Field and Vine Legendary Summer Soiree 2015

“I get to spend my summer days outside. I’m cooking right there among everyone, talking to the other chefs and to the attendees. And everyone is learning about their food and each other.”

I am at Allium Bistro sipping coffee across from Chef Pascal Chureau and asking him questions about the growing legend of the Field and Vine summer event series. Seats at a Field and Vine Event often sell out in advance. Each event is hosted at a unique venue near Portland such as a vineyard, a barn, or a patio overlooking a farm. Multiple courses are served and matched with select wine pairings. It has become so successful that Field and Vine is producing more dinner events, up to 25 dinners from 14 the previous yea, with its kickoff event held at the SE Wine Collective on March 24th.

What’s interesting, though, is that even as his event becomes more and more popular, the elements that he holds value in becomes more simple and pure. Local ingredients. Knowing the stories of who made your food and how. His face lights up when he tells of connecting with a local winemaker or when he describes a conversation between a farmer and an attendee. His words, spoken with a faint french accent, take on a richer tone as he anticipates the summer season. He seems like a kid in school, dreaming of the long summer when he can go play outside in the lingering sun.

It is clear that Pascal likes his job.  On the morning I stepped into Allium, the french-styled bistro that he opened in West Linn, the chef was taking inventory and speaking softly to his staff about the day’s menu. Whether the transition occurred because of the move from the city to West Linn or because of the extra time spent outdoors, Pascal admits that his attitude has become more pleasantly collaborative over time. “I started my career in the kitchens in France. It is notoriously very competitive there.” Pascal worked at several well-known restaurants in the city before opening his own in West Linn, where he also lives with his wife and child. As Allium became a part of the West Linn community, so have the Field and Vine event brought the Greater Portland community together.

“One of the most telling signals that we had a quality offering was the number of people who wanted to sign up for multiple events in the future”, Pascal says. “It wasn’t just the attendees that wanted to come back. The winemakers, producers and growers all want to stay involved, too.” A unique feature of Field and Vine is that at each event those who were involved in the making of the meal are able to say some words. “Part seeking out a well-crafted meal is that it’s an opportunity to learn. Guests can see for themselves that the salad came from that guy’s farm, the wine was made by that family.” At each dinner there are elements are unique to that particular event. At 19th St. Farm, guests were able to enjoy freshly picked lavender lemonade as they took their walking tour.

Another component that adds variety is when Pascal cooks alongside other prominent Portland chefs. Michael Stanton, Executive Chef at the Heathman Hotel, and Paul Christie of Willem’s on Main often join forces alongside Pascal. “We laugh a lot and talk about ingredients”, Pascal says. “I get to learn a lot. It’s different than the sort of dynamics you might see between chefs on reality TV or something. That’s not how it has to be.”

Even as the newest trend of ‘Pop-Ups” try to duplicate the unique multi-course menu concept, I feel that Pascals will continue to stand apart. He has created a more educational and collaborative dinner with outstanding quality that, with a lower price point, is more accessible than its competitors. Not that Pascal is competing with anyone. He always makes sure that there is so much to eat and drink and learn, that no one has to go home hungry.

http://www.fieldandvineevents.com phone: 971 . 258 . 8389  email: info@fieldandvineevents.com