Acclaimed Northwest Chefs Will Prepare The Grand Truffle Dinner At The Sixth Annual Oregon Truffle Festival

The Oregon Truffle Festival is delighted to announce the five chefs who will prepare the sixth annual Grand Truffle Dinner, to be held Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, in the Willamette Ballroom of the Valley River Inn in Eugene.

Considered by many to be the piece de resistance of the weekend-long festival, the Italian-themed 2011 Grand Truffle Dinner features some of the Pacific Northwest's most celebrated chefs, including:

Pino Posteraro - International guest chef/chef, Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca; Vancouver, British Columbia.
Holly Smith - Cafe Juanita; Kirkland, Wash.
David Anderson - Chef, Genoa; Portland, Ore.
Cathy Whims - Chef, Nostrana; Portland, Ore.
Rocky Maselli - Chef, Osteria Sfizio; Eugene, Ore.

The sixth anniversary Grand Truffle Dinner features Oregon's native winter white and black truffles in a sumptuous five-course meal paired with magnificent Oregon wines.

"This all-star team represents some of the finest culinary talent our region has to offer," said Leslie Scott, festival organizer. "From Posteraro's long list of hall of fame inductions to Smith's numerous accolades to Anderson's status as a rising staf to Whims' reputation as a pioneer of Italian cooking to Maselli's track record of glowing culinary reviews, these chefs bring a high order of world-class cuisine to the Grand Truffle Dinner table."

A complete list of the numerous accolades and culinary awards won by Grand Truffle Dinner chefs is available at www.oregontrufflefestival.com, as is a list of events and activities, and registration information.

About the Oregon Truffle Festival

For the past five years, truffle enthusiasts, chefs, foodies, truffle hunters and truffle growers have gathered at the festival for three days of tastings, tours and workshops to celebrate Oregon's most prized native ingredient. The festival has grown by leaps and bounds, and has enjoyed coverage in W Magazine, the New York Times, The New Yorker and CNBC, while drawing guests to the Willamette Valley from all over the world.

Activities at the sixth annual Oregon Truffle Festival include experiencing all aspects of the fabled fungi: learning to find them, cook with them, learning to cultivate them, and pairing them in delectable meals with Oregon's legendary wines.

Registration is now open for Oregon Truffle Festival weekend experiences and the Grand Truffle Dinner. Five weekend and several stand-alone options are available, including multi-course truffle and wine dinners, seminars and trainings, cooking classes, winery luncheons, truffle forays, farm tours and a fresh truffle marketplace. All options may be purchased online at www.oregontrufflefestival.com.