Every year, Nicky USA, the meat concierge providing quality meat product to the best food creators in the Northwest, throws the meatiest celebration called Wild About Game. I was able to attend again this year, and here’s my recap and review of Wild About Game 2019. Next year will be their 20th anniversary of this event, so it’s sure to be special- be on the lookout for when they announce tickets are on sale.
Usually held at the beautiful background of Mount Hood Resort (previously known as Resort on the Mountain), the party includes the San Pelligrino Artisan Marketplace for you to taste lots of local products. Yes there’s meat from local ranches, but also seafood and other deliciousness with preparations dished up often from well known chefs. There is also a throwdown between Portland and Seattle, with a representative chef from each city competing using a chosen game meat in four different face-offs, and then a people’s choice and judge’s choice winner from all eight dishes is announced. 
That’s right – as a guest with your entry, it’s all you can eat and drink from among various sponsors (many who have well known chefs helping to showcase their product), AND you can sample all of the competition entries. Plus, there is a cocktail competition too – and this year there was also some tequila tasting classes. There’s also a raffle so you could win and go home with some cool prizes!
The way it is organized was really smart this year in that all the competition dishes and drinks, which usually are what have lines since the competing chef or mixologist is only there for an hour, were all placed outside. That left more space without the logistics of people lining up or trying to go between the two sampling stations inside the building, so it felt much less crowded. There are also plenty of places to sit, be it at set tables and chairs outside to perching on sidewalk planters or sitting on the grass with a view of the mountains and the landscaped golf course below. Items being grilled were grouped together on one side, and there was also an area that was more focused on seafood. 
The Competition Dishes, The Competition Cocktails, and a Sample of other Samples are the three sections I will give you a visual peak of from my experience at Wild About Game 2019.
The Competition Dishes
Check out the @nicky.usa Instagram feed for the fully plated version of the dishes at Wild About Game Carter Cutlery Game Cooking Competition, but for us regular attendees these are what the samples of the dishes looked like, with a new meat face off every hour. This #meatiestcelebration is always run well with enough for everyone to try as long as you didn’t get distracted by all the other delicious food and drink samples – you really get your money worth with your food ticket at this meat party!
The trophy asterisk below indicates who won for that category, as announced at the end of WAG. The first name is the Portland contender, and the second name is the Seattle competitor.
GOAT
BJ Smith* (Delores) π Goat Ham with truffed Celeriac Pierogi, Goat Presse, Goat Liver Mousse, Goat Jus
VS Logan Cox (Restaurant Homer) Slow Cooked Goat Shoulder with Date Vinegar, Smoked Labneh, Roasted Onion and Pomegranate. This was one of two most impressive displays for the dish, with this huge goat that he was tearing into…
QUAIL
AJ Voutko* (Terrane) π Manchester Farms Quail ‘Alla Stemperata’ with ‘Nduja, Pickled Quince, Garbet Yam VS David Mitchell (Cedarbrook Lodge) Grilled Manchester Farms Quail with Halusky, Elderberry Vinegar
ELK
Matthew Jarrell * (Imperial) π Elk Hot Dog with Huckleberry Ketchup and Foie Gras Dijonaise VS Maximilian Petty (Eden Hill) Seattle Dog with cold smoked Elk sirloin Tartare, Caramelized Onion Ash, Salish sea salt aged cheese pate, Petite Baguette roll
Eden Hill also had an impressive display for their dish, as they used a blowtorch to continue to refresh the smoky herbs on their boards and whose aroma teased us even before we could get to the front of the line.
RABBIT
Diane Lam * (Revelry) π Grilled BBQ Nicky Farms Rabbit with Fish Sauce Caramel and Nuoc Cham Alabama White Sauce with Collard Green Pickles, Kewpie Mayo Potato Salad, Miso Butter Corn, Watermelon Jello Shot VS Mitch Meyers (Sawyer) Nicky Farms Rabbit Hot Dog Steam Bun with Caramelized Onion Mornay, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Huckleberry, Scallion
People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice Winner: Diane Lam representing Revelry: here’s how it was officially plated for the Judges, and a look at all the chefs on the left, the four judges and Nicky USA man Geoff on the right.
The Competition Cocktails
For the Wild About Game cocktail competition featuring El Tesoro Tequila, obviously the sponsor was El Tesoro Tequila so all the cocktails feature it as a base. Mindy Kucan for Normandie poured Halcyon, a cocktail of El Tesoro Blanco Tequila, Smoked Salmon Honey Syrup, Lime, Celery Bitters, Tonic, and Everything Spice Rim
Peter Carpenter for the Richmond Bar made Muy Boar-acho, with El Tesoro Anejo, New Deal Pear Brandy, Candied Wild Boar, Charred Corn Syrup, Hatch Chile Tincture, Cilantro, Lime Oil, Salt
Camille Cavan * for Quaintrelle π created the cocktail Walking in Echoes, with El Tesoro Reposado, Green Chartreuse, Mahina Coconut Liqueur, Velvet Felernum, Bone Marrow Oregeat, Peach Cordial, Lime, and Bone Marrow Foam, served with some savory shortbread crumble. This was the People’s Choice winner.
Jamal Hassan * repping Mediterranean Exploration Company π poured Smoke ‘n Herb, with smoked duck fat washed El Tesoro Anejo Tequila, Pineapple, Tarragon, Orange-Cinnamon gomme, Bitters, and garnished with duck. This was the Judge’s Choice winner.
Sample of other Samples
Here are just sample of other samples available for tasting for the duration of the WAG event. It included introduction to local vendors, showcases of products that may be familiar just as a reminder of how good they are, and special edition dishes created for WAG, such as
- Salt and Straw’s ice cream flavor of Sage with Elk Sausage Brittle and Huckleberry Jam
- Gado Gado with Creekstone Farms Premium Black Angus Beef to make Chilled Sichuan Creekstone Beef Tongue Salad with roasted chile-black vinegar dressing, scallion, fried peanut, ginger, cilantro
- The Solo Club serving up Braised Carlton Farms Pork Wings with caramelized parsnips, sherried date syrup, chestnuts, fresh herb
- Estes with Tails and Trotters Braised Pork Shoulder and Brisket, guanciale, ricotta cavatelli, calabrian chile, spigarello, Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Multnomah Athletic Club with Painted Hills Charred Brisket with house made bread and butter pickles and Mama Lil’s pickled mustard
- Southpark Seafood with Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with kale butter, Nueske’s bacon, kale, lemon, breadcrumbs
- Local Albacore Poke and Family Recipe Smoked Salmon Dip from Flying Fish Co
- Curry fried chicken, Lamb Burgers, Bison Mole tartare, Charcuterie, Local cheese include one with a wine washed rind or fresh pulled mozzarella, Wagyu Beef, Foie Gras Bratwurst, Som Drinking Vinegars, Beer, Wine, Cheese, Caramels… and more and more that I didn’t remember to take a photos of, or didn’t get the full description, or didn’t even get a chance to stop and taste only passed by…
I’ll leave you with one last set of images: the Del Fuego Ironworks custom open fire cooking featuring Mary’s Chicken at the after party:
One thing I really enjoy about WAG: yes, it’s great food and drink, but it’s also very laid back and relaxing where you can get a chance to make new food friends and reunite with others. Thank you so much Nicky USA for all you do to bring visibility and connecting providers and creators and consumers, from raw ingredients to the cookware and knives to the chefs/restaurants to us normal people so we can all enjoy life and support each other as a community and as a sustainable local ecosystem.
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