KJELL @ Lucca (503) 287-7372
3449 NE 24th, Portland, OR, 97212
Why He’s Dreamy:
Winsome wood-fired, supermodel-thin-crust sopressata pizza. Not to mention that crush-inducing little mozzarella en carozza (cut into triangles a la mom’s grilled cheese) that arrived with our antipasti plate. So cute it charmed us to pieces! And not everyone can pull off a newsboy cap while slinging dough, but Kjell (pronounced like cello without the o) manages smashingly.
RYAN @ How to Cook a Wolf (206) 838-8090
2208 Queen Anne Avenue N., Seattle, WA, 98109
Why He’s Dreamy:
Angolotti. Simple and perfect and overwhelming, just like a good crush should be! We swooned over the light cream sauce on our pasta and whatever crushtastic goodness was inside (maybe ricotta, definitely not mozzarella), but it was the fresh and snappy peas that made us blush. P.S. Have we mentioned that handmade pasta is sexy? Just look at who’s making it for you!
(pictured: Woody, Tyler, Manuel)
TYLER @ Union (206) 838-8000
1400 First Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101
Why He’s Dreamy:
Potato gnocchi (yes, CG1 has a crush on gnocchi in general so don’t be surprised if they’re a recurring theme) with nettles, bacon, and creme fraiche. We also flirted madly with a melt-in-your-mouth buttery smooth kampachi crudo with fresh basil and diced crisp/sweet…apple? But we must confess that Tyler is extra cute due to A) his adorable kitchen companions and B) Keith who is crushworthy in his own right and our favorite bartender in Seattle right now. And if we’re remembering the dishes wrong, it’s Keith’s fault. *wink* Tyler and crew get extra chef crush hearts for not being afraid of lil ole CG1 and her camera.
Omg chefcrush overload!!! We crushed so hard at the Taste of Portland, we needed ~days~ to recover. What an absolutely fabulous event- so many delicious bites, so many crushable cooks! Again, we realize that these folks may or may not be the executive chefs and recipe creators of their respective restaurants, but their presence at the Taste made us tingle…
Unfortunately, the planners that be saw fit to keep the place ultra dark, so most of our crushette photos are impossible to swoon over. Sigh. We’re sharing some anyways, because our hearts are so full of chef love, we just can’t keep it to ourseves.
BECKY & TICARI @ Ruby Jewel
Lemon cookie and honey-lavender ice cream mini-sandwiches.
CHRIS @ Joel Palmer House
Earthy, creamy orecchiette pasta with fresh morel mushrooms.
PATRICIA @ La Calaca Comelona
Oven-roasted pork tacos on hand-pressed (!) tortillas.
JOSH @ Baked Alaska and the Schooner
Coffee-dusted yellowfin tuna with sesame micro greens. Josh also gets CG1’s extra dreamy award for being friendly and charming. And kindly not pointing out to anyone else that she had way more than her share of those little chocolate dessert cup thingies from the Wayfarer booth next door.
DAVE @ Meriwether’s
Those shrimp-and-gravy-grits were deelish, the foie gras bruschetta were sinful, and this cutie’s flirtatious service made us blush.
CG1’s camera phone doesn’t have a flash, and lighting sucked for about 3/4 of the booths, so the following are honorable mentions and not crushettes merely for lack of a photo. We don’t have a lot of rules here at ChefCrush.com in regard to what constitutes a chef crush, but we do require a picture. We’re sure we’ll be visiting their restaurants/stores soon and will attempt to snag photos when we can…
Drew @ Aquariva
Marco @ Basta’s (positively adored that nettle gnocchi!)
Kenny @ Bluehour
Pascal @ Fenouil (crab beignets- need we say more?)
Lam @ Pho Van
Steve @ Steve’s Cheese
Also, we were in full-on canoodling mode with Lovely Hula Hands’ teensy honey panna cottas, but our crushette was nipped in the bud by the cruelly camera-shy cooks. Bad chefboys, no crush for you! Hehehe.
If you missed this sublimely crushtastic event, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Start saving your pennies now for next year, because this is one crushalicious night you need to experience at least once in your lifetime. Plus it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing we can eat our faces off for charity. Hope you crushboys and crushgirls had as much fun as we did!
GABE @ Biwa (503) 239-8830
215 SE 9th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97214
Why He’s Dreamy:
Those simple, adorable, and oh-so-tasty onigiri rice balls and anything on a stick. Crush-worthy skewers of lightly seasoned/marinated pork belly, chicken thigh, and scallops make us swoon. Food flirt alert! Of course, it could just be the sake, but we think we’re intoxicated by chef Gabe’s coquettish Curried potato croquettes and their accompanying spicy-sweet sauce. P.S. Handmade noodles are sexy!
We’re all atwitter in Crushland these days, because one of our favorite food events is just around the corner! Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation: Portland is this-coming Monday, April 28, and we wouldn’t dare miss such a tremendously stupendously crushtastic night. Where else can you crush on 70+ of the region’s dreamiest chefs, all in one place at one time? Plus their website says, “100% of ticket sales and auction proceeds go toward the fight against hunger,” and we think giving to charity is super cute. Like, totally.
If you’re a newbie to the Taste, here are our top three tips on getting the most crush for your charitable dollar…
Dress To Fill
Ok, there are gonna be a ton of cute chefs under one roof. ~swoon~ You want to be rocking your own crushable style, so you pull the slinkiest dress or your hippest suit out of the closet, right? Tsk tsk tsk. Think again, Crushers. In an hour, you’re going to have a food baby living in your tummy, and you dont want to be waddling around in too-tight duds. Gentlemen, there should be elastic in your waistbands and at least three extra holes on your belt loop. Ladies, loose kimono-style shirts and babydoll dresses are the hot trend. For a fancier look, we suggest a flowy empire-waisted gown.
Be Cool
Go for the VIP ticket ($125 versus $75 general admission). Yeah we know it maxes out your allowance, but VIP treatment is always super swanky. Just remember: it’s for charity! If you’re a real big spender, you can spring for the ultra-fancy champagne reception, which is $200 per person and guarantees you a seat for the evening. But we don’t see the appeal of sitting down when there are so many dreamy delights to sample.
Don’t Dawdle
If you gawk and gulp too long at one booth, you’re missing the point. Think crushette. You’ve already been a smart cookie and got the VIP ticket (right!?), so you have an extra hour. But keep it short and sweet or you’ll never make it through all the tasty treats.
We’ll either have a full report here afterward, or we’ll be chef crush overdosing and too twitterpated to write at all. ~wink~
See you there!
Wow. We’ve had great response, and we only just got started! The word is out though, because we’ve already gotten three chef crush suggestions so far, including one hot chick! (Yes, we crush on girls too. Doesn’t everyone?) We’re going to have to start eating out more. Bummer. ;) Keep those chef crushes coming, and tell your friends. Thanks! *muah*
~CrushGirl1
DANIEL @ Sel Gris (503) 517-7770
1852 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, 97214
Why He’s Dreamy:
Seared hamachi with foie gras, tomato concasse, and charred hamachi consomme. We’re not sure how he stays so slender cooking such rich foods, but we’re not complaining. And anyone who can make icky sweetbreads taste like heaven must be an angel.
Woohoo! We’re finally ready to post our first Chef Crush, so without further ado we give you…
JOSH @ Wildwood (503) 248-9663
1221 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR, 97209
Why He’s Dreamy:
Russet potato gnocchi with meyer lemon, brown butter, roasted carrot purée and pea vines. Yum. Plus he says he has no formal culinary training, and we think self-taught cooks are extra cool.
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