the best dinners are free

especially when it's seafood with your best party-crashing friends!

After nibbling a few canapés at Steamworks with Cheryl and Cindy while looking over the 6 photographs that comprised the Vancouver exhibit of Lori's Guatemalan photos, and after Cindy determined that the drinks were not complimentary, the three of us decided to go somewhere for some real food.

Cindy, who was triple-booked for the evening, suggested we tag along to her second function - a big shindig at Monk McQueen's thrown by a friend in real estate.

Not sure what to expect - we'd heard there was a jazz singer, but that's about it - we were ushered upstairs. We'd barely introduced ourselves when we were offered canapés (ahi tuna on a wonton crisp? grilled lamb tart? stacked crab cake with wasabi?) and drinks (complimentary).

We settled out on the sunny patio with our drinks, plucking canapés off trays as they whisked by, and decided that small, garnished bits of fish on tiny wafers actually make quite a good dinner, if you eat enough of them.

Then we ran into Keith - who was working his way through the beer list - and his German girlfriend Susanna, who pointed out the buffet.

Did someone say Buffet?!?

The three of us made our way over as nonchalantly as we could, and piled little side plates with crab cakes, oyster fritters, smoked salmon, dill creme fraiche, marinated vegetables, figs, satays, and crusty bread.

As we mingled around a bit, chatting with Keith and Susanna, and Keith's brother Mark, the buffet was replenished, this time with cheese plates.

We floated over for poppyseed chevre, strawberries, double-cream brie, aged stilton, blue cheese, and impossibly rich crusted goat cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

As the third chevre round melted in my mouth I thought, I'm going to pay for this tomorrow.

I guess I'll wait 'til next week to start worrying about my LDL cholesterol :)