On my birthday, I celebrated myself with a reservation to an Urban Farmer Mushroom Dinner. It included a mushroom cocktail and mushroom centered 4 course dinner at Urban Farmer Portland. This was the first of a Mushroom Dinner series as the executive chefs collaborate at the other two Urban Farmer locations, there was one in Denver yesterday (check out the Urban Farmer Denver Instagram stories for how fun it looked), and one in Philadelphia coming up next In September. Hmmm, I wonder if I’ll be in town (F’s family is in that area) in September during that time… Each of the Urban Farmer Mushroom Dinner events has the same 3 chefs from the 3 locations joining forces, but creating new dishes for each event, so a new menu each location. 
In a luxe touch, each seat had a numbered wood laser cut menu that had two different kinds of mushrooms possible. I did pick my seat based on the mushroom I wanted (the other one was maybe an oyster mushroom?) Also the centerpieces on every table had mushrooms in them too!
Although the Portland event has already happened, in honor of this event series, you can still stop by at all Urban Farmer locations throughout the month of June for a special Mushroom Steak entrée featuring a whole roasted mushroom smoked with bourbon barrels and a black garlic molasses sauce.
The dinner series is inspired by the Urban Farmers’ in-house mushroom terrariums. During the dinner, Urban Farmer Portland Executive Chef Matt Christianson not only stayed hydrated by sipping from a mug decorated with mushrooms (as seen below to the left), but was so enthused to talk about the foraging from the wild or homegrown thanks to Misty Mountain Mushrooms and the mushroom incubation program at Urban Farmer. He showed us how the mushrooms are grown in these bag covered substrate blocks. He even cooked the main course right in the room so the dining area became aromatic with the scent of cooked mushrooms.
In the back of the dining room, there was also a show and tell display of different mushrooms!
Anyway, here’s a look at the Urban Farmer Mushroom Dinner, including the welcome cocktail (optional). There was also a wine pairing that included a wine pairing for each course, including a dessert wine option of icewine or port. The wine pairings per the description had earthy, savory “forest floor” notes from grapes grown near edible wild mushrooms so umami & mineral flavors beneath the fruit: L’Umami 2020 Pinot Noir, L’Umami 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, and L’Umami 2021 Pinot Gris.
Welcome Cocktail
Ode to Alice, a mushroom cocktail prepared with matsutake infused pisco, amaro nonino, truffle infused honey, lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt.
First Course
Asparagus and morel sfrormato, lemon agrumato, taleggio fondue by Chef Sonny Ingui of Urban Farmer Philadelphia
Second Course
Hon shimeji mushroom conserva, coconut and cashew broth, crispy chanterelles, apple, duck prosciutto served with a white matsutake tea by Chef Ryan Rau of Urban Farmer Denver
Third Course
Oregon truffled wagyu beef, fava raviolo, shitake and maitake, and miner’s lettuce by Chef Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer Portland. In a little interactive add on, these vases of onion blossoms were provided for us to garnish our dish from their rooftop urban herb and flower garden and hydroponic garden, as they really do try to live up to the name of Urban Farmer. Besides the mushroom incubation program they are celebrating for this dinner series, they also have beehives for their own honey. Look at all the fava in that ravioli
Dessert
Candy cap mushroom tasting: handmade chocolate drops, crème caramel, warm malted cacao deme, by Chef Adri Sierra of Urban Farmer Portland
Happy birthday to me! And thanks for all the deliciousness from the chefs seen below, Dessert Chef Chef Adri Sierra (UF Portland), Chef Erick Gamas (UF Portland), Urban Farmer Executive Chefs Ryan Rau (Denver) and Sonny Ingui (Philadelphia). I think that Urban Farmer Portland, perhaps because it is situated in a hip hotel, gets overlooked, but I have admired for years the programs they have for sustainability and supporting farm to table and urban farming. Also, if you are into sport teams, many of them stay here, as well as sometimes celebrities, so who knows who you might spot here?
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