Artistic Dining in Cannon Beach
Published: 05/01/2017
An artistic dessert at Stephanie Inn Dining Room
An artistic dessert at Stephanie Inn Dining Room  Photo by Beth Wise

There's edible art to suit everyone's taste at Cannon Beach's 17th Annual Spring Unveiling Arts Festival May 4-6, 2017.

During the 17th Annual Spring Unveiling Arts Festival in Cannon Beach, Oregon visitors can experience an event within the event just for "Foodies." For the sixth year, local chefs have partnered with the Cannon Beach galleries, selecting a work of art that has inspired them to create their own edible art just for the weekend...serving everything from special coffee drinks to lobster tail in their restaurants.

Castaways Restaurant and Tiki Bar's Chef Josh is drawing his inspiration from the textures and multiple "cloud balls" by Larry Halvorsen from White Bird Gallery. They will have an appetizer sampler plate with baba ganoush, tahini, sambousek, grilled pita and other goodies. A Dawa cocktail with vodka, lime and honey, popular in Kenya, will also be available.

Public Coast Brewing Brewer Will Leroux is making a special keg of "Jalapeno-mango wheat beer" that will be on tap Friday, May 5th, until sold out. He took his direction from Don Dahlke's painting entitled "Four Chairs" which portrays a view through a window to Cannon Beach. On display at Bronze Coast Gallery.

Sweet Basil's Cafe Inspired by Scott Fitzwater's "Reef Gap" dish at White Bird Gallery, Chef John Sova's entrée is called "Oyster Decadence" and includes Willapa Bay oysters baked with house smoked pork belly in a creole cream sauce, topped with smoked Gruyere cheese.

The Bistro Chef Jack Stevenson is serving "Totten Inlet, Washington Mussels" braised in tomato Konbu Dashi with Wasabi Miso Butter and Melted Leeks. He was inspired by Christopher Burkett's "Mussel Colony" photo taken in Cannon Beach. It is on display at Northwest By Northwest Gallery.

Seasons Cafe Chef Doug Brown has paired with Bronze Coast Gallery to present a "Spinach and Cheese Ravioli" topped with crab, inspired by Dan Chen's "Doug" bronze of an octopus with crab. He is also pairing his crab and artichoke dip with the "Artichokes and Garlic" painting by Margret Short.

Pizza a'fetta Chef James has added The Land Meets Sea" Pizza, with wild mushrooms, crab, roasted peppers, red onion, topped with Montrachet cheese and inspired by Linda Wilder's "Golden Falls, Oregon" painting. It's on display at Bronze Coast Gallery.

Insomnia Coffee Company is making a "Rose Latte" with milk, espresso and a rose syrup, resulting in a light, happy and floral latte...perfect for Spring. Based on an oil on wood panel by Jen Lobo entitled "Oregon", showing a full bouquet riding on the back of a turtle. On display at Archimedes Gallery.

Bella Espresso has a "Salted Nut White Mocha", with white chocolate, toffee nut, salted caramel, espresso, whip cream and sea salt. It is also based on Linda Wilder's "Golden Falls, Oregon" painting at Bronze Coast Gallery.

Morris' Fireside Restaurant is offering a special "Beau Burger," based on Nathan Bennett's "Marble and Monarch" and named for their grandson. You'll find Nathan's unique patinated bronze plate at Bronze Coast Gallery.

The Lazy Susan Cafe is adding a new poached egg special with potatoes, chorizo sausage, melted pepper jack, and green onions, served with fruit and a toasted English muffin. The idea came from a blown glass "side dish" bowl by Mark Gordon,
featured Spring Unveiling artist, at Icefire Glassworks.

EVOO Chefs Bob and Lenore will have a starter plate of "Oyster Mignonette" in the half shell with saffron and blood orange, bias cut green onion and a background of ingredients to match the colors and mood of the "Higher Ground" painting by Jeffrey Hull. They will also be serving a "Dark chocolate cherry and Swiss meringue" for dessert, celebrating spring and based upon another Jeffrey Hull painting, "Cherry Blossom Mist." Reservations required.

At Newmans at 988 Chef John will have "What if?" lobster tails served with garlic and butter sauce, roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables, based upon Angela Purviance's painting suggesting a fantasy world of lobsters in Crater Lake on view at Imprint Gallery.

Bald Eagle Coffee House will offer a "Layered Spring Vegetable Soup" inspired by the juried show "Frame of Reference" at the Cannon Beach Gallery

Cannon Beach Café's Chef Fernando Aquino is presenting a "Renaissance Revival" lamb loin with Parmesan risotto, garnished with slow roasted garlic and wild mushrooms and olives. This entrée is also inspired by the "Frame of Reference" juried show at Cannon Beach Gallery. It's even served on a square plate, representing the "frame."

Wayfarer Restaurant Chef Archibald has created a "Spring Asparagus Appetizer," based on Jeffrey Hull's "Shoreline Daffodils" watercolor. It features local asparagus, sunny side up Zweifel Farms eggs and crispy prosciutto with Cannon Beach sea salt. You can see the painting at Jeffrey Hull Gallery.

The Irish Table's Chef Crystal has created a special crostini "Dungeness Crab Toast" with Boursin cheese topped with wine and dill vinaigrette, saluting Jeffrey Hull's "Geneva of Coos Bay" painting.

Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters has a "ConPanna" made with a double shot of espresso, and house made chocolate whipped cream, based on the torch worked shot glasses by Eli Mazet being shown by DragonFire Gallery.

Pelican Brewing Company's Chef Nathan's inspiration is the handmade cigar box guitars at DragonFire Gallery. They will feature a "Cajun Jambalaya Inspired Dip" with sausage, shrimp, pepper, onions, celery, and cream cheese, served with grilled house made flatbread. Also featuring a "Mississippi Barbeque" with smoked beer brined pork served with braised greens and savory cornbread with honey walnut butter.

The Stephanie Inn's Chef Aaron Bedard is creating a five course Latin-inspired prix fixe dinner, drawing on the dramatic colors captured in a "Terra Cotta" glass bowl created by Suzanne Kindland of Icefire Glassworks. Reservations are required.

Read more about 2017 Spring Unveiling Art Festival
Artistic Dining in Cannon Beach