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Merlyn Baker, born and raised in Minnesota, first began cooking
alongside his mother. His culinary career progressed with a high
school job at a fast food restaurant and positions at a number of
dining clubs. Post high school, Merlyn attended a tech school where
he studied quantity foods education. He began his career working in
a country club and with a large catering business before setting off
to travel North America and experience the cuisine of its many
regions.
Merlyn spent time in the Painted Canyon of North
Dakota, the ski country of Colorado, the Smokey Mountains,
the Caribbean, California, Seattle, Florida, Alaska and
the Great Lakes region before finally settling down in
Northeast Oregon. Here Merlyn shares his craft using the
wonderful local fare of the region.
For the past 10 years, Merlyn has owned and operated
Foley Station in La Grande, a restaurant specializing in
Northwest cuisine with and international flair. The
flavors of the dishes served originate from the far
corners of the world, which is appropriate because,
according to Merlyn, “what is food without flavor, every
bite should make you wish for more.”
Foley Station is also known for wonderful annual
culinary events such as Zerba Wine Dinners, Oregon Bounty
and Union County Farmers’ Market Harvest Dinners, Terminal
Gravity Brew Masters’ Dinner and a recreated Titanic
Dinner.
Merlyn is grateful for the abundance of Oregon
agriculture and believes that the diversity of both
products and cuisine in this state is something for which
every farmer, rancher, gardener, cook, chef and diner
should take a bow.
Rob Leon, founder of Phresh Organic Catering, has used his unique
life experiences to shape his career. His grandmother's apple pie,
duck a la orange and baking his first loaves of bread with his aunt
Helene have all left their mark on him. Pair these with a high
school job cooking cheeseburgers – still his favorite food – and you
have the makings of a true chef. Rob begin cooking professionally
in San Francisco and received his formal culinary education at the
Scottsdale Culinary Institute, in Scottsdale Arizona, where he
worked with Vincent Guerithault – 1993 winner of the James Beard
Best Chef award.
Since arriving in Portland, Rob has run some of the
city’s finest kitchens including Atwater's and Saucebox,
the Oregonian's 1999 Restaurant of the Year. In 2004 Rob
struck out on his own, and now brings us Phresh Organic
Catering. Phresh buys directly from local farmers,
fishermen and ranchers whenever possible and uses only all-natural
meats, local seafood and line-caught fish. Every Phresh menu
showcases the finest organic food available. Commitment to
Sustainability
Now in its third year in business, Phresh organic catering is a
full-service catering company deeply rooted in the ideas of
sustainability. The focus of Phresh is to create an exceptional and
memorable culinary experience that does not compromise their
responsibility to the stewardship of the environment and the
community. Sustainable business practices are also important.
Phresh works closely with the Agri-Business Council of Oregon, makes
environmentally responsible purchases from local companies, is
committed to recycling and has begun a food compost program.
Phresh takes pride in supporting local agriculture and purchases
farm direct whenever possible. Using these products at their peak
and cooking them with respect to technique and creativity is a
wondrous way to practice environmental sustainability. “While
working as a professional chef in Portland during the past decade, I
have developed business relationships with many local purveyors,
winemaker's, and farmers who share my dedication to these
sustainable ideas,” Rob said.
View Chef List
Chef Brian Light began working for Jake’s Grill in 1998 as a
banquet sous chef. Just one year later, he was promoted to executive
chef, a role he continues to hold today.
As executive chef, Light oversees the restaurant’s
“classic American grill” menu, which features the finest
steaks and seafood together with comfort food classics
such as pot roast, pork chops and meatloaf.
Before moving to Portland in 1997, Light began his
culinary career on the east coast. After graduating from
the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York,
he spent time as a chef at the Bottega Italian Bistro in
Richmond, VA; the Occidental Grill in Washington, D.C.,
and Loew’s Ventanna Canyon Resort in Tuscan, Ariz. He also
spent nearly two years as a private chef for a Saudi
Prince. Chef Light challenges himself each day to
surpass every guest’s expectations. Operating on the belief that the
best menu “keeps it fresh, seasonal and ever-changing,” Light uses
Jake’s Grill’s daily changing menu to continuously present guests
with a creative and diverse selection of dishes that take advantage
of local ingredients at the peak of their freshness. Some of his
favorite local ingredients include fresh berries, local mushrooms,
wild game, wild salmon and halibut. Light also adds personal touches
to the menu, such as curing the restaurant’s pancetta and pickles
in-house.
A native of Montreal, Canada, Chef Light currently
resides in Portland, Oregon. When he’s not in the kitchen,
Light actively pursues his hobby of fly fishing and lives
by the simple philosophy of, “Live well, eat great.
View Chef List |
Agri-Business
Council of Oregon is honored to introduce the talented chefs who
produced the 10th Anniversary Denim & Diamonds Menu.
