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Few things in Oregon’s winter months stir up as much joy as truffle season. Out of the hundreds of varieties that grow here, four are safe for consumption and sought after by fungi-loving foodies.
According to the experts at Oregon State University, these include the Oregon winter white truffle (Tuber oregonense), the Oregon spring white truffle (Tuber gibbosum—usually just called the Oregon white truffle), the Oregon black truffle (Leucangium carthusianum), and the Oregon brown truffle (Kalapuya brunnea). Other truffles, like the French perigord, are farmed here as well.
Ranging in intensity with flavors that can be earthy, nutty and even a little funky, truffles tend to bestow a giddy awe among devotees. They were even the basis for Nicolas Cage’s Portland-set 2021 film Pig, about a chef who goes on a violent rampage to save his beloved truffle-hunting pig.
Given the abundance of these delicacies and the fact that their short season tends to run from January through March, it’s no wonder that February has been proclaimed Oregon Truffle Month. From lavish wining and dining experiences to full-on hunts with adorable dogs and even opportunities to buy your very own, these are some of the best ways to get your truffle fix.
Oregon Truffle Festival
The pinnacle of truffle season is the Oregon Truffle Festival, an annual series of events around the state that has been running for 20 years. Each year, the nonprofit organization brings together farmers, chefs, winemakers and truffle fans for an entire month of activities. This year’s programming is filled with highlights, kicking off with a competitive truffle dog show called the Joriad in Eugene on Feb. 6 in which you can watch dogs and their trainers sniff out prizes. Throughout the weekend are opportunities to learn about truffle dog training and go hiking with competitors to see how it’s done.
Valentine’s Day weekend features a four-course truffle dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant Zest Kitchen & Bar (999 Willamette St., Suite 300, Eugene, 541-357-1011, zesteugene.com) followed by a two-day truffle cooking class and foray Feb. 15 and 16 at Lily of the Valley Ranch Kitchen (84974 Battle Creek Road, Eugene, 505-231-3280, lovrkitchen.com), a new cooking school. Feb. 20–22 is the truffle farming and truffle foray, where you can learn from the pioneering experts and partake in an evening of wine and truffles at a bacchanalian feast at Willamette Valley Vineyards (8800 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, 503-588-9463, wvv.com). Dr. Charles Lefevre will lead a guided hunt on Feb. 22 with his expert truffle dogs in a forest maintained by Forests Forever. Finally, on Feb. 27 and 28, a truffle weekend in wine country features a fresh truffle marketplace ($35–$45) on Saturday at The Ground at Stillwater in McMinnville, where you can sample and purchase truffles and truffle-infused products while sipping local wines.
Special Dining Experiences
Whether shaved over a cheesy risotto or adorning brick-oven pizza, truffles play both starring and supporting roles at restaurants around Portland. Located atop the Ritz-Carlton, swanky Bellpine (900 SW Washington St., 971-900-4442, bellpinepdx.com) serves a five-course truffle dinner ($180 per person), the brainchild of chef de cuisine Jocelyn Chacon. Each dish makes creative use of truffles, from scallop crudo with white truffle essence and foraged mushroom escabeche, housemade truffle-filled ravioli, and even a white truffle mole duck tamal. For dessert? Caramelized white chocolate panna cotta paired with truffle (yes, more truffles!) ice cream and yogurt.
At Gabriel Rucker’s Burnside institution Le Pigeon (738 E Burnside St., 503-546-8796, lepigeon.com), you can find decadent dishes like truffle pot pie as part of the $140-per-person tasting menu, complementing favorites like the seared foie gras (enjoyed even more after the Portland City Council’s failed attempt to ban it). Downtown staple Higgins (1239 SW Broadway, 503-222-9070, higginsportland.com) is beloved for its thoughtful use of local ingredients, including the truffles adding their delicious funkiness to mushroom-heavy risotto with chanterelles, fricco, leeks and cave-aged Gruyère ($40.50). At Bitterroot Club (1403 SE Stark St., Suite E, thebitterrootclub.com), the intimate prix fixe ($250 per person) by Doug Adams of Grand Fir Brewing goes all in on a four-course Valentine’s Day Truffle and Wine Dinner served as a family-style meal where the wine and lager flow alongside the Top Chef alum’s truffle-tastic creations.
Farmers Market at PSU
If you’re looking to score fresh truffles without leaving town or maxing out your credit card for a dining experience, the year-round Portland State University Farmers Market is the move. If you brave the chilly temps and rainy mornings, you may be rewarded with a few booths carrying freshly harvested truffles. One is Truffle Connection PNW, where you can chat with friendly forager and owner Sarah Colby about how the truffles are sourced and get recipe tips while sniffing your way to the perfect truffle to take home and shave delicately over a bed of buttery pasta or to class up your morning eggs. You can even learn about the bios of the truffle dogs in what might be the closest thing to a real-life scene from Portlandia.
