Nicky USA’s Wild About Game Promoted by Virtually Famous Marketing (this post first appeared online at BellevueBusinessJournal.com)
The Pacific Northwest’s meatiest cooking competition returns on September 30, 2018 at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort on the slopes of Mt. Hood, featuring a battle between the region’s emerging chefs, an artisan marketplace, and cocktail competition
Tickets are on sale now for Nicky USA’s 18th Annual Wild About Game! The annual sell out event will return to the slopes of Mt Hood on Sunday, September 30. This meat-centric culinary event pits four chefs from Portland and four chefs from Seattle against one another for the friendly but fierce Carter Cutler Game Cooking Competition with four different game meat-based categories, all featuring signature Nicky Farms game meats. In addition to the culinary throwdown, Wild About Game features the San Pellegrino Artisan Marketplace, and a new cocktail competition. Enjoy a relaxing Sunday of unbeatable food and views at Mt Hood Oregon Resort in Welches, Ore., on the slopes of Oregon’s tallest peak. Wild About Game is a fun and educational experience, giving attendees a chance to learn about – and taste – different game meats prepared by culinary experts. Nicky USA, the Pacific Northwest’s favorite meat purveyor, hosts this popular industry event to thank their loyal customers and showcase their restaurants, as well as their suppliers, farmers, and local food artisans. Tickets are $75 in advance, and $85 at the door, get yours before they sell out!
This September, one talented chef will take home the ultimate Nicky USA’s Wild About Game Overall Award title. Past winners of the event include
Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon, Gregory Denton of Ox, and Edouardo Jordan of Junebaby. Last year, Chef Sarah Schafer of Irving St. Kitchen beat the stiff competition overall with her dish of Grimaud Farms Guinea Hen & Foie Gras Ballotine Croquette, whipped chive oil, spiced vegetable demi, hen crackers. The winner of the Carter Cutlery Game Cooking Competition receives $1,000 and a custom made chef’s knife personally made by master bladesmith Murray Carter valued at $2,000. The People’s Choice winner will receive a Traeger Grills Pro 34 Grill package worth $1,500. The Overall Award was decided by an esteemed panel of judges, Ruth Reichl, Justin Chapple, and Karen Brooks. Attendees will also be able to sample each chef’s dish and judge for themselves, as part of the People’s Choice Award.
This year’s competing chef lineup includes:
Portland
- Peter Cho, Han Oak
- Chris DiMinno, Trifecta Tavern
- Sarah Pliner, Aviary
- Justin Woodward, Castagna
Seattle
- Alex Barkley, Manolin
- David Nichols, Rider
- Derek Ronspies, Le Petit Cochon
- Aaron Willis, Ciudad Grill
One of the highlights of Nicky USA’s Wild About Game is the San Pellegrino Artisan Marketplace, where the region’s favorite and up-and-coming small batch producers sample their products, including artisan salts, cheeses, chocolates, ice cream, spirits, wine, beer, Nicky Farms proteins, and samples of premium meat products in the Nicky USA lineup. Attendees can taste these items, talk with the chefs, artisans and producers who create them – getting up close and personal with some of the biggest names in the Northwest’s food community.
About Nicky Farms
Nicky Farms is the house brand of Nicky USA. Launched in 2009 to support Nicky USA’s small, independent ranchers and growers, Nicky Farms products include Northwest raised rabbit, quail, elk, venison, water buffalo, goat and American bison. They can be found on the menus of the Northwest’s best restaurants and the shelves of leading retailers such as New Seasons Markets, World Foods, Zupan’s Markets, Metropolitan Market, and Central Co-Op. Tickets are on sale now, and are $75 per person in advance. Tickets will increase to $85 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit Merci Tickets. And, visit http://www.nickyusa.com/wag for the latest event information. Follow along @nickyusa on Twitter and Facebook, and @nicky.usa on Instagram for the latest news and event updates.
About Nicky USA
Founded in 1990, Nicky USA is the Pacific Northwest’s leading butcher and purveyor of high quality meats and specialty game. The Portland-based company has forged relationships with local, national and international ranchers, as well as James Beard Award-winning chefs in an effort to make game a mainstay of specialty markets and fine restaurants. With the purchase of their very own 35.9-acre farm in Aurora, Ore., owner Geoff Latham is able to raise game for Nicky USA and host friends and customers. The company has built one of the nation’s only mobile processing units (MPU) for the sustainable and humane processing of animals, specially designed to process both poultry and hooved animals, making it the only USDA-compliant unit of its kind allowing complete control of the process from field to table. Aside from selling specialty game and high quality meats, Nicky USA hosts Wild About Game on September 30th, 2018, an annual head-to-head cooking competition and the meatiest culinary celebration in the Northwest featuring the best rising star chefs in the region. Nicky USA expanded in 2013 with a second location in Seattle. Orders for either location can be made by calling 1.800.469.4162. For more information, visit www.nickyusa.com. Follow @nickyusa on Twitter and Facebook, and @nicky.usa on Instagram, as well as #NickyFarms on all channels.