so people can enjoy seafood and learn about fish farming and harvesting without a long lecture. Seafood sustainability varies from ocean to ocean and even by different seasons and countries. All things should be considered when making seafood choices, and consumers have a vast amount of options available to them.

Much like last year, a centerpiece of the event will be a range of amazing cooking demonstrations, several of which will be conducted by such executive chefs as Christine Brown, the former owner of Restaurant Christine in Torrance, Bernard Ibarra of Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes and Pete Lehar of Gladstone’s in Long Beach. Additionally, Hawaiian celebrity Chef Sam Choy, who founded the Poke Festival and Recipe Contest in 1991, will be there to dazzle onlookers.

The Expo will be followed by a new event, the Sustainable Seafood Dinner, a farm-to-table dining experience featuring locally sourced seafood and seasonal fare prepared by Paul Buchanan of Primal Alchemy, who has set himself apart from most Southern California caterers by using sustainable, organic ingredients. Seats are limited and dinner tickets are $150 which includes entry to the expo.

Expo tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Discounts are available for Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Members.

Details:(310) 548-7562; www.sustainableseafoodexpo.org

Gina Ruccione has traveled all over Europe and Asia and has lived in almost every nook of Los Angeles County. You can visit her website at www.foodfashionfoolishfornication.com.