Chefs | Farms | Breweries & Wineries | Beneficiaries

Chefs

Jason Barwikowski, Clyde Common
Jason moved to Portland in 2003, and joined the kitchen at Paley's Place before becoming a part of the opening team at the Gotham Tavern. During his time at the Tavern Jason also cooked Family Suppers. When the restaurant closed Jason joined the team at Simpatica and was then hired as the chef at Clyde Common. A Taurus, Jason's favorite color is "green, no orange…or maybe yellow."

Clyde Common is located at 1014 SW Stark St. in Portland
503.228.3333

Matthew Crone, the View Point Inn
Executive Chef Matthew Crone Chef Crone makes his own sausage, cures his own meats, harvests organic berries in a tin pail down the road from The View Point Inn, snips herbs from the Inn's garden, dresses the rabbit that appears from time to time on the menu, and dug out the Inn's wine cellar and laid its cobblestone floor. He exults in the heirloom produce from Dancing Roots Farm (which introduced him to parsley root), the lettuces from Latitude 45, and the chanterelles and porcinis he harvests himself.

Crone began life in the kitchen at age five cooking family meals with his mother for the family of eight siblings. His father cooked too...on the grill. Crone helped his father and brothers win the Memphis in May BBQ contest on more than one occasion. He was introduced to fine dining working under Chef Richard Farmer at Jarrett's in Memphis. Eager to learn more, Crone moved to Europe securing a position at Chef Martín Berasategui's 3 Star Michelin rated restaurant in Spain. On his time off, he staged in bistros, cafes, and restaurants in France. He returned to the states to graduate top of his class from the New England Culinary Institute. Along the way he developed both an appreciation for crafting meals from the best ingredients available and the nouvelle classical techniques in both Spanish and French traditions that he brings to bear on his fresh cooking.

The View Point Inn is located at 40301 E. Larch Mountain Road in Corbett
503.695.5811

Aaron Dionne, Bon Appetit at Lewis and Clark
For more than twenty years Aaron has honed his skills and ethics in the kitchens of many chefs, including local chefs Pascal Sauton and Greg Higgins. In his quest to make an impact he found Bon Appetit, whose commitment to sustainable farming, ranching and fishing practices gave him a platform to help educate the public, and continue his own progression.

Bon Appetit Management Company

Vito Dilullo, Ciao Vito
An avid bocce ball player and skilled chef, Vito Dilullo draws inspiration from the local farmers and artisans that walk through his restaurant’s doors daily. This year Vito hopes to defend his title as the P&P bocce champion.

Ciao Vito is located at 2203 NE Alberta Street in Portland
503.282.5522

Kevin Gibson, formerly of Castagna
A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Kevin Gibson opened Castagna in 1999 with his wife Monique Su. Prior to Castagna, 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 chapters of Slow Food, as well as the Portland Farmers Market and the Eastbank Farmers Market. Additionally, Kevin takes full advantage of the local harvest for his Italian and French-influenced cuisine.

John Gorham, Toro Bravo
At the early age of 14, putting pigs on the barbecue pit in Greenville, North Carolina, John Gorham knew he wanted to be a chef. After completing an apprenticeship with the ACF in Williamsburg, VA, John made his way to Eugene, Oregon. At Café Zenon, he learned all he could about charcuterie. In the Bay Area, John fine-tuned his craft in various restaurants including Citron and LuLu. His last year in the Bay Area, John had the opportunity to work with former executive chef of Chez Panisse, Jean Pierre-Moulle, in opening Caffe Centro.

After moving back to Oregon, John was chef du cuisine at Fratelli and chef at Tuscany Grill. In November 2003, John purchased Viande Meats and Sausage, which gave birth to Simaptica, an incredibly popular catering company and supper club. He sold his shares of the company in January 2007 and opened Toro Bravo, a Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant in Northeast Portland. Since the restaurant’s debut, Willamette Week named Toro Bravo “Restaurant of the Year.” In November 2007, John was named "Chef of the Year" by Portland Monthly magazine.

Toro Bravo is located at 120 NE Russell St. in Portland
503.281.4464

James Green, Bon Appetit at University of Portland
James began working in the restaurants run by his father and uncle at age 12. In 1995, he came to Bon Appetit as a sous chef taking the reins at U of P in 2000. James is able to introduce local, sustainable and organic ingredients to the next generation of consumers through the incredible resources our region has to offer. Working at the University, he's been involved in our community through Rebuilding Together - helping families in need of decent housing, Habitat for Humanity, Portland Iron Chef - a benefit for the Portland Relief Nursery, and Cascadia.

Bon Appetit Management Company

Kenny Hill, Trébol
Kenny Hill learned the most important elements of cooking from two very diverse culinary mentors – his grandmother Alicia Molina, and Greg Higgins, chef and owner of Higgins Restaurant. Under the watchful eye of his Mexican grandmother, Hill adopted her passion for food and where ingredients came from. He spent as much time as possible in her kitchen as she cooked with indigenous ingredients combining flavors and textures.

Hill landed in the kitchen at Higgins in 1999 and fell under the tutelage of Greg Higgins. Hill rose to the coveted position of sous chef at Higgins and learned first hand the importance of relationships with farmers and growers and how to cook seasonally.

After eight years in the Higgins kitchen, Hill decided to open his own restaurant committed to what he new best – Mexican cooking with a Oaxacan influence, local ingredients and a passion for creating the finest flavors and dishes. Hill opened Trébol Mexican Cantina in May 2007. With roots in his grandmother's kitchen and adopting the sustainable mission started by Greg Higgins, Hill is inspired to bring integrity to every part of the dining process – from earth to table.

Trébol is located at 4835 N. Albina St. in Portland
503.517.9347

Christopher Israel, 23Hoyt
23Hoyt Executive Chef, Christopher Israel has been bringing adventurous and authentic Old World flavors to Portland tables since he opened Zefiro in 1990 with Bruce Carey and Monique Siu. As an art student at Berkeley, Israel developed a passion for food in Bay Area restaurants Zuni Cafe and Square One, mentored by Joyce Goldstein. In 1999 he moved to New York City to take a job as an Associate Art Director for Vanity Fair Magazine where he stayed until 2005. He then returned to the stoves at saucebox. And most recently in 2006 he opened 23Hoyt Restaurant and Bar.

23Hoyt is located at 529 NW 23rd Ave. in Portland
503.445.7400

Dolan Lane, clarklewis
Having spent more than six years in the kitchen of Blue Hour working side by side with Chef Kenny Giambalvo, Dolan eagerly accepted the challenge of rejuvenating clarklewis.

clarklewis is located at 1001 SE Water Ave in Portland
503.235.2294

Troy MacLarty, Lovely Hula Hands
Eleven years ago Troy MacLarty transitioned from biologist to chef. He attended the CIA and was praised by Food & Wine magazine as one of the top 10 cooking school students in America. For two years after graduation he worked as a teaching assistant at Greystone in the Napa Valley and served as Joe Montana's private chef before accepting a position at Chez Panisse in Berkeley where he worked for four years.

Troy moved to Portland in February 2005 to be the chef at Ripe's Family Supper and before the empire crumbled moved onto the kitchens at Saucebox and Simpatica. In October 2006, he became the chef at Lovely Hula Hands. Despite rumors initiated by his pals at Simpatica, Troy would like everyone to know he is not, nor has he ever been a Chippendale dancer.

Lovely Hula Hands is located at 4057 N Mississippi in Portland
503.445.9910

Rich Meyer, Higgins
Rich Meyer has been with Higgins Restaurant & Bar for nine years. He worked his way up through the various stations in the kitchen to his current position of Chef de Cuisine.

Rich began working at the Park Circle Restaurant in Maryland eventually becoming dining room chef for the Sheraton Hotel in Maryland. While cooking at La Moñtana in Colorado he decided it was time to get some formal training. So he moved to Portland to attend The Western Culinary Institute. During school he worked at Newmans Fish Company and then Higgins.

Rich continues to learn from Chef Greg Higgins and accompanies him on many promotional tours and public appearances. Together they have done promotional events in Salzburg, Innsbruck and Prague.

In his spare time Rich enjoys gardening, foraging, fly-fishing, skiing and snowboarding. He is also a member of the Portland Chapter Chefs Collaborative which is a group of chefs who commit to sustainable cuisine through education, supporting local farmers and inspiring the public to choose good, clean food. He also works with the California Cheese Council and promotes the use of small artisan cheesemakers. In 2005 Rich won outstanding Sous Chef/Chef de Cuisine award through NW Stir Magazine.

Higgins is located at 1239 SW Broadway Ave. in Portland
503.222.9070

Drew Lockett, Aquariva
Before seasonal ingredients were a norm in better kitchens, "I unwittingly learned that everything has its season by what was on the table at family gatherings," says Aquariva Executive Chef Drew Lockett, "…pickled okra, summer veggies, or green peanuts and stone fruits, seasonal things you crave all year long."

Lockett cut his culinary teeth at the age of 14 at Mike Shaeffer’s Seafood Restaurant in Louisiana cooking hundreds of pound of shrimp and crawfish over the big burners of the boil house. At one of Louisiana's best restaurants, Artesia in Abita Springs, Lockett worked with John Besh where he learned about taking ingredients and transforming them, tweaking them just a little to bring out the best in them.

And Lockett feels fortunate to be in Portland. "Oregon is one of the most exciting places to live as far as food is concerned. You get something in the kitchen that's been off the vine for only half a day!"

Educated at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Culinary Institute of America, Lockett, when not in the kitchen, passes on his culinary knowledge in farmer's market cooking demos, classes at In Good Taste and to high school "Culinary Olympians".

Aquariva is located at 0470 SW Hamilton Court in Portland
503.802.5850

Jenn Louis, Culinary Artistry & Lincoln Restaurant
One of Jenn Louis's colleagues labeled her this way: "She's 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'll 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 don't be fooled, it isn't all private jets and overpriced champagne. No, 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 Restaurant. Her approach at Lincoln is simple: Take great care of the guests and serve elegant and generous cuisine that takes it cue from the seasons. In many ways, Lincoln Restaurant 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, we won't tell you who called her a schoolmarm so don't ask.

Lincoln & Culinary Artistry will soon be located at 3803 N Williams in Portland
503.232.4675

Sean McKee, Roux
Cooking satisfies the soul according to Sean McKee, executive chef at Roux restaurant. He cooks from the heart whether for his guests, friends or family. Hailing from a family of chefs, Sean picked up professional skills from Bill Hatchet, the chef at Zenon in Eugene, Oregon. "He taught me how to manage a professional kitchen and even how to hold a knife correctly." At Roux, Sean smokes and cures all the meats and sausages in-house and has created dishes utilizing these specialties. He has also created a proprietary blend of Roux Creole seasoning that is used in everything from Crawfish Pie to Shrimp Creole…or anything that needs a little bit of heat.

Roux is located at 1700 N Killingsworth St. in Portland
503.285.1200

Elizabeth Montes, Sahagun
Elizabeth Montes started making chocolates nearly ten years ago as gifts for her friends and family. A decorative painter in New York City at the time, Montes casually dropped by the 1998 Chocolate Show; she couldn't believe people made chocolates for a living! Soon, after she got a jobs working at Neuhaus and with artist-turned-chocolatier John Down. Elizabeth then furthered her knowledge at FCI chocolate seminars and a chocolate technology course at Richardson Researches in Hayward, California.

In addition to her training, Montes started reading the Florentine Codex, a book collection on foods of pre-Columbian cultures created by Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, a Spanish missionary to what is now Mexico. Within it, there were descriptions and paintings of the early uses for cacao and chocolate. Montes admired the straightforward use of ingredients such as combining chocolate with flowers, chilies and honey.

Today, Elizabeth continues in the spirit of Fray Bernardino's approach (and made his birthplace the name of her company, Sahagun), using many local ingredients to make her delectable and irresistible creations. Elizabeth hopes that each unique piece will compel us to stop for a moment and show us that an already blissful experience can be made even lovelier when we pay attention to this little mystery we all love putting into our mouths.

Sahagun is located at 10 NW 16th Ave. in Portland
503.274.7065

Randy Montgomery, CAVA
Randy Montgomery's restaurant history began in the late 70's-washing dishes and peeling shrimp at Santa Barbara's hottest nightspot. Moving to LA with a rock band to hit the big time in the early 80's, he worked with various catering companies back in the Reagan days when the entertainment industry had big bucks to spend. As a struggling musician, he supported himself and his band mates with leftovers from the enormous parties. Hating LA, he moved back to Santa Barbara where he learned more about wood burning ovens and grill stuff.

Moving to Portland in the early 90's he got the early gig with Portland's premiere specialty foods importing company-Provvista Specialty Foods, where he spent 10 years learning about ingredients and cooked lunches for 30 food geeks a couple times a week.
He traveled to Europe a lot and figured out his neighborhood needed an uber cool place like the places he fell in love with. So side-by-side with his stellar cast of stars -- JB Tranholm of Castagna, Pok Pok, Zefiro and Roux fame and Dessert Goddess, Miss Zumstein aka Anja Spence -- Randy opened Cava in October 2007. His wife Amy Ruppel picked colors and helped design the place.

Now they work too much, but the neighborhood seems to love them. The press as well. Good times. Gentleman, we are drinking stars...

CAVA is located at 5339 SE Foster Rd. in Portland
503.206.8615

Eric Moore, Victory
At 29 years old, Eric Moore has been cooking for 14 years. Born and raised in the South, Eric's interest in cooking was prompted by his grandmother - she had a fantastic garden and a true love for pork, butter, and southern cuisine. Moore’s formal training began in Switzerland where he spent over two years in a four star hotel working his way through the kitchen brigade. He then spent a month in France at Le Clot St. Pierre, a tiny Michelin star restaurant. Upon returning to the states Eric worked as co-chef for an upscale French restaurant and its satellite restaurant (a private chef gig in a backcountry yurt) at a ski resort in Salt Lake City.

Eric moved to Portland three years ago in search of better products and a more communal restaurant scene. After investigating Portland's kitchens, Eric settled in at Park Kitchen where he worked for a year before being approached to be the chef at Victory.

Now also a part owner of Victory, Eric's goals have changed a lot since he started cooking. He enjoys the challenge of delivering tasty food on a small scale without the hype and cost of a restaurant. Eric imagines Portland to be the first big city where people will be able to walk into any place to eat or drink and know where the products came from without having to ask or have it be written on the menu. They’ll also know that their food was handled and delivered with pride and that it was prepared with respect and graciousness for the origins from which it came. "The Portland area is a pretty great place to be and I want it to stay that way."

Victory is located at 3652 SE Division St. in Portland
503.236.8755

Rodney Muirhead, Podnah's Pit
A native of Waxahachie, Texas Rodney Muirhead knows BBQ. And he knows his way around a kitchen having moved to New York in 1998 to attend the French Culinary Institute before working at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan and Restaurant Saul in Brooklyn. Rodney ventured to Portland and in 2003 he introduced Portland to LOW BBQ (LOW stands for "laid off workers" aptly coined after Rodney was laid off by a robotics firm) at the Portland Farmers Market. His hallmark style of delicious smoked meats quickly developed a cult-like following. He took up residence on Monday nights at Apizza Scholls and the demand for Rodney's mouth watering smoked meats continue to develop to a fever pitch. Lucky for Portland he opened his own restaurant in 2006.

Rodney smokes meats the old fashioned way - typically 10-12 hours for brisket, 12 hours for pork and 4-6 hours for ribs – and he never wraps them in plastic or foil or finishes them in an oven. Podnah's uses a Texas-style offset smoker, oak hardwood and natural, high-quality meats from local producers. And sauce is always served on the side, "because we have nothing to hide".

Podnah's Pit is located at 1469 NE Prescott St. in Portland
503.281.3700

David Padberg
Park Kitchen's chef de cuisine, David Padberg, began his cooking career as a baker and pastry chef in 1994. After four years at the Marriott in Kansas City, he began cooking at the city's finest restaurants. Starker's prestigious Grand Award from Wine Spectator makes it a destination, and David honed his skills at the American Restaurant, a four star institution under the direction of James Beard Award winning chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold. While at the American, he met James Beard winning chefs from across the country, and cooked for events in Chicago, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle. In 2001, David traveled to Switzerland, working in a country chalet for six months and traveling through Northern Italy, France and England, on a working tour of Europe.

After returning to the United States in 2002, David moved to Portland to work with Cory Schreiber at Wildwood. The following year, he joined forces with his college friend, Jason Owens, and created Axis Supper Club, which hosted five course dinners served once a week in Jason's garden. They went on to host wine dinners at the Shogren House, Park Kitchen, and the popular brunches at Pix Patisserie. In late 2003, Morgan Brownlow recruited David as his sous-chef to help open Clarklewis, to widespread acclaim. In the Spring of 2005, Scott Dolich hired David as chef de cuisine. They work together to create the menu at Park Kitchen and coordinate the restaurant's special events.

Park Kitchen is located at 422 NW 8th Ave. in Portland
503.223.7275

Vitaly Paley, Paley's Place
Paley's Place offers Pacific Northwest regional cuisine, served in the warm and inviting setting of a Victorian home. Chef and owner, Vitaly Paley, creates seasonal menus from the bounty of the Northwest – fresh organic ingredients supplied by local farmers, growers and purveyors – with Southern French and Northern Italian influences. Kimberly Paley oversees the front of the house and the wine list, which offers an extensive selection exclusively from the wine regions of Oregon, Washington and France. The weekly "Wine Wednesday" tasting takes a more global approach to wine tasting with wine flights available from around the world. Vitaly pairs a regional selection of appetizers with each weekly wine flight. Seating is intimate, yet casual – both in the dining room and bar or on the porch. The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest written by Vitaly and Kimberly Paley, with Robert Reynolds, will be published in Fall 2008 by Ten Speed Press.

Paley's Place is located at 1204 N.W. 21st Ave in Portland
503-243-2403

Carmen Peirano and Eric Ferguson, Nick's Italian Café
Serving its first dish of pasta over 30 years ago, Nick's Italian Café is a haven for winemakers and wine country tourists. Founder Nick Peirano, owned and operated the Café until recently when he handed the reigns to his daughter Carmen and her fiancé Eric Ferguson.

Carmen grew up in the restaurant, but spent many years away from it before returning home. As a model she traveled the globe; always finding herself fascinated by the foods from different regions. She returned stateside and attended culinary school at the City College of San Francisco, then landed an internship at Quince.

Meanwhile Eric was also making his path to Quince. Eric grew up in North Dakota; then moved to North Carolina to study culinary arts at the Art Institute of Charlotte. After culinary school, Eric worked at restaurants in Charlotte, and earned four stars from the local paper as the chef at Salute Restaurant. Eager to learn Italian cuisine, Eric left Charlotte and spent four months in Umbria until returning to the state and landing at Quince.

While at Quince, Eric and Carmen met and the rest as they say is history. The two left Quince to travel and cook their way through Umbria, then returned to Oregon to take the helm at Nick's. Together they're creating menus that reflect the restaurant's history while also garnering inspiration from their abundant surroundings; using ingredients from nearby farms and even creating a house-made balsamico condimento from a local vineyard.

Nick's Italian Café is located at 521 NE 3rd St. in McMinnville
503.434.4471

Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon
Gabriel Rucker began his unorthodox culinary career by dropping out of the Santa Rosa Junior College's culinary program when he was eighteen. Following that he took various jobs in his home of Napa Valley where he, "made salads for banquets, asked lots of questions, and learned lots of stuff," and found enough freedom in the kitchen to develop his own style infused with creativity and candor. In 2003 Gabe moved to Portland, sight unseen, and landed a job at Paley's Place where he worked for two years. In 2005 he was hired as the sous chef at The Gotham Building Tavern where he cooked alongside chef Tommy Habetz and met his current sous chef and partner in crime Erik VanKley.

In June of 2006 Gabriel started at Le Pigeon and it soon took flight. Since its opening Gabriel has been named Portland Monthly's Chef of the Year 2006, The Oregonian's Rising Star Chef 2006, Restaurant and Hospitality Magazine’s Rising Star of 2007, and Food and Wine Magazine named him among the Best New Chefs of 2007.

Le Pigeon is located at 738 E. Burnside St in Portland
503.546.8796

Adam Sappington, the Country Cat Dinner House
When Adam Sappington speaks of his passion for food, it is passion slow-baked over the steady heat of the farmlands of central Missouri. Growing up in the small town of Jefferson City, Adam's earliest memories are of family-style meals featuring local ingredients brought slowly and carefully to the point of perfection. This farmland culinary heritage has simmered for 11 years, waiting patiently for the perfect moment. The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar opened April 27, 2007.

Before opening the The Country Cat, Adam spent 11 years at Wildwood cultivating the network of farmers that he works with today. "When I am cooking, I always think of the conversations I have with the farmers who grow this amazing product. I hope that the food I bring to the table is as much as the farmer's vision as it is my own."

Today, Adam draws inspiration from a closer source - his young family. In 1995, Adam met his wife Jackie while both were working at Wildwood. Adam and Jackie live in Portland with their two sons, and were inspired to open a new kind of restaurant, one that is family-friendly and provides diners with food that was prepared and purchased with care and insight about the source and practice that produces each ingredient one sees on the menu.

The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar is located at 7937 SE Stark St. in Portland
503.408.1414

Pascal Sauton, Carafe
Sauton creates simple, flavorful French fare with the style of a perfectionist. A Parisian native, Sauton received his culinary training at L'Ecole Hoteliere de Paris and the renowned three-star Michelin restaurant Lasserre in Paris. He spent time working at several top Parisian restaurants then took his talents to French Guyana, Pennsylvania, New York and Denver. Sauton credits his move to Oregon to a growing interest in James Beard. He opened Carafe in 2003. His cuisine infuses simple Parisian dishes with flavors and preparations from regions throughout France. According to Gourmet, Pascal "is a skilled Parisian chef with his finger on the pulse of Portland tastes."

Carafe Bistro is located at 200 SW Market St. in Portland
503.248.0004

Marco Shaw,Fife, an American Place
A Washington, D.C. native, Marco earned a B.A. in Pyschology and Sociology from Randolph-Macon College before pursuing his culinary career. Marco cooked at various restaurants in Virginia, New Orleans, New York City and Santa Fe before moving to Portland where hewas the opening lead line cook at Oba Restaurante, chef at the short-lived Alligator Pear and chef at Tuscany Grill for three years. He opened Fife on December 13, 2002 where he uses local organic products to showcase regional dishes.

Fife is located at 4440 NE Fremont St. in Portland
971.222.3433

Gregory Smith, Noble Rot
Gregory Smith began his foray into the kitchen working at a BBQ restaurant in 1996 while he was still in high school. He ventured to Atlanta, Georgia and attended Culinary School but shortly after graduation he returned to the Midwest and worked beside accomplished chefs such as Freddy Girdet and Gray Kuntz at Charlie Trotter's. After 18 months at Charlie Trotters, Greg decided to move to the northwest and cultivate a better understanding of how to grow good food. He worked on an organic farm in the Columbia Gorge until he was lured back to the kitchen with a position at Noble Rot 3 ½ years ago.

Noble Rot is located at 2724 SE Ankeny St.in Portland
503.233.1999

Jason Stoller Smith, The Dundee Bistro
Jason Stoller Smith joined The Dundee Bistro in January 2002 and immediately brought fresh energy, imagination and equally fresh dishes to the restaurant. Smith began his restaurant career at 16. Working in restaurants along the Pacific Coast from Puget Sound to southern Oregon, Jason has continually searched for excellence in culinary techniques and ingredients.

Jason worked for several years as the Executive Sous Chef at Timberline Lodge. Counted in his accomplishments are experience as a culinary arts instructor, special event chef and caterer for the wine industry. He represented the Pacific Northwest promoting and exhibiting Northwest dinners in Bangkok, and in 2003 he was invited to present the James Beard Centennial Dinner at the James Beard House in New York City.

A native of Olympia, Washington, Jason grew up surrounded by foods from the Northwest's clear waters and small farms. He delights in purchasing ingredients from the weekly farmer's market set up in the restaurant's parking lot. He seeks out organic and specialty products from nearby farms, ranches and wineries. He regards his kitchen literally in the heart of the Willamette Valley as a chef's dream.

The Dundee Bistro is located at 100-A SW Seventh Street in Dundee
503.554.1650

Cathy Whims, Nostrana
Cathy Whims, former executive chef at Genoa restaurant in Portland, has been serving classic Italian fare to Portland diners for years. In the course of her professional career, Cathy has studied with Madeleine Kamman at the highly respected School for American Chefs; with Marcella and Victor Hazan at their home in Venice; and with Giancinto Albarello in his own kitchen at the Antica Torre Trattoria in Barbaresco, a renowned restaurant of the Langhe. Her extensive travels throughout Italy where she meets with chefs, restaurateurs, wine producers, distillers and artisan producers brings Cathy close to the heart of Italian cooking.

Nostrana, a rustic Italian restaurant, opened its doors with Whims as co-executive chef and received The Oregonian's Restaurant of the Year in 2006. Nostrana is a relaxed restaurant specializing 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 magazine including Sunset, Details, Food and Wine, the Northwest Palate, Gourmet, The New York Times Travel magazine, Alaskan Airlines magazine and Italian Cooking and Living.

Nostrana is located at 1401 SE Morrison St. in Portland
503.234.2427

Miss Zumstein, Miss Zumstein's Kitchen & CAVA
Miss Zumstein has been baking professionally in Portland Oregon for the past fifteen years including pastry chef positions at Castagna, Papa Haydn and Genoa. She started her own small pastry business over two years ago and now creates her desserts out of Cava restaurant- surrounded by fantastic kitchen mates! Miss Zumstein stays active in the food and wine community volunteering for events such as the International Pinot Noir Celebration, Steamboat Dinners and Taste of the Nation.

Find Miss Zumstein's Cake of the Month club online or enjoy her desserts at CAVA

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