Chef Jeffrey Porter is a busy man. He heads the kitchens at both Dixie Grill and 1900 Restaurant & Lounge and still finds time to challenge himself with projects like Port City Pop Ups.
Porter started Port City Pop Ups several years ago while working as executive chef of Bluewater Grill. He viewed it as an opportunity to challenge himself with new dishes and keep his skills sharp. When Porter left Bluewater he took a break from the culinary scene before heading west to Asheville for a stint with Highland Country Club. Upon his return Wilmington he quickly revived the pop ups last November.
“The majority of the pop-up menus focus on traditional cuisine with a modern twist,” Porter said. “And they all incorporate local food.”
Another goal of the pop ups, Porter said, is to bring together chefs from across the region. His next event, a Hawaiian fusion menu, is planned for May 23 at Dixie Grill, where he’ll be joined by George Colom of Cape Fear Seafood Co.
“George is a really talented young guy who’s competing in a lot of culinary competitions,” Porter said. “He’s the kind of guy who understands the need to keep pushing yourself in the kitchen.”
Highlights of Porter and Colom’s Hawaiian menu include blackfin tuna poke; coconut chicken satays with a pomegranate dragon fruit mustard; a salad of fire roasted beets, grilled pineapple, North Carolina goat cheese, cucumber, and loquats; and North Carolina hognose snapper with Spam fried rice and a citrus crab butter sauce.
The menu was inspired by local fisherman Michael Bradley, a friend of Porter's who recently passed away. The event will also serve as a fundraiser for Bradley’s family.
“Michael really gave me the push to revive my career in cooking by going out to Asheville,” Porter said. “And he once made a hognose snapper dish that was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted.”
Porter and Colom will use local purveyors Greenville Loop Seafood, Goat Lady Farm and Farmin’, as well as Joyce Farms of Winston-Salem and Hickory Nut Gap Farm of Fairview, North Carolina.
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