2017 Ultimate Grill Showdown Recap

Event Recap: Smokin’ Hot Times at Ultimate Grill Showdown The North Island Lodge kicked off once again with its signature culinary event, The Ultimate Grill Showdown, a five-day salute to the art of barbeque cuisine. The first guests of the season arrived to a welcome brunch of chili, Baja fish tacos and pulled pork eggs bennie. After donning new Helly Hansen suits, the eager crew headed out on calm seas to great numbers of waiting Chinook Salmon. It was a fine opening day with most guests finishing up their day of Salmon fishing by late afternoon and then embarking on a couple of hours of successful Halibut hunting. Most Salmon were in the mid to high teens with Sean Ozment hitting what turned out to be the top fish of the trip - a nice chrome 28-pounder - on opening day.

Calm waters for the start to the trip.

A nice 25 lb Chinook Salmon for guest Don Fafard.

North Island Lodge guests reeling in a fish aboard the new 24' boats.And so it went, as lucky early-season guests spent the next four days thriving on a unique combination of fishing, wildlife-viewing and a vast range of classic barbeque traditions, as well as some innovative recipes that featured the finest ingredients from both land and sea. For the third consecutive year the headlining guest chef was none other than Ted Reader, Canada’s legendary Godfather of the Grill, who this year brought along Rob Rainford, a Jamaican-born Torontonian who, like Reader, is a well-known chef, TV personality and prolific cookbook author. One of the featured meals began with Rob’s smoked tuna ceviche, followed by mesquite smoked angus beef strip loin - a Reader specialty - served with salt-roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus, and topped off with a desert of maple bourbon French toast Mars Bar red pudding.

Ted Reader grilling at this years Ultimate Grill Showdown.

Chef Rob Rainford grilling his famous jerk chicken.

Mesquite smoked angus beef strip loin served with salt-roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Ted taking a quick break from grilling to enjoy some time on the water.

North Island Lodge Executive Chef Luke Mussato and Sous-chef Alan.

Charmaine and Park Heffelfinger are all smiles at North Island Lodge.Park and Charmaine Heffelfinger, the personable husband and wife duo behind Western Canada’s famous Memphis Blues restaurant chain, were also back for a third consecutive guest chef appearance at this event. Among other culinary temptations, Park and Charmaine offered up a fusion of BC Spot Prawns in Vietnamese lettuce cups as a starter, followed by lemon grass and honey glazed ribs with spicy green beans and ginger chicken rice. Those who still had room for desert were treated to coconut lemon grass-infused crème brûlee. Who says you have to rough it in the marine wilderness?

BC Spot Prawns in Vietnamese lettuce cups.

Lemon grass and honey glazed ribs with spicy green beans and ginger chicken rice.

An orca spotted by one of our guests.