(Photos courtesy of One Stop Writing Shop)
After years of people begging Brasada Ranch, the stunning resort east of Bend, to keep their fine dining open during the winter, you can now head to Wild Rye four days a week. You owe it to yourself to go.
Executive chef and culinary director Karl Holl, a New England Culinary Institute graduate, arrived in Central Oregon three years ago by way of celebrated restaurants in Napa Valley, Vail and San Francisco and his famed Portland pop-up. He has created an astounding menu that reflects the High Desert as well as the state as a whole.
Dinner for my friend and me began with magical Tillamook oysters from Netarts Bay. I usually only top my oysters with lemon. These came pre-dressed in a mignonette kissed with huckleberry and gold dust. I’m a convert.
We had to try the wild rye rolls, especially since they’re served with smoked butter, radishes and juniper honey. “OMG!” I exclaimed. Who says that about a roll? Ever.
We continued to make our way down the shareable and small plates menus.
I’m still dreaming of the Dungeness crab topped with Osetra caviar in a pool of light leek vichyssoise with herb oil and lemon. Downright addictive.
The grilled albacore crudo with mini cubes of Asian pear, matsutake, habanada (a habanero with the heat bred out of it), chili crisp, lime leaf and puffed wild rice was a work of art on both the visual and taste fronts. From the dueling textures of the silky fish seared super hot just to mark it and the crunch of the pear, to the hint of sweet and heat, and the unexpected earthy mushroom, the dish was absolutely divine.
The carpaccio was the most surprising appetizer — every single bite different but each delightful. The beef is smoked, then topped with foraged Pacific Northwest pickled mushrooms, crushed truffles, crispy shallots and garlic, and housemade black garlic aioli.
My partner-in-crime and I split the juniper-braised lamb shank, Chef Holl’s ode to Brasada Ranch’s history as a working sheep ranch where sheep foraged on the wild rye grass and sought shade under the junipers. Perfectly cooked, the fall-off-the-bone meat sits on a bed of toothsome risotto made with rye berries instead of rice, and is topped with pickled huckleberries and dill.
My friend and I also couldn’t resist trying the polenta nuggets with hazelnut romesco and an herb salad. Think tater tots for grownups — spicy, crunchy, cheesy, super herby and super fresh. How often can you say that about something that’s fried?
Though beyond full, we agreed we had to try the desserts. but would settle for a single bite of each. That didn’t exactly go as planned. The peanut butter mousse coated in a chocolate ganache shell with salted peanut praline and huckleberry compote was ridiculous, and the Pavlova’s melt-in-your-mouth meringue coated with coconut ash and served with fall-spiced apple compote and cranberry curd was like eating a crunchy cloud with fruit.
Yup. Your 2026 culinary adventure awaits. Just head out to Brasada’s Wild Rye.