By Deston Nokes
Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge has long been known as Oregon’s second most-visited site after Multnomah Falls. Located on the face of Mt. Hood, just a stone’s throw from Portland, Timberline offers incredible year-round skiing, a rustic ambiance, and a top-notch culinary team.
Timberline Lodge is more than an iconic landmark. It’s a mountain cabin on a grand scale: decidedly rustic, warm and cozy beyond measure. Some may recall that its façade played a starring role as The Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s motion picture, The Shining.
“When Timberline was built during the Great Depression, the concept was to create a place for all of the people,” said Jon Tullis, Timberline spokesman. “The idea was to create ‘Oregon’s Mountain Home,’ and that feeling hasn’t changed one bit.”
But when the economic termites began eating away at the state’s tourism industry in 2008, even Timberline was hard hit. By October, the business downturn was so profound; the lodge had to close its dining room for lunch.
“We had to change our business model and find a way to ride the rising popularity of culinary tourism,” explained Leif Benson, CEC, AAC, Timberline’s executive chef of 30 years. “In Oregon we have incredible wines, meats, fish and produce; and at Timberline, we have the perfect background to showcase it all.”
After talking with different purveyors, Benson started the daily Farmer’s Market Brunch Buffet, which is a selection of distinctive Northwest cuisine every day in Timberline’s main lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The region’s growers, producers and food industry advocates consult on the buffet offerings, and have found that the historic Timberline Lodge is a perfect setting to showcase their foods to a steady stream of culinary tourists.
Each day the brunch offers:
A Chef’s Action Statio’ (carved or presented items)
• Fresh Farmer’s Market salads
• Chef’s daily soup
• Artisan bread
• Local produce
• Vegetable presentations
• Mesclun salad
• Desserts and pastries
• Made-to-order waffle station
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill, strip-mall buffet fare. So far, the brunch has showcased on strawberries, cherries, golden watermelons, sushi, lamb, hazelnuts, pink shrimp, Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, potatoes, pears and local coffee roasters.
“The menu changes all the time to emphasize the season’s bounty,” Benson said. “One week we’ll feature our mushroom foraging industry with chanterelle’s. Another week we’ll showcase artisan cheeses, wild game, Oregon wines or Northwest beef.”
The day I enjoyed brunch, the state’s potato growers were holding court, unveiling purple potato candy and other edible delights. My personal favorite was the lamb chops served by SuDan Lamb.
In one month, Timberline’s concept attracted 10,000 diners. Because of its success, the Farmer’s Market Brunch Buffet is now a daily, year-round event.
“It’s been a great way to get people to visit us ,” Benson said. “At Timberline, you enjoy the food and take away a memory.”
Celebrating what makes Oregon taste so good
Much of Timberline’s success is derived by its partnership with Oregon’s food and wine producers. Each August through November, the Oregon Tourism Commission, also known as Travel Oregon, launches Oregon Bounty, which is a comprehensive campaign to tantalize taste buds in all seven regions of the state.
The Oregon Bounty campaign, which continues until Nov. 30, offers special events and menus urging locals (and lucky visitors) to try new wines, enjoy local produce, order distinctive dinners in fine eateries and attend harvest festivals around the state.
Photos by Deston Nokes.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a colorful, comprehensive Web site. At www.traveloregon.com, users can click on a region and surf specials in lodging, dining, festivals, wineries and breweries. It posts the fixed-price menus at participating restaurants. Also, there is an online recipe book using Oregon meats, fruits cheeses and nuts, all washed down with Oregon vintages.
Visit www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty for details. Contact Deston at Deston@globalfoodie.com.
