Over 50 guest chefs team up with Northwest farmers to transform locally sourced, sustainable ingredients into edible art. All Featured Chefs are listed alphabetically by their Featured Meal. General information on IPNC cuisine and sample menus can be viewed here.
|
3 DOORS DOWN CAFE, Dave Marth (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchBiography coming soon. |
|
ADAM'S SUSTAINABLE TABLE, Adam Bernstein (Eugene, OR)
Friday Alfresco LunchA native New Yorker, Adam Bernstein, executive chef and proprietor of Adam's Sustainable Table in Eugene, is a third-generation restaurateur, beginning his career at the age of nine in his aunt's professional kitchen. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and later opened his own catering company, The Discriminating Palate. In 1992, Chef Bernstein sold the business and relocated to Eugene. In 1996, he opened Adam's Place Fine Dining. In 2000, chef Bernstein re drafted his mission statement to include a sustainability directive for the new millennium. As a logical extension of the sustainability theme he changed the name of the restaurant to Adam's Sustainable Table, where he and his staff continue to define "Green Foodservice" with a focus on preparing seasonal, all natural and organic foods that are locally farmed and raised in a thoughtful manner. He is a member of the Food Alliance, Green Lane, Lane County Food Coalition, Seafood Choice Alliance, Slow Food and Salmon Nation and teaches occasional classes at Lane Community College. |
|
BAR AVIGNON, Jeremy Eckel (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotJeremy Eckel has been cooking professionally for over ten years. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, Jeremy worked in kitchens in Vermont, Colorado, and Chicago before settling in San Francisco. In San Francisco, Jeremy spent seven years working closely with Gayle Pirie and John Clarke, chef-owners of Foreign Cinema restaurant, eventually assuming the title of chef de cuisine. There, Jeremy began to cultivate his own cooking style, using exceptional ingredients and simple preparations to create beautiful, honest food. Jeremy moved to Portland in 2008, excited to explore the farm-to-table food scene of the Pacific Northwest. In August of 2009 Jeremy took the position of chef at Bar Avignon. Since joining Bar Avignon, Jeremy has expanded the daily menu, from a small plates, artisan cheese and charcuterie focus, to a more complex entrée driven menu that changes with seasonally local products. Jeremy oversees Bar Avignons' own produce garden, planted in 2009. The garden enables Chef Eckel to source produce planted specifically for his menus at Bar Avignon. |
|
BEAKER & FLASK, Ben Bettinger (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchBiography coming soon. |
|
BOAT STREET CAFE & BOAT STREET PICKLES, Renee Erickson (Seattle, WA)
The Grand SeminarRenée Erickson has been involved in cooking and art since the age of 22 – when she simultaneously finished up an art degree at the University of Washington and learned to cook at the then, fledgling Boat Street Café. Not many years later, after a stint in Europe learning to eat and cook, she entered into the food fray as the young new owner of her very own restaurant, none other than the Boat Street Café. Here her talents in food and her charming style flourished. Clearly Renée had found her true métier. Over the years since, her knowledge of food and her commitment to fresh, local, foraged and farmed, preferably organic ingredients has expanded significantly. She lives happily in Ballard with her dog Jeffry, two cats, and a potager. She is the chef/owner of the Boat Street Café & Boat Street Pickles and a frequent traveler to Europe. |
|
|
BUNK SANDWICHES, Tommy Habetz & Nick Wood (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotBiography coming soon. |
|
|
CIAO VITO, Vito di Lullo (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchBiography coming soon. |
|
|
CLYDE COMMON, Chris DiMinno (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotBiography coming soon. |
|
THE CORSON BUILDING, Matt Dillon (Seattle, WA)
The Grand DinnerMatthew Dillon is chef/owner of The Corson Building, where he transforms impeccably sourced ingredients into family-style feasts several nights each week. Dillon spent many years working with chef Jerry Traunfeld at The Herbfarm in Woodinville, Washington before opening Sitka & Spruce in 2006. He credits his experience with Traunfeld at The Herbfarm, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, and Amaryll Schwertner and Lori Regis of Boulette's Larder in San Francisco as his biggest influences. He also credits Washington DC socially-minded, post-hardcore punk band Fugazi, whose ideal was to have complete control of their creative world by keeping things simple, as something that he aspires to in his daily life. Dillon was named one of America's "Best New Chefs" by Food & Wine Magazine in 2007. |
|
|
THE COUNTRY CAT, Adam Sappington (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotWhen Adam Sappington, of The Country Cat, speaks of his passion for food, it is passion slow-baked over the steady heat of the farmlands of central Missouri. Growing up in Jefferson City, Adam's earliest memories are of family-style meals featuring local ingredients. This farmland culinary heritage simmered for 11 years, waiting patiently, like the food Adam prepares, for the perfect moment. The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar opened April 27, 2007. After culinary school, Adam spent 11 years at Wildwood Restaurant and Bar. It is here that Adam cultivated the network of farmers who he works with today. Sappington has manifested a style that has a farm-to-table element, from using every part of an animal he gets in, to telling the story of the vegetable and why he uses a particular cooking method to bring out the best of the vegetable. The Country Cat is a culmination of family history, culinary experience, and networking to source the best local ingredients. |
|
CUVÉE, Gilbert Henry (Carlton, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotCuvée is the creation of Gilbert Henry, former chef and owner of Winterborne in Portland, and his wife Susan Barksdale, a noted Willamette Valley management consultant. Chef Henry, a native of Alsace, France, searched for a new location that would remind him of his homeland. Susan, a lifelong Francophile, dreamed of creating a chic café space that could showcase her penchant for antique French imports. Together, they found the perfect location in the heart of the Oregon Wine Country. Historic downtown Carlton met their requirements for creating a restaurant featuring handcrafted country French cuisine with hand-selected meats, seafood, and vegetables sourced from local farms and vendors. A carefully selected local wine list and cocktail menu rounded out the offerings for a classic and tastefully casual dining experience. |
|
DEPOE BAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Roger Sprague & Company (Depoe Bay, OR)
The Salmon BakeFor years, representatives from the Depoe Bay Chamber of Commerce have worked their culinary magic at the IPNC Salmon Bake, cooking wild salmon around the 60 by 15 foot fire pit, fueled with four cords of fir and alder. Roger and Linda Sprague, Bill Spores and Bonnie Osborne, Roger and Pat Robertson, Phil and Renee Taunton, Bill Ellsworth and a cast of volunteers have all withstood the heat of the fire each year to provide this succulent treat for our guests for over 20 years. |
|
THE DUNDEE BISTRO, Jason Stoller Smith (Dundee, OR)
The Grand Seminar & The Salmon BakeJason Stoller Smith, chef and partner at The Dundee Bistro, began his restaurant career at age 16. Working in kitchens along the pacific coast, Smith discovered his passion for cooking with fresh, local ingredients. Today, he seeks out organic and specialty products from nearby farms, ranches and wineries to enhance his regional cuisine and promote Oregon's bounty. In 2004, Smith was invited to present at the James Beard Centennial Dinner in New York. The Oregon Restaurant Association awarded him a scholarship to study food and wine pairing at Greystone in Napa Valley in 2005, and he was the featured Willamette Valley chef in Napa twice in 2006. Recently, he spoke at the annual convention for the International Corporate Chefs Association, addressing the utilization of locally grown, sustainable products in high volume restaurants. Smith regards his kitchen, nestled in the heart of wine country, as a true chef's dream. Photo courtesy of Andrea Johnson. |
|
EARTH & OCEAN, Adam Stevenson (Seattle, WA)
Sparkling BrunchAdam Stevenson has been at Earth & Ocean since 2001 and was promoted to executive chef in 2006. The flavors and ingredients of the southwest were part of Adam's early culinary experiences from his native Albuquerque, New Mexico, but it was really the meals prepared at home that influenced him most. Adam's mother and grandmother had strong ties to their Ukrainian and Yugoslavian communities, especially when it came to the peasant-style dishes they prepared. Having worked at both Tulio restaurant in Seattle and the Cliff House in Tacoma, Adam's food at Earth & Ocean harkens back to food techniques of days past, but also reflects the restaurant's modern American sensibility; incorporating an extensive, house-made charcuterie program of which Adam is self-taught. |
|
|
EaT: AN OYSTER BAR, Tobias Hogan & Ethan Powell (Portland, OR)
Sparkling BrunchEaT is an acronym for Ethan and Tobias, the founders and owners of EaT: An Oyster Bar. EaT is founded on the premise of good food and good drinks in a casual environment with friendly service. Ethan and Tobais are taking what they love about New Orleans cuisine and using local products to reproduce their favorites in the northwest. EaT features a raw bar, plenty of Abita beer and classic cocktails from their old-style bar, helping to revive the days of the cocktail culture. |
|
EDDIE MARTINI'S, Jason Tofte (Wauwatosa, WI)
Saturday Alfresco LunchJason Tofte began laying the foundation for culinary success back in elementary school. He fell in love with food watching Julia Child and cooking with his grandmother. If fortunate enough to be invited to Jason's house after the final bell rang at school, you were rewarded with delicious treats made-to-order. As Jason grew, so did his aspirations of becoming a chef. On his 16th birthday he began working in a professional kitchen; honing his culinary skills while working under talented chefs in the Milwaukee area, as well as the instructors who helped him complete his certified culinary degree at MATC. Thirteen years have passed since Jason first began in Eddie Martini's kitchen, working himself up to the position of executive chef. Over his years at Eddie's, he has created a learning kitchen atmosphere, mentoring many apprentices and students in area pro-start culinary competions. Food brings people together, and good food makes such meetings that much more memorable. Remembrances of the flavor that Jason invokes from the dishes he conceives have been described as "classic, consistent, and timeless." |
|
EDMONDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Charles Drabkin & Traci Edlin (Lynnwood, WA)
The Salmon BakeChef instructor Charles Drabkin, of Edmonds Community College, grew up in McMinnville where food, wine, and a relationship with the earth were instilled in him from an early age. Some of his earliest memories are of hiding in the hay on his uncle's farm, picking vegetables with friends in a community garden, and trout fishing in local streams. He has volunteered with the IPNC since he was old enough to hold a knife, and is ecstatic to be returning as a Featured Chef. Teaching students has given him a chance to share his passion for food and wine with the next generation of America's chefs. In addition to teaching full-time, he is very active in local sustainability efforts including Seattle's Chefs Collaborative and sustainability efforts on campus. Charles would also like to extend a special thank you to all his students and the volunteers who make the Salmon Bake such a success. A chef instructor at Edmonds Community College, Traci Edlin's passion for food and cooking started early. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest eating locally grown foods. Fond memories of family vacations involved salmon fishing, clamming and crabbing in Puget Sound, and going to eastern Washington to pick apples, tomatoes, nectarines, and asparagus. She remembers coming home from school to help her mom make pasta, drying it all over the kitchen. Being at Edmonds Community College for the past 14 years has allowed her to take her passion and convey it to her students. "One of my greatest joys is watching students grow from the time they enter our program where they have never held a knife to when they graduate and have started a successful career in the hospitality industry." |
|
EVoE, Kevin Gibson (Portland, OR)
The Grand SeminarA native of Iowa City, Iowa, Kevin Gibson was the founding chef and present co-owner of Castagna and Café Castagna in Portland, Oregon. Prior to opening Castagna in 1999 with his wife, Monique Siu, Kevin was the founding chef at La Catalana, chef and pastry chef at Genoa, and part of the culinary team that launched Zefiro in 1990. A graduate of the University of Iowa, Kevin is committed to Portland's sustainable food community, supporting the local chapter of Slow Food, as well as the Portland Farmer's Market and the Eastbank Farmer's Market. Additionally, Kevin takes full advantage of the local harvest for his Italian and French-influenced cuisine. Castagna was chosen "Restaurant of the Year" in 2000 by the Oregonian and was honored as one of Gourmet's "Best Restaurants" in October 2000. After a glamour filled stint at Cameron Winery, Kevin now cooks in front of your eyes at Evoe, next door to Pastaworks in Portland. Photo courtesy of Kaie Wellman. |
|
FARM TO FORK, Paul Bachand (Dundee, OR)
The Salmon BakeChef Paul Bachand, chef of Farm to Fork at the Inn at Red Hills, moved to Oregon to refine his career in the culinary arts. Paul honed his skills working his way through kitchens all over Oregon, as well as in France and Spain. His food has received local and national press. After opening various restaurants throughout the Willamette Valley, Paul was invited to cook at WillaKenzie Estate as their private event chef to focus on featured event weekends, winemaker dinners, and harvest dinners before opening Farm to Fork. With great dedication to regional Oregon products, his menus often showcase sorbets from Gamay noir juice direct from the press, sauces finished with grape lees, and hand picked edibles such as truffles, nettles, wild mushrooms, and other foraged ingredients. Photo courtesy of Andrea Johnson. |
|
Vineyard Tour Lunch As a young chef from France, Philippe Boulot trained at some of the world's finest restaurants and with world-renowned chefs such as Joel Robuchon at the three-star Michelin restaurant Jamin in Paris and Alain Senderens at L'Archestrate. Boulot joined the Clift in San Francisco before taking over as executive chef at the prestigious Mark Hotel in New York City. He was lured to the Pacific Northwest in 1994 for the easy accessibility to local ingredients. Reminding him of life in France, Boulot embraced the idea of working closely with local farmers, foragers, fishermen, and winemakers. During the past 16 years at the The Heathman Restaurant and Bar, Boulot has stayed true to his French roots and formed long-lasting relationships with the French community. Boulot was presented the "Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite Agricole or Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit" in July 2004 by the Ambassador of France. He was also inducted into the Association des Mâitres Cuisiniers de France and the Académie Culinaire de France, two international organizations representing the best French chefs in the world. In 2001, Boulot received the James Beard Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest award and has appeared on the Discovery Channel's No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and the PBS show Chefs A'Field. Boulot has also been featured in publications such as Gourmet, USA Today, Sunset, Nation's Restaurant News and Portland Monthly. He also donates his culinary talents to local organizations like Oregon Trout, Habitat for Humanity, Classic Wines Auction, Sagebrush and ¡Salud!. |
|
JORY AT THE ALLISON INN & SPA, Stephen Marshall (Newberg, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchStephen Marshall was appointed as Executive Chef of JORY Restaurant at The Allison in & Spa in March 2010. Marshall's menu at The Allison's JORY Restaurant evolves daily, influenced heavily based upon seasonality and produce grown in the resort's extensive chef's gardens. "Working at The Allison is like being in chef heaven," comments Marshall. "Most of the time, chefs get produce sourced from far-flung places and are forced to work with whatever they're given. The Allison has a dedicated one-acre chef's garden – I call it my playground – it's a dream come true." Most recently, Marshall was Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas (AAA Four-Diamond award) where he developed all food concepts for the upscale hotel's banquets kitchen and three restaurant outlets. Marshall brings 25 years of hospitality expertise to his new position and also is a James Beard House recipient for Best Resort Hotel series. |
|
JUNIPER GROVE FARM, Pierre Kolisch (Redmond, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotJuniper Grove Farm sits at 3000 feet in the rain shadow of the Central Oregon Cascades. It is a dry (nine-inch annual precipitation) continental climate, good for growing alfalfa and goats. Since 1987 Pierre Kolisch and his little band of passionnes have been milking Saanens, LaManchas, and Alpines and turning it into farmstead chevre. Trained in France, he is devoted to preserving unpasteurized cheeses in the United States. They invite you to stop by the shop when you are next in Central Oregon. |
|
KAME JAPANESE RESTUARANT, Meiko Nordin & Ko Kagawa (McMinnville, OR)
Sparkling BrunchMieko Nordin opened Kame Japanese Restaurant in November of 1990 to provide McMinnville and Yamhill County with authentic Japanese cuisine. With her focus on quality ingredients and true handmade cooking, Kame quickly gained a loyal following in the community, allowing her to expand her original location several times. Ko Kagawa first met Mieko when he was a Linfield College student. After graduating, Ko and Mieko kept in touch and in 2007, Mieko asked Ko to become her business partner. Together they worked hard to build the business and in the summer of 2008, Kame moved to a new, larger space on McMinnville's historic Third Street where they continue to offer the finest Japanese cuisine. |
|
KEN'S ARTISAN BAKERY, Ken Forkish (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotAfter having trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute, the National Baking Center, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Toscana Saporita in Tuscany, and the Paul Bocuse Institute, Ken Forkish opened Ken's Artisan Bakery in November 2001. His bakery, which is also a café, is known for organic rustic bread, classic Parisian baguettes, and pâtisserie reminiscent of Paris's best. Ken buys directly from northwest growers and features local, in-season produce. Many of Portland's finest restaurants serve Ken's bread: Paley's Place, Higgins, Navarre, and Park Kitchen. Ken's Artisan Bakery has been featured in Gourmet magazine's "Best Restaurants in America" and Bon Appetit. In 2006, Ken opened a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven called Ken's Artisan Pizza. |
|
|
LA CAPITALE BRASSERIE, David Rosales & Ricardo Antunez (Salem, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotBiography coming soon. |
|
LA RAMBLA, Timothy Hodges (McMinnville, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotLaRambla Restaurant & Bar recently welcomed Executive Chef Timothy Lee Hodges to their popular Third Street, McMinnville restaurant. Chef Hodges began cooking professionally at the age of 16 and in 2004 enrolled in the culinary program at the Art Institute of Charlotte in North Carolina. While attending school, he was hired as a banquet cook at a well respected French restaurant, Bistro 100, which later became Taverna 100. He considered it a wonderful experience, but not exactly what he was looking for. Before graduating from culinary school, Chef Hodges was offered a position as sour chef by fellow Institute graduate Eric Ferguson of the venerable Nick's Italian Café. Chef Hodges moved to Oregon and fell in love with the Willamette Valley and the bounty of culinary products available. After two years learning to prepare Northern Italian inspired cuisine at Nick', Chef Hodges was ready to delve into the wonders of Spanish cuisine at the helm of La Rambla's kitchen. Chef Hodges looks forward to applying Spanish cooking techniques and principles of Spanish cuisine to the superior products the northwest has to offer. |
|
LAURELHURST MARKET, Ben Dyer, David Kreifels & Jason Owens (Portland, OR)
The Salmon BakeBenjamin Dyer is one of the chef/owners of Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica Catering and Dining Hall, and former owner of Viande Meats and Sausage, located in Portland. He has been cooking for the last 13 years, cutting his teeth under chef Bill Hatch at Café Zenon in Eugene before moving to Portland in 2003. Originally from Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, Ben has a deep background in charcuterie and all things meat. He and his partners, Jason Owens, and David Kreifels, are currently working on a new project, Laurelhurst Market - a restaurant with a full service butcher shop and charcuterie located within. Chef Dave Kreifels, of Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica Dining Hall, was born in Portland and has enjoyed the opportunity to watch the local food scene grow from its infancy into the full fledged food city Portland has become. He was the sous chef at Tuscany Grill under both John Gorham and Paul Dicarli, where he developed his own style and technique. Dave's style is best described as "Italian Trattoria"; cooking Italian food using northwest ingredients. It is very important to Dave to work closely with local farmers and food providers, and he is constantly striving to find the best that the region has to offer. Dave came to Simpatica when the Dining Hall was built in January of 2006, and has been instrumental in helping Simpatica Dining Hall become what it is today. In 2007, Dave became part owner of Simpatica, and along with Jason Owens, is one of the head chefs of Simpatica Catering and Simpatica Dining Hall. Dave Kreifels is pictured in the center of the photo. Jason Owens, of Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica Dining Hall, moved to Portland in 1996 after graduating from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. After working with two highly talented chefs, Mark Gould of Atwaters and Vitaley Paley of Paley's Place, he decided that Portland was the only place for a cook interested in working with the motherlode of edibles that Oregon offers. In the summer of 2003, Jason teamed up with long-time friend David Padberg of Park Kitchen to start Axis Supper Club, cooking dinners in his backyard with an assortment of produce from the garden. Then his wife kicked them out of the backyard. Axis Supper Club went on to cook at many different locations (Pix, Shogren House, Park Kitchen) until December 2004. In January of 2005, Jason joined the Simpatica/Viande team as chef and part owner. Jason Owens is pictured in the right-hand side of the photo. |
|
LE PIGEON, Gabriel Rucker (Portland, OR)
The Grand DinnerFood and Wine magazine named Chef Rucker of Le Pigeon one of the country's "Best New Chef's" in 2007. In 2008 and 2009 his name popped up on yet another high profile list of over-achievers, as a nominee for The James Beard Foundation's "Rising Star Chef". At eighteen years of age, Chef Rucker "began" his career by dropping out of Santa Rosa Junior College's culinary program. Instead of a formal culinary education he opted for the alternative "hands on" approach that many talented chefs have done before him. After leaving his native state of California he arrived in Oregon in 2003 landing a job at highly regarded Paley's Place in Portland. He moved on to become the sous chef at The Gotham Building Tavern. There he began combining straightforward American standards with classic French technique to resounding approval. In June of 2006, Gabriel started at Le Pigeon where his notoriety and career hit warp-speed. Subsequent to being named to Food and Wine's "Best New Chef's of 2007" list, the press began to take note. Portland Monthly named him their "Chef of The Year", followed closely by The Oregonian dubbing him their "Rising Star Chef of 2007". The patrons began clamoring to eat at Le Pigeon to try his rustic France-meets-Spain-meets-California-meets-Oregon style. Restaurant Hospitality Magazine also jumped on Chef Rucker's bandwagon, calling him their "Rising Star Chef of 2007". In 2008 Le Pigeon was named as The Oregonian's co-restaurant of the year. |
|
LINCOLN, Jenn Louis (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchLincoln One of Jenn Louis's colleagues labeled her this way: "She is a schoolmarm with a distinctly wild streak in her." Louis's job as owner and chef of Culinary Artistry allows her to wear a lot of different hats. One evening she will be cooking a five course meal for twelve, and the next day she might prepare lunch for fifty, followed by an evening barbeque for three hundred. It is, after all, the lovely and unpredictable life of a chef. But, do not be fooled, it is not all private jets and overpriced champagne. Louis's approach to the diverse demands of her job are simple: keep it consistent and fresh, and regardless of what, where or who the meal is for, always make it delicious. That same ethic is exactly what Louis brings to her newest venture, Lincoln. Her approach at Lincoln is simple: Take great care of the guests and serve elegant and generous cuisine that takes its cue from the seasons. In many ways, Lincoln mirrors Louis, and that articulate way in which her colleague described her. It has its moments of prim and proper but it certainly knows how to rage if it needs to. And no, they will not tell you who called her a schoolmarm so do not ask. |
|
NED LUDD, Jason French & Ben Meyers (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchJason French of Ned Ludd was born and raised on the East Coast. He began dining and cooking at an early age. His professional career has included importing and selling cheese, selling wine under the guidance of two master sommeliers, teaching culinary school and cooking in twenty kitchens. He trained under notable chefs Jeffrey Buben, Peter Smith and Cathal Armstrong while working at Vidalia in Washinton, D.C. He is a 1997 graduate of L' Academie de Cuisine where he was awarded a James Beard Scholarship. After a visit to Portland, the Oregon coast, and the PSU Farmer's Market, Jason moved to Oregon in 2001 with plans of opening a restaurant. Since then he has worked for notable Portland chefs Vito Dilullo at Café Mingo, Vitaly Paley at Paley's Place, Morgan Brownlow at clarklewis and John Gorham at Toro Bravo. He worked for New Seasons prior to opening Ned Ludd with Ben Meyer in December of 2008. He is inspired by, regional food ways, his family, the weather and Oregon's committed and passionate artisans. Born and raised in the Midwest, Ben Meyer was a student of his greatgrandmother's cooking. She taught him the craft of curing, pickling, preserving and the art of farm-to-table foods. He worked in his first kitchen at 15 and has been in them ever since. In addition to cooking, he has owned and operated a small, modern vegetarian café, travelled extensively through Spain and worked on several small organic farms here and abroad. His interests lie in American foodways, and the peasant cuisines that comprise them. In 2007, he formed Relish, a supperclub which explored the historical cuisines of Old World emigrants as they staked their claims in the New World. Having made the transition from carnivore to vegan and back again, Ben honed his skills in charcuterie and butchery before partnering with Jason French to open Ned Ludd, a small restaurant offering hand crafted dishes from a wood-fired oven. All of their ingredients, including the wood they burn in the oven, showcase local producers many of whom Ben has known and worked with for over 10 years. |
|
NOSTRANA, Cathy Whims (Portland, OR)
The Grand SeminarCathy Whims has been serving authentic regional Italian fare to Portland diners for nearly 25 years. She and her partner, David West, opened Nostrana in 2005 and quickly earned The Oregonian's designation of "Restaurant of the Year." Nostrana specializes in the regional cuisines of Italy using ingredients provided by many of the best farmers, cheese makers, and meat producers in the northwest. Nostrana has also been mentioned in many local and national magazines including Sunset, Details, Food & Wine, Northwest Palate, Gourmet, the New York Times Travel magazine, Alaska Airlines Magazine, and Italian Cooking and Living. Cathy is an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Chef's Collaborative and Slow Food. She has also been invited to represent Oregon several times at the prestigious James Beard Awards Reception in New York City. She loves sharing her knowledge and is a frequent guest teacher at many schools around the region. |
|
OLYMPIC PROVISIONS, Jason Barwikowski & Elias Cairo (Portland, OR)
The Grand DinnerOlympic Provisions is home to both a European-style restaurant and deli serving lunch and dinner, as well as Oregon's first USDA certified meat-curing facility. The restaurant, under the helm of Chef Jason Barwikowski (previously of Clyde Common), features cuisine influenced by European and North African flavors that showcases local ingredients from some of the area's finest farmers, ranchers and purveyors. Salumist Elias Cairo crafts "American Charcuterie" using local, high-quality ingredients for wholesale to grocery stores, restaurants and wine bars around the region. Many products - including some that are available nowhere else - can be sampled at the restaurant and purchased directly from the deli case. The restaurant and the meat curing facility are both located in the historic Olympic Mills Commerce Center, a beautifully restored cereal mill and a landmark in Portland's lower southeast industrial neighborhood. |
|
THE PAINTED LADY, Allen Routt (Newberg, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchAllen Routt of The Painted Lady enrolled at the Culinary Insitute of America at 19. While there he interned with Bradley Ogden at One Market in San Francisco. After graduating in 1994, Routt landed a spot on the line at Patrick O' Connell's Inn at Little Washington. From there he took a job with acclaimed Chef Jean-Louis Palladin, first of Pesce, then at the Watergate Restaurant. After a trip abroad in 1998 to eat his way through France, Spain, and Italy, Routt moved to Miami to open Mark's South Beach with chef Mark Militello. On the recommendations of friends, Routt then set his sights on California's Napa Valley. All of these varied experiences serve Allen Routt well at The Painted Lady, where he has access to local fine wines, as well as a superb variety of fresh produce and coastal fish. |
|
PINE STATE BISCUITS, Kevin Atchley (Portland, OR)
Sparkling BrunchPine State Biscuits launched their kitchen at the bustling Portland Farmers Market in spring of 2006. Word caught on about the outdoor baking operation and in early 2008, Walt Alexander, Kevin Atchley, and Brian Snyder opened up a small biscuit shop on Belmont Avenue where folks can enjoy a wholesome breakfast or lunch six days a week, rain or shine. Photo courtesy of David Reamer. |
|
PIX PATISSERIE, Cheryl Wakerhauser (Portland, OR)
The Grand DinnerAfter a short-lived career studying to be an astronaut, pastry chef Cheryl Wakerhauser of Pix Pâtisserie trained at the pâtisserie of MOF Philippe Urraca in Southern France. In 2001 she moved to Portland and set up shop at the Farmers Market. The next year, the first Pix Pâtisserie opened its doors suppling Portlanders with classic and inventive French desserts, croquembouche, chocolates, and ice cream. In 2005 the NY Times said, "Wakerhauser's macaroons tounce Per Se's," the famed NY restaurant owned by Thomas Keller. Visit one of the 2 funky/chic locations to sample these little jewels paired with an array of dessert wines, Belgian beers, and fine spirits. |
|
|
POPPY, Dana Cree (Seattle, WA)
Saturday Alfresco LunchBiography coming soon. |
|
|
RED FOX BAKERY, Laurie Furch (McMinnville, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotEducated at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Laurie Lehner Furch, of the Red Fox Bakery, moved to Oregon with her husband Jason to begin an artisan baking program at Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. She then became the pastry chef at the Blackfish Café, and opened the Red Fox Bakery in Lincoln City. The bakery moved to McMinnville in 2003. Her breads focus on traditional, old-school methods, and the bakery uses organic, local products whenever possible. The bakery's philosophy is to preserve the past while educating people about food history and about incorporating bread and wheat products into a healthy, balanced lifestyle. |
|
ROBERT REYNOLDS CHEF STUDIO, Robert Reynolds (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchRobert Reynolds offers training at the Robert Reynolds Chef Studio in Portland to candidates interested in becoming good cooks. A new four-week program in Gascony, in southwest France, extends the training that starts at the Chef Studio in Portland to ensure that students understand this food in its own language and at the source. He shares a wealth of information based on extensive and varied experiences and years training cooks in the United States and France. The focus and scope of his courses reflect a love of place that is almost limitless, and is backed by networks, resources, people, products, and ideas. Classes are small enough to offer a one-on-one transfer of ideas, with Robert as mentor. He recently worked with Vitaly and Kimberly Paley on their newly published The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest (Ten Speed Press) in October 2008. Photo courtesy of Dan Root. |
|
|
SALUMERIA DI CARLO, Fred Carlo (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotBorn in 1950 and raised in a small, mostly Italian-American village in western New York near his grandparents' farm, Fred Carlo's happiest childhood memories revolve around his grandmother and the good things that came out of her garden and kitchen. In 1976, Fred moved to Oregon and settled into northwest Portland, making sausages in his home and at restaurants where he worked. In 1986 Fred started Salumeria di Carlo, a wholesale sausage business. In the fall of 1987, his first retail shop Viande Meats & Sausage, was opened next to PastaWorks on southeast Hawthorne and in 1990 a second was opened inside City Market in northwest Portland. Fred sold the business in 1996 (after which it was renamed Viande) living a "life of leisure and reflection" for six years until 2002 when he resumed Salumeria di Carlo, wholesaling to stores and restaurants. You can find Fred cooking sausages in four Portland farmers markets from April through November. |
|
SPUR GASTROPUB & TAVERN LAW, Brian McCracken & Dana Tough (Seattle, WA)
Vineyard Tour LunchBorn into a family of fishermen, farmers and restaurateurs, chef Brian McCracken of Spur Gastropub and Tavern Law has trained with some of the nation's top chefs in culinary capitals such as: New York at Eleven Madison Park, San Francisco at Silks, Washington D.C.'s Restaurant Nora and in his hometown of Seattle where he worked under chef Maria Hines. A Montana native of Cuban heritage, chef Dana Tough's culinary background spans a dozen years in the Puget Sound region, beginning with the opening of Waterfront Seafood Grill at Pier 70. Tough went on to Tulio with James Beard Award winning chef Walter Pisano. From there, Tough was sous chef at Bandol, lead cook at Earth and Ocean and chef de cuisine for Maria Hines at her acclaimed Tilth restaurant. The friends' collaboration dates back to their time in the kitchen at Maria Hines' Earth and Ocean, together on Hines' traveling team at the 2005 James Beard Dinner in New York, and today creating their menus at Spur, Tavern Law and with their private dining business. Including culinary-focused trips to the McCracken family cranberry farm and food-rich cities like New York, the chefs draw inspiration from local farmers and purveyors. |
|
TASTE RESTAURANT (SAM), Craig Hetherington (Seattle, WA)
Friday Alfresco Lunch"As a chef, it is my responsibility to support the local farmers. It is my goal to ingrain that responsibility into everybody who comes on board so that when they move on they have that sense of awareness. I don't want them to look at food as something that comes out of a box." Craig Hetherington of TASTE Restaurant spent his childhood in Pittsburgh. He comes from a family of avid cooks and gardeners who spent summers preserving the bounty. After high school, Craig spent seven years hopping around the country to pursue his love of cycling. In 1998, he realized it was time to get serious about his future, so he enrolled in the culinary program at South Seattle Community College. With degree in hand, he began his professional cooking career at Elliott's Oyster House. Subsequently, he cooked at Baci Catering and Stimson-Green Mansion before joining TASTE Restaurant as the sous chef in March 2007. He was promoted to executive chef a year later. He is a member of Chef's Collaborative and has served on the board for four years. |
|
TEN-01, Jeff McCarthy (Portland, OR)
Friday Alfresco LunchJeff McCarthy, of Ten-01, has been working in restaurants since he was 15 years old. Studying vocational culinary arts classes in high school, he always took a keen interest in pastry. By age 19, he was competing on Mohonk Mountain House's Culinary Team in New York City. Since then, Jeff has worked with many great chefs who have helped him realize his dream of becoming a restaurant pastry chef. Since working at Ten-01, Jeff has been featured in Pastry & Baking North America, Bon Appetit, and received Portland's Willamette Week "Dessert of the Year" in 2008. |
|
TIMBERLINE LODGE, Leif Benson (Timberline, OR)
Sparkling BrunchLeif Benson, CEC, AAC has been the executive chef at Timberline Lodge since 1979 and has won numerous world-class culinary awards. Chef Benson prides himself on using the Northwest's freshest ingredients to create memorable meals that complement Timberline's unique ambiance. As President of the Oregon Chefs de Cuisine Society, he founded and managed the Oregon Culinary Olympic Team. In 1988 and 1992, the team competed in Frankfurt, Germany, winning 16 medals. In 1997, Chef Benson was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs for his outstanding contribution to the culinary arts. He has served as a culinary consultant and guest chef internationally for several Oregon governors and at renowned resorts and hotels throughout China, Thailand, Russia, Taiwan, and the United States. |
|
TINA'S, David Bergen (Dundee, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchDavid Bergen grew up in New York and New Jersey, working on a small truck farm while in high school. In college, traveling with the Antioch College Choir, he ate and drank his way through France, Belgium and Italy. Those experiences left an impression that still inspires him in the kitchen. Bergen moved to Oregon in 1977 and started cooking at Delevan's in 1980 where he discovered he could taste and loved being in a kitchen. After working at 2601 Vaughan in 1982, he opened Paul*Bergen Catering and Charcuterie with Ron Paul. Bergen moved to Yamhill County in 1988 and spent several years working in wineries giving him insight into the technology and process of winemaking and enabling him to better define the food he wanted to cook in a wine growing region. |
|
TORO BRAVO, John Gorham (Portland, OR)
Saturday Alfresco LunchJohn Gorham of Toro Bravo began his culinary career at the age of 15 when he walked into his first professional kitchen. He completed an apprenticeship with the ACF in Williamsburg, Virginia, before making his way to Eugene. At Café Zenon, John learned all he could about charcuterie. In California, John worked in various restaurants such as Citron in Oakland and LuLu in San Francisco and had the opportunity to work with former executive chef of Chez Panisse, Jean Pierre-Moulé at Caffe Centro. Relocating to Portland, John was chef de cuisine for Fratelli and chef at Tuscany Grill. In 2003, John purchased Viande Meats and Sausage. The following summer, John and his business partners created a supper club and catering company called Simpatica. Simpatica was named number one "Meals of the Year" by USA Today. Writer Jerry Shriver called John's paella, "the best paella I've had in the USA." John is now chef and owner of Toro Bravo, a Spanish tapas-inspired restaurant. |
|
TWO TARTS BAKERY, Elizabeth Beekley (Portland, OR)
Sunday Passport to PinotThe simple satisfaction that comes from a jewel-sized treat is undeniably rich. At Two Tarts Bakery, Elizabeth Beekley and her crew create an array of artisan pint-sized cookies for your enjoyment. Think of them as low-yield, flavor-forward, highly-allocated cookies, if you must! It's just what you need after a hard day of imbibing some of the world's finest Pinot noir (ok, that and a beer at the DeLuxe.) On your way home, visit the retail bakery in Northwest Portland. The husband/wife/children you left behind will be much more predisposed to forgiving you if you bring them a box of treats from Oregon. Sorry to say, they have not received their Parker scores as of yet. Maybe you could send Bob their way? |
|
WILDWOOD RESTAURANT, Dustin Clark (Portland, OR)
Vineyard Tour LunchA South Dakota native, Dustin Clark of Wildwood, began working in restaurants as a teenager. At the age of 18, he enrolled in the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. He did one of his externships at Wildwood Restaurant in Portland, where he then went on to work for over a decade under the mentorship of its founder Cory Schreiber. In 2006, Dustin became chef de cuisine at Wildwood, and a year later succeeded Cory as executive chef. Dustin proudly carries on the Wildwood tradition of "cooking from the source," using premium ingredients from the bountiful farmlands of Oregon and Washington and working closely with the region's farmers, winemakers and cheesemakers to produce a weekly menu that reflects the seasons and flavors of the Pacific Northwest. |