Last week, I attended the Walk on the Wild Side Chef Showcase at the World Forestry Center. This is the 10th year for the Oregon Truffle Festival that celebrates native Oregon black and white truffles. However, it is the first year that besides the events in Eugene that include Truffle Dog events, cooking classes, and forums, there were a few events that were being held in Portland/Yamhill.
This event was a walk around cocktail style event where various chefs from Oregon and Seattle offered small bites in which they utilized Oregon black truffles or white truffles while guests were also able to enjoy various beer, wine and spirits.
Here’s a recap of the various truffle bites I enjoyed!
From Olympic Provisions, white truffles were incorporated into a salami with sea salt, while the black truffles were mixed into the mustard to add additional oomf to other cured meats on the charcuterie table.
Dustin Clark, previously of the now shuttered famous Wildwood Restaurant and working on opening new restaurant The Oddfellow Social brought Crispy Tater tots with fontina and tobiko and black truffle and also a Bánh nậm, a vietnamese dish of white truffle infused rice flour with roasted cauliflower and Meyer Lemon on a banana leaf.
Jason Wilson of Crush brought out a squid risotto with black truffle, cauliflower and grilled scallion sauce
Stephanie Pearl Kimmel and Crystal Platt of Marché Restaurant in Eugene celebrated black truffles and white truffles with dishes of Boudin Blanc with black truffles and mustard cream and a Celery Root Panna Cotta with white truffles and a apple celery hazelnut salad and trufle aioli. I also appreciated how they beautifully added to their tablescape with trees and pine cones.
Brian McCracken and Dana Tough of multiple restaurants in Seattle (and branded under the awesome McCracken Tough moniker) showed off a pastrami cured kobe beef Philly cheesesteak with melted cheddar and black truffle, as well as a White truffle headcheese with greens, white truffle cream, and shaved white truffle that showcased the truffle flavor the best I think that evening – every bite you can taste truffle.
There were also two entries from Justin Wills for the Restaurant Beck with a Financier with arugula cheese and black truffle and a fancy modernist Crab bisque foam on Meyer lemon gelee with parsnip, tarragon crumble, watercress, and white truffle.
Tyler Malek of Salt and Straw with Woodblock chocolate ice cream scoop, black truffle ice cream scoop, white truffle magic shell, white truffle gummy bears, shaved black truffle, seriously those gummy bears were awesome: here you can see him hand shaving the black truffle on top and then adding the white truffle gummy bears for every sundae served!
Jason Stoller Smith of Timberline Lodge with pumpkin ganache with white chocolate, white truffle, pine nuts and microgreens and who doesn’t love egg? Now add chicken skin! AND truffle? So Jason brought sous vide egg, truffle infused whole milk, chicken skin with black truffle crumble, truffle oil, shaved black truffle and micro shiso
During the entire evening, there were beverages provided by Erath Winery, Left Coast Cellars, Breakside Brewery, Gilgamesh Brewing, Bull Run Distillery, and Indio Spirits during the evening.
Special thanks to Heather Jones for the Industry Discount she informed me about which allowed me to fit this event into my budget so I could purchase a ticket and attend this event! Check out Heather Jones Consulting and her show with Chris Angelus of Portland Food Adventures, Right at the Fork – a podcast about the Portland food & beverage scene.
The Eugene events are this weekend, if you are interested a few still have tickets left!
What truffle dish sounds like it would have been your favorite?
