British-born chef April Bloomfield originally wanted to be a police officer, but by chance happened to miss the application deadline so she enrolled in catering college. Instead of patrolling the streets of Birmingham, her cooking career took off (like Jamie Oliver, she was an alumni of the River Café in London) and she ended up opening the acclaimed Spotted Pig in New York, earning a Michelin star, and last spring won the James Beard Award for Best Chef New York. She’s apparently very busy with two restaurants in NYC, as well as opening another in San Francisco. But this week she’s in town to cook at a new monthly(ish) dinner series held at the Jacobson Salt tasting room.
Bloomfield is a big fan of the salt, which is hand-harvested in Netarts Bay, and even visited the production facility for one of her Mind of a Chef episodes (season two, episode 10, on Netflix). Also in the kitchen is Vitaly Paley, who, as Portland’s culinary éminence grise, probably needs less of an introduction. The meal will focus on Oregon ingredients, and the theme is the traditional and modern uses of salt throughout the four seasons.
The dinner series, called Salt Fire Water, pairs top chefs from around the country with their Portland counterparts. Also scheduled are Cal Peternell of Chez Panisse with Bollywood Theater’s Troy MacLarty on December 12 & 13. Jacobson Salt tasting room, Thursday & Friday, $135 (six courses, wine pairings included), tickets available here
- Courtesy aprilbloomfield.com
- Bloomfield with carcass and assistants