Chef Cameron Lee Dunlap Will Open a Restaurant Dedicated to Foraged and Wild Foods | Eater Portland

"Set to open in mid-October in the intimate dining room that used to house Verdigris at 1315 NE Fremont, Morchella will focus on foraged and wild foods with an emphasis on vegetation over game; its name comes from the genus of morels. Dunlap plans to emulate survival foraging by building meals around mushrooms, roots, sea beans, berries, and weed-like greens—often with only one piece of meat per dish—and will source meat from local purveyor Nicky USA, leaning toward wild game like freshwater fish, quail, venison, and pheasant and practicing whole-animal butchery (for example, a goose breast alongside dirty wild rice with confit goose leg cooked with goose broth). The starting menu will include three or four entrees, three or four smaller plates, and desserts that use foraged ingredients such as marshmallows made from mallow root and chicory-root components that add a burnt-coffee, caramel flavor; a multi-course tasting menu will be offered around $60. Cocktails will often incorporate kitchen ingredients (shrubs from fermented plums, wild-berry juices), wines will celebrate local natural producers with emphasis on winemakers of color, and service will run Tuesday through Saturday evenings. Dunlap also intends to make the restaurant an equitable workplace by abolishing the back/front house distinction, cross-training cooks as servers, sharing tips across the staff, targeting wages around $30 an hour after tips, providing 30-minute breaks on eight-hour shifts, and having the team open and close each night." - Alex Frane