Portland, Or. Brian Delaurenti and Johnathan Dahl, collectively known as The Gay Beards, hosted a Summer Solstice party sponsored by Reyka Vodka. The June 21st event also helped mark the 10th anniversary of Departure Restaurant and The Nines Hotel; proceeds from the anniversary celebrations benefited the World Central Kitchen. Reyka Vodka, which is made in Iceland, hosted parties in NYC, Reykjavik, Baltimore and Portland.
The weather cooperates for the rooftop party on the 15th floor of the historic Meier & Frank building at 525 SW Morrison Street.
Gregory Gourdet, Executive Chef at Departure, poses for a photo.
Byron Beck and Juan Martinez
Portland Society Page Editor, Elisa Klein and Steven Klein
The Gay Beards toast the summer solstice.
The first-ever vodka distilled in Iceland uses glacial spring water. Reyka Vodka also uses lava rocks from nearby fields as a filtration system.
José Andrés founded World Central Kitchen after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti with the belief that food can be an agent of change. We have expanded globally and have developed into a group of chefs creating smart solutions to hunger and poverty.
Today, World Central Kitchen uses the expertise of its Chef Network to empower people to be part of the solution, with a focus on health, education, jobs, and social enterprise.
Health: Cleaner cooking with clean cook stoves and food safety/sanitation training.
Education: School kitchens to support feeding programs that encourage school attendance and provide a source of sustainable revenue for the school.
Jobs: Culinary training to elevate the hospitality workforce, increase earnings, enhance quality of life, and strengthen Haiti’s economy.
Social Enterprise: Food ventures that increase income, create jobs, and provide transferable vocational skills to low-income communities.
Since our inception, our work has affected communities in Brazil, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua, Zambia, and the United States.
Join us as we use the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies.
WCK is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
New Orleans, August 11th. Chefs from 16 states competed in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off and chef Gregory Gourdet, with his dish of Oregon Chinook Salmon, claimed the title of King of American Seafood. “Oregon is known around the world for our culinary riches, and Oregon chefs like Chef Gourdet bring artful creativity to the flavors of the Pacific Northwest,” said Governor Kitzhaber. Chef Gourdet will be working with Travel Oregon to promote the state’s abundant ingredients and culinary talent. He’s also a supporter of FEAST, the regional fundraiser to fight childhood hunger. (Photo credit, Ron Ruggless)
Oregon’s winning dish
Ewell Smith, executive producer of the cook-off said, “Chef Gourdet secured an extraordinary win,” Smith said, “and we’re proud to have him join previous winners in serving as an ambassador for domestic and sustainable seafood.” For the competition, teams of chefs competed against each other by cooking dishes featuring seafood native to their states. The Oregon chef’s winning entry was a dish of slow-cooked Oregon Chinook salmon with butter clams, bacon dashi, pickled porcini, roasted heirloom tomatoes and crisped sea greens. (Check out the photo to the left.)
The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission selected, Gregory Gourdet, Chef de Cuisine at Departure Restaurant high atop the Nines Hotel in Portland to participate. He’s a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Chef Gourdet worked his way up the culinary ladder in the presence of renowned chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York City before heading west, first to California and then to the Pacific Northwest and Portland. He was the Executive Chef at Saucebox before assuming his current position at Departure, known for its “modern Asian cuisine”.
Four other notable seafood dishes.
Oregon’s entry to the GASCO was sponsored by Seafood OREGON, the marketing arm of the state’s four industry-funded seafood Commodity Commissions – the Oregon Albacore, Dungeness Crab, Salmon and Trawl Commissions – that operate under the umbrella of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Each year, Louisiana Governor Jindal sends a letter to his fellow governors inviting their states’ best chefs to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Governors will sometimes choose their own executive chefs, while other times they appoint a chef from a noteworthy restaurant in their state.
Sam Saltos and chef Gregory Gourdet of Departure Restaurant & Lounge in Portland, Ore.
Gregory Gourdet was also featured in this promotion for FEAST.
From FEAST: Oregon is a culinary mecca, and now we have a world-class food celebration. It’s called Feast Portland, and it’s happening September 20-23, 2012. Reserve your place at the table by visiting FeastPortland.com.
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
