Check out these great pictures from this year’s event. Doesn’t it bring back memories? Photos by studio404photography.com.
Archive for the ‘Chefs’ Category
Photos from the 2010 Sagebrush Classic!
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010Chef of the Week: Charles Phan
Saturday, July 10th, 2010
Born in De Lat, Vietnam in 1962, Chef Charles Phan and his family left the country in 1975, eventually settling in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Chef Phan’s interest in cooking stemmed from his mother’s consistently elevating simple Vietnamese foods to new levels and he was charmed by the American traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.
After several jobs, he opened a small créperie in a hotel before setting out on his own with The Slanted Door. This restaurant has been a phenomenal success with food featuring fresh local ingredients, a relaxed atmosphere, Riesling-driven wine list, full bar with premium brands, fresh squeezed juices, and hard-to-find Chinese teas. It is consistently ranked as one of the most highly esteemed restaurants in San Francisco. Charles recently opened Out The Door, a sister restaurant that is a to-go-only kiosk located next to The Slanted Door.
Chef of the Week: Vitaly Paley
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Chef Vitaly Paley was born near Kiev in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States in 1976. Trained as a concert pianist from childhood, he studied at the Julliard School before shifting his creative energies to cooking. In 1989, he 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.
By opening Paley’s Place in 1995, a restaurant with only 50 seats, Vitaly and his wife Kimberly have made a commitment to creativity and flexibility in cuisine, sophistication in service, and intimacy in the dining experience. Chef Paley has received numerous enthusiastic accolades, including the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest in 2005.
The restaurant is continually featured in magazines and newspapers across the country – from the New York Times and Oprah Magazine to Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Sunset. Vitaly has appeared on television broadcasts like the Martha Stewart Show, Oprah, OPB’s Endless Feast, and Chefs A’Field, further showcasing his commitment to sustainable, seasonal Pacific NW cuisine.
Chef of the Week: Scott Neuman
Saturday, June 26th, 2010¡OBA! Restaurante – Portland
In addition to his 
duties at the restaurant, Chef Scott Neuman has hosted a radio show, “Dining Out in the Northwest,” for more than eight years. Oba was called “the best place to eat while in Portland” by The New York Times and chosen as “Restaurant of the Year” by Willamette Week. Oba serves Nuevo Latino cuisine – “the kind of comfort food you’d find on a sultry Cuban plantation in the 1950s, or in a spacious South American hacienda today,” as Neuman says – and is strongly committed to using sustainable, natural, organic and regional products whenever possible.
Featured Chef of the Week: Suvir Saran
Sunday, June 20th, 2010
Devi and American Marsala – New York, NY
Chef Suvir Saran is making great contributions to furthering appreciation of Indian food in America. Most recently, The Culinary Institute of America named him Chairman, Asian Culinary Studies for its World Cuisines Council. He has been featured in some of the nation’s most prestigious magazines including Bon Appétit, Parade and the Wall Street Journal, and has made many television and radio appearances on The Food Network, The Martha Stewart Show, Next Iron Chef and more. He often speaks at the Culinary Institute of America, and has been a featured chef at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, South Beach Wine & Food Festival and others.
His education and career initially began in the art world. While working a day job in this field, his evenings were spent cooking elaborate meals for friends who urged him to teach cooking classes and cater events. Saran started a small catering business that became one of New York’s hottest catering companies heralded by New York Magazine. A highlight of his career was cooking the first Indian meal ever served at Carnegie Hall for a host of international celebrities and dignitaries in honor of the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. When he is not on the road, Saran enjoys working on his 68-acre American Masala Farm in upstate New York.
Chef of the Week – MATT NELTNER – Deschutes Brewery – Bend, OR
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Deschutes Brewery’s Executive Chef Matt Neltner uses only the finest ingredients in his cuisine. The emphasis is on fresh and handcrafted products, with everything possible made at the pub, including the sausage, breads and mustard. Even the burgers come from freshly-ground, locally-farmed Borlen Cattle Company beef raised on Deschutes Brewery’s spent grain and hops. When you’re in Bend, stop by our pub and say hi to our Sagebrush Chef, Matt Neltner.
Chef of the Week: JEAN PIERRE LELIEVRE
Monday, May 31st, 2010Le Henri IV – Rostrenen, France
Raised in Paris, Chef Jean Pierre LeLievre dreamed of traveling the world through food. He spent two years in the French Army cooking for his brigade’s Chief of Staff.
After leaving the army, he worked as Chef and Executive Chef at many restaurants and hotels in France. His lifelong dream of cooking in America was realized in 1982 when he revived the Chateau Pyrenees in Denver, Colorado with many 4-Star reviews.
By 1985 Jean Pierre wanted to finish raising his children in France, so he started his own catering company and then in 2004, he sold this enterprise and purchased the quaint Hotel Le Henri IV-Medicis in Rostrenen, a small village on the northwest coast of France. With two restaurants on property, Jean Pierre turns out classic French cuisine in the Grand Salon and classic Bretagne cuisine in the Café next door.
Sagebrush Supports the Family Access Network
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
When people think of the Sagebrush Classic, they usually remember the amazing cuisine, delicious beer and festive party atmosphere. But the Sagebrush Classic is more than the best food event of the summer—at its heart, Sagebrush is a fundraiser to help children and families by providing funds to Central Oregon nonprofits, including the Family Access Network (FAN).
FAN ensures all children in Deschutes County have access to basic-needs services. In total, the Sagebrush Classic has provided over $66,000 to fund FAN services. These funds have helped the nonprofit support over 660 children, connecting them to essential services such as food, shelter, healthcare, clothing, job opportunities and childcare.
Sometimes schoolteachers pass on references for families that might need assistance. Kennedy’s teacher did just that when Kennedy shared with her class that she loved to help her mother with household chores—especially washing clothes in the bathtub and hanging them to dry. FAN contacted Kennedy’s family to see if they could use a washer and dryer, which were donated by members of the community. This is just one example of how FAN helps families meet basic needs.
2010 Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Chefs Revealed!
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010An invitation to participate in the Classic Feast is regarded as a high honor in the chef community. The Sagebrush Classic is a favorite among the star chef crowd, many of whom return summer after summer. This year’s chef line-up includes some Sagebrush alumni, such as Chef Roberto Donna, a James Beard award-winning chef who has appeared on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef” twice, as well as some newcomers, including 4-star Parisian chef Jean Pierre LeLievre of Le Henri IV.
The chef line-up for 2010 Sagebrush Classic Feast includes:
Roberto Donna
Galileo
Washington, DC
Tom Fleming
Preferred Restaurant Group
Dallas, TX
Ken Frank
La Toque
Napa, CA
Mark Kiffin
The Compound
Santa Fe, NM
Jackie Lau
Roy’s of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI
Jean Pierre LeLievre
Le Henri IV
Paris, France
Gavin McMichael
Blacksmith
Bend, OR
Matt Mulder
Broken Top Club
Bend, OR
Matt Neltner
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR
Scott Neuman
¡Oba! Restaurante
Portland, OR
Vitaly Paley
Paley’s Place
Portland, OR
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door
San Francisco, CA
Cory Schreiber
Chef/Author
Portland, OR
Michael Smith
Restaurant Michael Smith & Extra Virgin
Kansas City, MO
Greg & Mary Sonnier
Gabrielle at The Uptowner
New Orleans, LA
Johnathan Sundstrom
Lark
Seattle, WA
SPECIAL GUESTS:
John Finger & Terry Sawyer
Hog Island Oysters
San Francisco, CA
Bill Marinelli
Marinelli Shellfish
Bangkok, Thailand
Nigel Viet
Intercontinental Asiana Hotel
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Maria Diem and Anna Truong
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Read their bios here.
On Saturday, July 17 in the gorgeous Broken Top Meadow, these stellar chefs will prepare small-plate samplings of cuisine that has been carefully paired with award-winning craft beers from Deschutes Brewery. Many of the restaurants represented by the celebrity chefs have months-long waiting lists for reservations, yet the Sagebrush Classic lets more than 1,000 guests meet the chefs personally and enjoy their gourmet creations, followed by dancing under the summer sky.
This event sells out every year so get your Feast tickets now!
Chef Tom Fleming: Exclusive Interview
Thursday, July 16th, 2009Chef Tom Fleming has been featured in Bon Appétit, Southern Living, Gourmet, Esquire, and USA Today, and won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant for his first restaurant, Brasserie Jo. Chef Fleming has cooked simple, perfect food at restaurants in Chicago, Texas and France. He’s now executive chef for Preferred Restaurant Services in Dallas, where his hearty regional American menu evolves with the seasons to feature the freshest seafood, wild game, local produce and a selection of steaks, and chicken, pork, and game items that are enhanced by slow cooking on an exhibition rotisserie. Fleming regularly flies in fresh ingredients from across the country to heighten the authenticity of the menu.
Dallas Chef Tom Fleming
Is it fun being a chef?
Yes. The best part is no two days are ever the same.
Give three adjectives to describe the Sagebrush Classic.
Sunny, ultra-cool, down-to-earth!
What is your least favorite fruit and why?
Ugli fruit… because it’s ugli!
You’ve been framed for murder by a vicious rival. What do you choose for your last meal?
Seared foie gras to start, followed by rack of lamb, than a cheese course.
What made you want to take part in the Sagebrush Classic Feast?
First it was the thought of going to Bend, Oregon! Then I met the people involved, and the great work they are doing for the various charities. And did I mention Bend, Oregon?