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He's a long way from his family and New Orleans. But Chef Thomas Dunklin is quite at home in Portland. "The style of Oregon is homemade," he told the writer for Portland Executive Home & Life. "Everything's made in Oregon. You can get your lamb, your beer, your pork and you can also get the cheeses. It's really nice and sustainable."
What Chef Dunklin brings to the table is his amazing ability to take Oregon's best and create something quite extraordinary - in both flavor and appearance - for patrons of Red Star Tavern & Roast House.
A student in New Mexico, there was a time when Chef aspired to be a journalist/film maker. But his personal history, those days of cooking with his kin at family "boils" in Louisiana, and the time spent working at some of Albuquerque's top restaurants like the Artichoke Café under Chef Richard Winters and Portabella's Restaurant under Italian Chef Fabrizio Ventrizini, made him realize the kitchen was where he was meant to create.
He's never looked back.
His resume reveals a career comprised of impressive leaps. There was Delmonico, under celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse, where Tom learned to trust his palate. "Emeril taught me to constantly taste food."
He moved to Seattle and began working under Chef Jan Birnbaum as a pastry and sous chef at Sazerac. Here Chef drove the creation of an exciting house-made salami and meats program. Two years later, he moved over to Seattle's Tulio where he continued crafting cured meats, working alongside Executive Chef Walter Pisano. "Walter showed me that the best recognition is from the product you put on the table, not from talking yourself onto a pedestal."
These skills helped him move forward as Executive Sous Chef at Jsix and Jbar in San Diego, then later as Executive Sous Chef at Kuleto's in San Francisco. But for Chef Dunklin, the evolution to Portland was natural. "Portland's an up and coming culinary city that's focused on sustainability," says Tom. "The farmers and produce are amazing, and people are seeking out vibrant, quality food."
When he's not in the kitchen or out on the farm meeting his purveyors, Tom spends his time enjoying life outdoors, on any manner of boards - in winter it's a snowboard, and in summer it could be a surf, wake or skateboard.
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