When the spectral horde visits Portland during a wild hunt (or to be extras on “Grimm”), they make a special effort to visit their favorite food cart, The Wild Hunt (which is the namesake of their nocturnal raves). The cuisine served there is reminiscent of the rustic tavern fare they so enjoyed in their native homelands.
The Wild Hunt is a spinoff of Portland’s only other Nordic-themed food cart, Viking Soul Food. The plot of how this food cart (built inside a school bus) came to be is worthy of its own reality show. The story begins in Vermont. Barnaby Tuttle, co-owner of the Teutonic Wine Company with his wife Olga, was visiting with the chef of the Inn at Shelburne Farms in Vermont.
It so happens that one of the former chefs of that restaurant is Rick Gencarelli of Portland’s own Lardo. Barnaby mentioned to Jim McCarthy, the chef at Shelburne Farms, that he was looking for a food cart to park up full-time at Teutonic Winery. Chef McCarthy recommended that Barnaby talk with Rick Gencarelli about which food cart would best suit Teutonic Winery.
When Barnaby got back to PDX, he spoke with Rick about a having a food cart that would serve Nordic-style food at the winery. Rick recommended Jeremy and Megan of Viking Soul Food as the only folks with whom he should talk. And as they say, it was a match made in Valhalla.
The menu at The Wild Hunt pairs very nicely with the esthetic at Teutonic Wine Company. The menu is what Jeremy and Megan call rustic Nordic tavern fare. Basically, their take on the traditional tavern foods of the Nordic cultures. The food is also designed with the intention that it will “play along” with the wines offered by Teutonic.
The Wild Hunt menu is comprised of Smørrebrød (open-face sandwiches on rye bread) and entrées. Versions of the smørrebrød sandwiches on the menu include: blood sausage with goat cheese, walnuts, and slices of apple; Oregon pink shrimp with aioli, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers; herring, dill sour cream, and onion; mushrooms, goat cheese, time, and cream.
Entrées at The Wild Hunt include a seafood chowder with mussels, cod, cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and seasoned with Saffron and dill. A meatloaf built with pork and lamb and brown gravy, smokey steelhead with a vegetable spread and Knekkebrod.
As this is Jeremy and Megan’s second food cart they have a lot of experience working together. They feel it is important for prospective food cart owners to know that two things will help you have a successful food cart journey. First, go out of your way to be kind in all things with those with whom you’re working and second, to understand your own weaknesses and look to have a partner who can strengthen you and whom you can in turn strengthen.
You can find The Wild Hunt at 3303 SE 20th Ave (just off Powell) in PDX, right in front of the Teutonic Wine Company. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 PM till 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday, 12:00 PM till 9:30 PM.
Listen now as Steven Shomler and Ken Wilson talk with Jeremy and Megan about Nordic mythology, rustic Nordic tavern fare and why The Wild Hunt is a good way for The Spectral Horde to get out once in a while.
- A Very New Pickathon in 2022 - August 13, 2022
- Pickathon returns to Pendarvis Farm! It’s not just the artists that’ll be new. - August 3, 2022
- July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) - July 14, 2022
Leave A Comment