Chef Jack Czarnecki knows a thing or two about truffles and mushrooms. He’s written books on the subject, including a James Beard award winner, and he also opened the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, Oregon, where he created a fungi-centric menu to complement the region’s famous Pinos.
We had a chance to talk with Jack about why the Willamette Valley is a gourmet chef’s dream, and why mushrooms and Pinot Noir are a match with perfect aesthetic and maybe even spiritual qualities. We’ll be spending more time in Dayton in the coming months as we plan to chat with Jack’s son, Chris, who is a fourth-generation restauranteur and now helms the kitchen. We’ll also head to the hills with Jack to learn how Oregon’s wild truffles and mushrooms eventually make their way to the table–next to a glass of Pinot, of course.
