Nicky USA is a butchery and meat distributor for the Portland area and Pacific Northwest for the past 28 years – and most major restaurants in town that are fine dining establishments procure meat from Nicky USA. If you want sustainably raised game meat, Nicky USA is the one you go to. Every year for the past 18 years now, they have hosted an incredible event Nicky USA’s Wild About Game, (often nicknamed “WAG”) which they call “The Meatiest Celebration in the Northwest”. As you could guess from the name, Nicky USA’s Wild About Game is all about the high quality meat. Besides more then 40 tables of food and drink industry vendors showcasing their products, many partnering with chefs from amazing local restaurants to highligh their product, Wild About Game is also a food and cocktail competition!
Besides the Maker’s Mark Cocktail Competition, there is the Carter Cutlery Game Cooking Competition. A chef from Seattle and a chef from Portland compete using the same assigned game meat. The winners of each face off are decided by a panel of judges and also by the attendees who get a chance to vote for People’s Choice overall. The overall winners by the judges and people enter the WAG Hall of Fame.
As an attendee of Wild About Game you will get to taste the head to head dishes that come from Chefs. There will be a schedule of each face off when a chef from Seattle is paired against a chef from Portland, using the same game meat. They will both offer their samples one after the other at that scheduled time so you can compare and contrast them. This then repeats for four categories during the event, with you snacking at the Artisan Marketplace in between when the chefs dishes are ready. For the 2018 Nicky’s USA Wild About Game, the competitors include
- Sarah Pliner – Aviary
- Justin Woodward – Castagna
- Aaron Willis – Ciudad Grill
- Peter Cho – Han Oak
- Derek Ronspies – Le Petit Cochon
- Alex Barkley – Manolin
- David Nichols – Rider Seattle
- Chris DiMinno – Trifecta
Tickets just went on sale via Mercury Tickets. The cost to attend the event this year is $75, and keep in mind it is all inclusive of all the food and libations you can fit during the 11 AM – 4:30 PM event duration – do not surprised that you will be seriously full. Please note that event only admits those 21+.
To give you better insight of the event, here are the details from the 2017 event so you know exactly how you are really get above and beyond your $75 worth.
Game Cook-off Categories
Niihau Ranch Wild Hawaiian Antelope
Paul Osher, Porkchop & Co. (representing Seattle)
Antelope Meatballs, tomatillo broth, sauerkraut, radishes
Phil Oswalt, Multnomah Athletic Club (representing Portland)
Chicken-Fried Antelope Steak, miso whipped potatoes, sunny side up quail egg, gravy
Winner: Paul Osher
Grimaud Farms Guinea Fowl
Andrew Gregory & Ricardo Valdes, The London Plane (representing Seattle)
Guinea Fowl Tacos Arabes, fermented ground cherries, hoja santa, whole wheat pita, guinea fowl chicharron
Sarah Schafer, Irving St. Kitchen (representing Portland)
Guinea Fowl & Foie Gras Ballotine Croquette, whipped chive oil, spiced vegetable demi-glace, hen crackers
Winner: Sarah Schafer
Nicky Farms Wild Boar
Chris Lobkovich, Quinn’s Pub (representing Seattle)
Wild Board Mortadella & Koji Cured Loin, winter squash salad, chanterelles, trotter croquette
Matt Sigler, Renata (representing Portland)
Milk Braised Wild Boar Shoulder, onion ash creste di gallo, parsnips, scallions, pork rind bread crumbs
Winner: Chris Lobkovich
Nicky Farms Rabbit
Jason Stratton, MBar (representing Seattle)
Braised & Stuffed Rabbit, caramelized kohlrabi, Matsutake mushrooms, pine nuts
Jose Chesa, Ataula (representing Portland)
Coñejo, Tio Pepe escabeche mushrooms, bacon sofrito, pine nut praline
Winner: Jose Chesa
2017 Winners of the Game Cookoff
- People’s Choice Winner: Phil Oswald, Multnomah Athletic Club – Portland
- Overall Champion: Sarah Schafer, Irving St. Kitchen – Portland
Game Cocktails
Last year was also the first year Nicky USA included a competition for Game Cocktails. The rules were the mixologist had to use a base spirit from one of the spirit vendors – Knob Creek, Bull Run Distillery, or Clear Creek Distillery. Each bartender also decided to add a meaty component to their cocktails.
The Participants of the 2017 Wild About Game Cocktail Competition were:
- Brandy Feit, Headwaters at the Heathman made a Birdshot cocktail with Duck Fat washed Knob Creek Rye, Sweet and Dry Vermouth, Smoked Medoyeff Truffle Vodka, Bridge City Evergreen Bitters, and Fois Gras Stuffed Olive, Duck Bacon, and Duck Fat Roasted Grape all on a Skewer
- Joel Schmeck, Irving St. Kitchen made Last Rites cocktail, using Smoked Bison Washed Hornitos Plata Pechuga Gringa (infused with apples, pears, figs, pink peppercorn and cinnamon) along with Suntory Toki, Gran Classic, Cocchi Torino, Orange Oil and Yuzu Salt, and Oregon Port Soaked Fig as garnish.
- Andrew Castaneda, Renata offered the Bad & Bougie cocktail with 4 year single malt Bull Run whiskey, Clear Creek 2 year and also Clear Creek 8 year Apple Brandy, Lo-Fi Vermouth Blend, Lavender Gomme, and Foie Gras (here you see a Sarah Schneider of The Nightwood assisting with the shaving of foie gras to garnish)
- Colin Carroll, Trifecta Tavern with his Duckworth cocktail: Knob Creek single barrel bourbon, charred cherry wood Infused Carpano Antica, balsamic & vermouth spiced cherry with duck liver mousse and Jacobsen flake salt.
The Overall Champion: Brandy Feit for Headwaters at the Heathman with her Birdshot cocktail
The People’s Choice winner: Colin Carroll, Trifecta Tavern with his Duckworth cocktail
Artisan Marketplace Samples
And let’s not forget the more then 40 vendors of the Artisan Marketplace. I sampled Bull Run Distillery whiskeys; a variety of Misty Mountain Mushrooms; Salt and Straw ice cream was there with special flavors like Blood Pudding Ice Cream topped with Chocolava magic shell and brandied cherry, or Bone Marrow with smoked cherries; Clear Creek Distillery liquors; Mary’s Organic Chicken; Painted Hills Beef,;Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef and Kurobuta Pork; Hickory and Applewood smoked duck breast and Pastrami duck breast; Nueske’s Bacon and other smoked meat products; Anderson Ranches Lamb; a variety of Hudson Foie Gras,; Tail and Trotters pork in puff pastry bites, and so much more.
I hope this has been helpful in understanding what Nicky USA’s Wild About Game event offers. It is a meat-tastic event that may break down your ideas of what some of the exotic meats might taste like, and with the timeframe of this event unlike some festivals you get to take your time and enjoy the gorgeous atmosphere of Resort at the Mountain. The date of this year’s WAG will be Sunday, September 30, 2018.
Which dish that I shared from last year would you like to try, or what wild game meat have you always wanted to try?
Yum, this looks like a really fantastic event. I always look forward to seeing them at Feast Brunch Village because I know they’ll be cooking something tasty up!
It’s unbelievable how great in quality and variety the meats available in the Pacific Northwest markets is, and so much of that is thanks to Nicky USA!
What a feast! The braised stuffed rabbit sounds incredible!
It really was a feast of a day for all the attendees!
Oh man, do I ever know one guy who would LOVE this event! And while I’m not so big into the meats, I could probably be convinced to nosh on a few bites here and there. (Um… puff pastry reuben bites – YES!!)