Chef Crush

DANI and SHANNON @ Moxie (509) 456-3594
W. 816 Sprague Avenue, Spokane, Washington, 99201

Why they’re dreamy:
Black pepper and sea salt cured yellowfin tuna with wasabi avocado mousse is one of the best raw seafood dishes we have ever encountered. As if that weren’t enough, grilled kalbi beef with asian slaw has the perfect balance of rich, tender meat and cruchy tang. Sassy and refreshing, just like this (at least when we were there) all-female kitchen. Hot babes totally in control and turning out crushworthy food like this? We’re smitten!

*special note*
We are still accepting submissions for our Chef Crush Contest, but don’t dawdle- we already have tons of cuties to choose from, and as soon as we narrow it down, we’ll be posting and notifying the winners.

That’s right, CrushGirls and CrushBoys, we are thrilled to announce our very first ever Chef Crush contest! How cool is that? Here are the details…

THE SCOOP: As most of you know, we are always on the look-out for adorable chefs to feature. All you have to do to enter this contest is email CrushGirl1 with your chef crush suggestion. Your entry has a much better chance of being chosen if the chef in question is within an hour’s driving distance of Chef Crush World Headquarters (Portland, Oregon) so that we can actually eat his/her food and get a snapshot, but if you send pictures we’ll definitely consider long-distance crushing.

THE PRIZES: Our two favorite entries will win an autographed copy of a Gourmet Girl Mystery, either Simmer Down or Turn Up The Heat.

THE FINE PRINT: Do we really need this? *sigh* There’s a reason this isn’t LawyerCrush.com. We’re giving some cool stuff away. We’ll be accepting entries until we get two super cuties, so hurry up! Our decisions are completely subjective and absolutely final. No cash value. Void where prohibited. Your mileage may vary.

Now send us your contest entries!

YUN and PATRICK @ Sel Gris (503) 517-7770
1852 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, 97214

Why they’re dreamy:
Every single dish on the menu. No kidding. We’ve actually tried to find something uncrushable about this place, but we’re smitten in all ways with the sexy foie gras “two ways” (pan roasted, foie marcona almond butter monte cristo) and the lamb “three ways.” Our indecent affair with the seared hamachi, pan roasted foie gras, tomato concassé, and charred hamachi consommé is nearing epic proportions. And don’t even get us started on the temptingly luscious desserts…These killer kitchen cuties have the chops and the charm to keep us crushing and coming back for more.

JESSE and DANE @ Cafe Castagna (503) 231-9959
1758 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Why they’re dreamy:
Sassy starters like sauteed scallops with fennel and cauliflower mushrooms, and adorable arancini- fried risotto balls filled with luscious, gooey fontina cheese. The chanterelle pizza with pecorino fresco and torpedo onion fans our fungi flames, while the gelato affogato decimates our dessert willpower. Every entree these hotties send our way makes us swoon. And that burger? More of a player than John Mayer- it scores with us every time.

RYAN @ Slow Bar (503) 230-7767
533 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Why he’s dreamy:
Crunchy-on-the-outside, perfectly moist-on-the-inside hushpuppies with honey butter. We crush on the white wine fondue with truffle oil and the much-lauded slowburger too, but we rarely make it past this cutie pie’s little corn fritters.

ERIN and MICKEY @ Clyde Common (503) 228-3333
1014 SW Stark Street, Portland, Oregon, 97205

Why they’re dreamy:
One of the best happy hour burgers in town, and that strangely addictive popcorn with pimenton. The grilled whole fish with salt-roasted potatoes, olives, shallot, and tarragon relish makes us feel like kicking up our designer heels, and the “5 hour egg” is four bites of crushworthy deliciousness. And the bonus is that every seat in the house has a view of these cooking cuties! *swoon*

ANTHONY @ Tabla (503) 238-3777
200 NE 28th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97232

Why he’s dreamy:
Sparkling “summer crisp salad” with buttermilk blue cheese vinaigrette, apples, and radishes is the perfect palate teaser for the simple and addictive tajarin, thin housemade pasta with truffle butter and grana padano. So good. The three-course dinner for $24 is hands down the best deal in town, and the $16 wine pairing adds a warm glow to our already blushing cheeks. And is it us (or the facial hair) or does this hottie look a little like a dashing musketeer in chef’s clothing?

SANDRO @ Alu (503) ALU-WINE
2831 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97212

Why he’s dreamy:
Darling charcuterie plates that don’t skimp on the house-made pate and crisp cornichons. Kasespatzle is the snazziest mac ‘n’ cheese you’ve never had, and even the grilled ham and cheese sandwich is snappily dressed in perfect grill marks, and accessorized with a sassy potato salad. This tattooed chef crush makes tasty bites that perfectly complement the extensive beer and wine selections. We’re especially fond of the reasonably-priced wine flights and his exotic bad boy appeal. And did we mention that he does it all in a kitchen smaller than CG1’s walk-in closet? That’s just hot.

KYLE @ Roux (503) 285-1200
1700 N. Killingsworth Street, Portland, Oregon, 97217

Why he’s dreamy:
Tasso-wrapped sea scallops with roasted pepper puree, lemon zest, and fried capers really get our hearts thumping, and deliciously simple fried green tomatoes make a wonderful Summertime starter alternative to a boring old salad. Moist snapper with toasted almonds, salted lemon, and sauteed savory spinach fill us up without weighing us down. In fact, this gorgeous chef crush has quite a way with seafood of all types and comfort food faves as well. Warning: Beware the “Bourbon Street Sour,” especially at happy hour when they serve them in mason jars. Danger, danger!

Hi CrushGirls and CrushBoys!

Cool news in CrushLand these days…

CG1 was just interviewed for Desperate Chefs’ Wives, a blog devoted to the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of people married to or in long-term relationships with chefs. Great idea, don’t you think? Doing the interview was tons of fun, and we think the article came out great. Plus, it’s nice to know that people like this silly blog enough to bother mentioning it elsewhere!

We’ve started getting more cute chef suggestions, and thanks to the aforementioned article, we even received some pictures. So without further ado, we give you our first reader-submitted chef crush…

GEORGE MENDES @ Aldea (NYC, opening this Winter)

Why he’s dreamy:
“I’m a proud chefwife, married to chef George Mendes, and will happily put up my chef for others to crush on, because I think he’s terribly sexy when he cooks. He is so assured and knows exactly what he’s doing, so he’s really fun to watch. I recently helped him out at an event where he served a classic tomato gazpacho with bacalao (which he cured himself) and a coconut foam. Initially when he told me what the dish would be, I wasn’t so sure about the bacalao with the gazpacho, or the coconut for that matter, but somehow it all worked together beautifully and I was surprised and impressed by him. It’s nice to still be surprised and impressed by someone you’ve been with for 7 years!” ~CrushGirlBT

Awwww! He sounds like a winner to us, and just look at that smile! *swoon* Plus, any man who cures his own meats and/or seafood is automatically crushtastic. CGBT, here’s to you and your chefhubby. Thanks for sharing him with us!

As always, please let us know if you’ve run across a crushable cook, and keep those pictures coming!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Crush Girls