Dr. Seuss of Seafood

On the docks, in a box and all over your frocks.

steveston docks: Go early to avoid the crowds, bring cash ($20 will get you a spring salmon, $30 a ling cod and $10 an entire basket of side strip prawns) and a cooler—they’ll pack it in ice. Skip the crazy line for fish and chips at Pajo’s and continue down the path to the right of the docks to Garry Point Park, where a second Pancho’s location five minutes away is less crowded and you can spread a picnic blanket. www.pajos.com

tackle box: Chef Ned Bell at Yew Seafood + Bar at the  Four Seasons Hotel has done it again with his take on the deconstructed seafood tower—an ice-filled “tackle box” with raw tuna, poached spot prawns, We Wai Kai scallops, steamed Dungeness crab and more (five items for $69). www.yewseafood.com

seafood boil: One of the prettiest patios in town, encircling Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar at the Sutton Place Hotel, is now home to a raucous summer Sunday tradition called the Seafood Boil. Chef pours a huge steaming pot of prawns, clams, crab, mussels and corn onto a platter on your table and the crowd digs in with both hands. Don’t forget your bib! Book seats ($49 per person) via www.boulevardvancouver.ca

So, what’s the catch? —Sarah Bancroft