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View Chef Vitaly Paley's menu for Denim
& Diamonds 2009
 Lured
to Oregon from New York by the bounty of the Pacific Northwest,
Vitaly Paley is one of the region’s leading chefs. As chef and
co-owner of Paley’s Place, his cooking is based on uncluttered
preparations of local, sustainably grown ingredients. As the 2005
recipient of the Best Chef Northwest Award from the James Beard
Foundation, Vitaly prides himself on being instrumental in the
movement to define regional Northwest cuisine – from the line-caught
wild salmon in the Columbia River to the juicy Oregon strawberries
picked fresh on nearby Sauvie Island. “My goal, and dream is to
bring the farmer closer to the guest in my restaurant,” says Vitaly.
“The relationship I have with my growers dictates everything about
my menu and preparations – it’s all about local, sustainable
agriculture.” Vitaly, who was born near Kiev in
the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States in 1976,
brings an artist’s sensitivity to his cooking. Trained as a concert
pianist from childhood, he studied at the Julliard School before
shifting his creative energies to cooking. Inspired by many
composers throughout the years, Vitaly is drawn to Mozart for his
reserved style and echoes this style in his own cooking – clear,
simple and exacting technique. In 1989, Vitaly earned a Grand
Diploma from the French Culinary Institute in New York and refined
his skills at the Union Square Café, Remi and Chanterelle in New
York. He then apprenticed at the two-star Michelin restaurant,
Moulin de la Gorce near Limoges, France.
In 1995, Vitaly and his wife Kimberly moved to
Portland and opened Paley’s Place. The restaurant—and Vitaly’s
inspired cuisine—consistently draws praise, both locally and
nationally. Vitaly was featured in a Food Network award segment
honoring Portland as “Delicious Destination of the year.” Gourmet
Magazine recently recognized Paley’s Place as one of America’s Top
50 Restaurants in the October 2006 issue and Oprah Magazine
called Paley’s Place “the place for foodies” in the November 2006
issue. In The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker and Pierre Rovani
noted the restaurant for one of their “most memorable meals of
2001.” And in July 2001, Ruth Reichl, Gourmet magazine
editor-in-chief, praised Paley’s for an “impressive simple meal
based on local ingredients cooked with care.” In 1999, The
Oregonian selected Paley’s Place for its coveted “Restaurant of
the Year” award. Paley’s Place recipes have also been featured in
the Food and Wine 2007 Cookbook, Bon Appetit and
Food Arts and in Bob Greene’s new cookbook, The Best Life
Cookbook, 2009. Vitaly was recently honored as the Prince of
Porc at the 2009 Cochon 555 chef competition held in Portland,
Oregon to benefit Raphael House.
Vitaly took his culinary talents one step
further in 2004 when he designed an alternative energy bar for his
own personal use. An avid cyclist, he wanted to re-energize the
“typical” sports bar with new flavors and wholesome organic
ingredients – from apricots and raisins to strawberries, figs and
dry roasted hazelnuts. Vitaly uses as many local ingredients as
possible and handcrafts the Paley Bar in four flavors (Paley’s
Comet, Jam’n Peanuts, Fruity Nut Evolution and Liquid Sunshine).
Vitaly and Kimberly published The Paley’s
Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest
in October 2008 (Ten Speed Press) and traveled to New York, Seattle,
and Vancouver, BC for cookbook classes and author appearances,
including a segment on the Martha Stewart Show and radio
interviews on The Splendid Table, Martha Stewart Radio and
KCRW’s Good Food. Cookbook reviews and features appeared in
Bicycling Magazine, Portland Monthly, the Oregonian, VIA Magazine,
Oprah Magazine, and the Wine Enthusiast. The Paley’s
Place Cookbook was honored as the Best Regional Cookbook on
Epicurious.com.
View Chef List
View Chef Merlyn Baker's menu for Denim
& Diamonds 2009
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.
View Chef List
View Chef Alfred Popp's menu
for Denim & Diamonds 2009
From cooking classes to chef’s table dinners to catered
events, Alfred Popp brings his expertise in creating
memorable dining experiences to Events with Popp. Located
in SE Portland, Popp and Company is home to Portland’s
renowned private chef, Alfred Popp’s Studio Kitchen. The
Studio Kitchen is a casual, inviting space with tables
nestled in the middle of the impressive kitchen. Chef
Alfred Popp was born in Austria and discovered his natural
talent for and interest in cooking there. In the European
tradition, he began with a three year apprenticeship in
Salzburg. Following his apprenticeship, Alfred began working
with master chefs around the world to gain experience and
develop a style of his own. In Europe, it is believed that a
chef is best trained by working short stints or seasons under
different master chefs. Popp gained respect as he studied and
worked in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and the
Philippines. After many years of experience, he moved to the
United States in 1985 to join the Marriott Corporation working
in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Today, Chef Popp owns his own catering company and teaches
cooking classes. A specialist in the preparation of food from
the Pacific Northwest, Alfred enjoys the readily available
selections of fresh seafood, produce, and regional game.
View Chef List
View Chef Brian Light's menu for
Denim & Diamonds 2009
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 |
