So while in Dundee, OR I decide to try some of the local cuisine after a day of wine tasting. I asked several people and they all recommended a brand new restaurant called Farm to Fork. It’s near the end of the strip in Dundee on the right hand side (driving north to south). Since everyone recommended it I figured we should at least give it a try. There are only 9 tables in the restaurant which makes it quite quaint.  I tried to find a website, but I don’t think they’ve even set one up yet. Fortunately Farm to Fork is on Yelp. It looks like everyone had the same experience as me… amazing food! And tons of local Portland wine to fully satisfy your pallet. And the prices weren’t that high. It really seemed like a great value. Oh wait.. I just found the website. It’s part of the hotel Inn at Redhills. Just for the food alone I’d recommend staying at this hotel. The chef at Farm to Fork is Paul Bachand and he uses only the finest local ingredients. I started with the Warm Truffled Goat Cheese Tart and follwed it with the Superior Farms Leg of Lamb, which was braised in red wine. Mmmm.. it makes my mouth water just thinking about it now. So if you’re ever in Dundee after a day of wine tasting be sure to checkout this restaurant. You won’t be disappointed!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider

Uncategorized dundee, fine cuisine, food, local food, portland, Wine Tasting

Wine Club Insider (finally!) back…

I can hear it now…

“Hey, WCI, where have you been? I was looking for my usual end-of-the-week dose of wine club news, and, poof, there’s nothing there? What gives?”

With deepest and most humble apologies, I respectfully submit that sometimes even wine blogging must take a back seat to real life.

As some of you no doubt know, Ray and Joan Kroc (of McDonald’s Fame, and I don’t mean ee-ei-ee-ei-oh) left hundreds of millions of dollars to the Salvation Army to build a number of community centers across the USA. Well, Coeur d’ Alene Idaho was one of the fortunate recipients, and after raising a matching $38 million, CDA became the smallest (by far) city to have one of the amazing new rec and community centers. (Here… check out www.kroccda.org for an idea of how special these centers are!)

Well. the grand opening was this weekend, with the gala last Friday night, and yours truly was able to help provide the catering for the big day.

Since Wednesday, I’ve been on my feet for 12 - 14 straight hours prepping and transporting a buffet for 450 to the center, and then setting up, serving and cleaning up.

It was a lot of work but well worth it, and well received. Here is a sample of what we had on the menu:

~ Chicken Valdostana (chicken breasts pounded out like veal, and then stuffed with copacola sausage and fontina cheese and baked in a Putanesca sauce)

~ Crostini with whipped gorgonzola andfig or sun-dried tomato puree

~ Pizza “turnovers”

~ 10 sides of cold smoked salmon and all the trimmings

~ Huckleberry cheese cake and sauces

~ Antipasto, fresh fruit and cheese trays that could have fed the 2nd army

and a few other little delicacies.

Redwood Creek Winery served up the libations to accompany, and a good time was had by all, though I don’t know if I want to see another chicken or cut another piece of cheese for a while…

So, that, dear readers, is why last week’s column was a tad late… I hope you will understand, and tune in again this week… after all, this was for a great cause, and anything done in the service of food, wine, charities and enjoyment of the public has to be a good thing, right?

Enjoy your day!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

Uncategorized buffet, charity, food, gala event, Kroc Center, Wine Club