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The Pier 73 Restaurant can be found at the mouth of the Fraser River and forms part of the Pacific Gateway Hotel in Richmond.
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The Pier 73 Restaurant can be found at the mouth of the Fraser River and forms part of the Pacific Gateway Hotel in Richmond. Executive Chef, Morgan Lechner, and restaurant General Manager, Tim Lattimore, are both passionate about protecting the river’s fragile environment wherever they can.

“People don’t realize how fragile the Fraser River environment is,” explains Chef Morgan. “We do whatever we can to remove invasive species that grow in the river along our property. It feeds into the restaurant’s philosophy of being ocean stewards.”

Tim echoes that sentiment. “The Pier 73 Restaurant is one of the leaders in the “Farm to Table” revolution in Richmond. We capitalize on the availability of ethically raised animals and sustainable seafood. Our fish is bought direct from local fishermen, and we buy local produce from family-owned farms whenever it’s seasonably possible and available so we can make sure our food items are fresh and ethically produced.”

Participation in the Vancouver Chinook Classic, a catch-and-release fishing derby held in August each year, and procuring meat products from farms such as Abbotsford’s Gelderman Farm, support the restaurant’s philosophy.

“Our pork comes from pigs that have been ethically raised and treated,” says Chef Morgan. “They see daylight, they get to move about in fresh air and root, and basically live the lives pigs are meant to live.”

Why is this important? “The taste,” he says. “When an animal’s stress is limited and it has access to fresh air and natural light, the difference in the taste of the meat is unbelievable.”

When it comes to fish and seafood, Pier 73 takes advantage of its location in the heart of the Fraser River to buy pink salmon and other fish from local fishermen.

“We deal with fishermen we know,” says Chef Morgan. “We buy direct so the only handling of the fish is done by the fishermen and us. We know where it came from; we know how it was harvested.”

Almost 100% of Pier 73’s fish and seafood dishes are recommended by the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program as “ocean friendly.”

For more information on the Pier 73 Restaurant, check out their website and follow them on Twitter or visit the location at 3500 Cessna Drive, Richmond. For information on the Pacific Gateway Hotel, see their website or call 1.866.382.3474 for a reservation.