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Oregon Coast Foodie Event the Soiree of the Year |
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Covering 180 miles of Oregon coast travel: Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler, Rockaway, Garibaldi, Tillamook, Oceanside, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Yachats & Florence.
10/08/08
Secrets of the Season |
Oregon Coast Foodie Event the Soiree of the Year
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| Piet Vanden Hogen, Executive Chef, The Pelican Pub and Brewery, Pacific City |
(Newport, Oregon) - It's the culinary extravaganza of the year for the Oregon coast. The Oyster Cloyster happens November 1 at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, again featuring top professional chefs who will compete for honors with their hot and cold oyster masterpieces, specially prepared for the event. It goes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is the 8th Annual Oyster Cloyster, which is the major fundraiser for the Oregon Coast Community College Foundation. Presale tickets are $65 each, or two for $125.
The entries will be judged by Executive Chefs Rob Pounding from Blackfish Grill, Sharon Wiest from the Pacific Coast Center for Culinary Arts and Lief Eric Benson as well as event attendees. Awards will be given for first place, second place, third place and for the Grand Prize winner as well as the People’s Choice award. The entries are judged on taste as well as creativity.
Fifteen chefs and their restaurants have committed so far with only one opening left. The line up includes: Piet Vanden Hogen, Executive Chef, The Pelican Pub and Brewery, Pacific City; David Wardell, Executive Chef, Bridges at the Embarcadero, Newport; Chef’s Carl Hoover and Brett Hutton, Cedar Plank Buffet, Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde; Patrick Wheeler, Executive Chef, Chef’s Place, Toledo; Stuart Wright, Executive Chef and Brenda Friedrich Chef, both from Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Lincoln City; Charlie Branford, Local Ocean, Newport; Eric Jenkins, Executive Chef & Jennifer Chapman, Sous Chef, The Seafood School, Astoria; and Lief Eric Benson, Certified Executive Chef from the Timberline Lodge.
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| Visual delights created by participating chefs. |
Also in the competition are Ryan Cornwall, Executive Chef, The Starfish Grill, Best Western Agate Beach Inn, Newport; Chef Chris Garrett, Savory Café, Newport; Enrique Sanchez, Chef, Brewer’s on the Bay, Newport; Ralph Cooper, Executive Chef, Angell Job Corps, Yachats, Steve Smiley, Chef from the Port Dock One, Newport and Judy Latta, Chef from La Maison, also in Newport.
Wineries include Coelho Winery, Amity; Kristin Hill Winery, Amity; Pudding River Wine Cellars, Salem; Silver Falls Vineyard, Sublimity and Rogue microbrews.
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| More exceptional creations from the Oyster Cloyster chefs. |
The awards are individually created by glass blower Ryan Bledsoe owner of The Edge Art Gallery. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind collector’s item.
This year Ryan made the oysters inside the glass to depict first, second, and third place winners. Grand prize and People’s Choice are slightly different, but still contain the theme of oysters floating inside the clear glass. Each of the trophies are lighted from underneath to highlight the details and color of the glass.
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"The chefs really get into the competitiveness,” said Robert Lean, this year’s co-chair. “I think that is what makes the Oyster Cloyster such a fantastic event. It’s important for the chefs to show what they can do. All of the chefs competing create the most delicious oyster dishes you’ll ever taste. Even if you are not an oyster fan today, you will be after you’ve sampled these gourmet oyster delicacies.”
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| Dining well at the Oregon Coast Aquarium |
As always, along with the oyster dishes, the festival will feature music and entertainment, fine wine and Rogue microbrews, desserts, clam chowder from Blackfish Grill and La Maison baguettes. Other foods will be on hand, such as meat and cheese trays, fruit kabobs, shrimp cocktails, and wraps prepared and served by students from the Taft High School Culinary Art program and the Angell Job Corps Culinary Arts Program. Starbucks coffee and Pepsi products are also available.
Tickets to the benefit event can be purchased at the college, Bank of the West in Lincoln City, Newport, Toledo, Siletz, and Yachats, TLC Federal Credit Union in Newport and Lincoln City, the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau as well as the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce, the Newport Performing Arts Center, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Chuck’s Video in Waldport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The ticket price is $65 each and two for $125. Limited tickets are available and if the event is not sold out the price will increase to $75 at the door. Call A.T. Ronan, development director for the college and festival coordinator at 574-7131 if you have questions or dial the Oyster Cloyster “hotline” at 574-7141 to leave a message. For more information, visit the college website at occc.cc.or.us/oystercloyster to purchase tickets through PayPal.
The OCCC Foundation is very proud of the continued commitment from the restaurant and business community as well as private individuals to this benefit event. The OCCC Foundation Board of Directors and the Oyster Cloyster committee are committed to raising money to help support the Aquarium Science program as well as the students in this unique program.
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