Open House, Provvista Specialty Foods, Part Three

Read about Provvista Specialty Foods here.

My sons Lamont and Leland work at Provvista and are in photos on Open House, Part One.



Here's a shot taken in the sunny parking lot. You can just about feel the warmth. Personally, I love Provvista's logo which you can see part of on these two trucks parked in the company lot. My two sons were born in Kansas, the Sunflower State, and now they work for a company with a sunflower logo!
 

Central Milling, Premium Flour & Grains - Est. 1867. A busy table. Country of Origin: USA-Utah.
 

La Querica's table is busy, too. Country of Origin: USA-Iowa. They produce artisan cured meats or salumi — prosciutto, pancetta, coppa, speck, lonza, guanciale, and lardo.
 

One of my favorite tunas comes from Sacred Sea Wild Albacore Gourmet Fillets. Country of Origin: USA-Oregon. It's not packed in oil but in it's natural juices. Yummy. The lady, who had drained the natural juices and placed the flaky tuna in those little cups for us to be able to enjoy it, said that her father was out catching tuna, so she came to the open house in his place.
 

Look at these meats from Framani. The man's apron says Traditional Italian Salumi, but on the Provvista Web site, the Country of Origin: USA-California.
 

More meats, this time from Olympic Provisions. Country of Origin: USA-Oregon. I've bought some of their goodies at the Farmer's Market and have been to their restaurant in the restaurant in Southeast Portland.
 

Mama Lil's--spicy, tasty, hot and wonderful. Country of Origin: USA-Washington. I tried for the first time the Bread and Butter Pickles, Spicy. So fine. So hot. I already knew that I loved the Peppers Pickled in Oil, although I don't know if I've had the Mild Spicy or the Hot. I'm guessing the Mild Spicy.
 

Steadily filling sample plates, Morena from Calabro Cheese. Country of Origin: USA-Connecticut.

Open House, Provvista Specialty Foods, Part Two

Read about Provvista Specialty Foods here.

My sons Lamont and Leland work at Provvista and are in photos on Open House, Part One.



Provvista employee Robin looks to his right, listening to a woman out of the photo, as he works at a table filled with all sorts of cans and bottles. Looks like peppers and tomatoes galore, arborio rice, bottles of olive oil? and boxes of something else that I cannot see the names of in this photo. Whatever is on the table holds the interest of those two people.
 

Provvista employee Terry enjoyed talking about cheese with folks who stopped at this table last Sunday. Some of these, as well as others on the tables in the distance, were sheep or goat cheese--I enjoyed bites of quite a few of them. My favorite cheese is at the table where the girl in the white apron stands. I can't ever remember the name of that cheese, but I know the label when I see it! I always have to ask Lamont or Leland what its called. It's from Italy, I think.

Later on I sat with Terry at a table over where the pizza and paella cooks prepared those tasty treats for anyone who stepped up and asked for a slice or a dish. I think both cooking stations were set up especially for the Open House.
 

Pizza cook slicing away as the fire continues to heat the pizza oven. I ate a couple of slices with kale and some sort of cheese on them--very tasty.
 

A guy hard at work from Crown Paella, paella and tapas for hire, Portland, Oregon. Our friend from Seattle, Pat, stopped by the Open House on her way home after a several-days-long yoga workshop in Beaverton. She enjoyed a dish of paella, as well as bits and pieces from lots of the display tables throughout the warehouse.

Open House, Provvista Specialty Foods, Part One

Read about Provvista Specialty Foods here



Here's Leland, my younger son, on the right, who is working with Chris at a table filled with various products available at Provvista. The Taza Organic Stone Ground Chocolate tasted so good, especially the Mexicano Salted Almond--I had several small bites over the course of the three and one half hours I was there. Also tasty on this particular table, the Luxardo Italian Maraschino Cherries.
 

Here's Lamont, my older son, who is standing outside the company's kitchen where he cooks lunch each day for the employees. At the Open House, he kept up with the needs of the various vendors for all sorts of necessary items for their displays, including those pieces of bread in the bowls on the table in front of him.
 

Leland on the left and Nick on the right. Nick is the Provvista employee who delivered one time years ago to 3 Doors Down Cafe when Lamont was at work there, with owner chef Dave. For a few seconds, both of them thought that Leland had come through the door with the delivery, there was that much of a resemblance. Today when I arrived, I found Lamont in the kitchen and this young man was there picking up things to take out into the warehouse. I immediately asked Lamont, "Is that the guy who reminds people of Leland?" Of course, the answer was yes.
 

Todd, Lee and AJ, all Provvista employees, at another table filled with items which end up being bought by restaurants and grocery stores in the Portland area and other parts of the USA.
 

Dave, 3 Doors Down Cafe chef owner, and Andy, Provvista and who was sous chef at 3 Doors Down Cafe in the past.