The Chef’s Table – Rob Hoffman
It’s hard to say which was a tougher battle: Being diagnosed with, and recovering from, a brain tumor at the age of 25, or convincing a bank in Pendleton that fine dining with a menu of fresh seafood and pastas would sell in a meat- and-potatoes town.
Chef Rob Hoffman was successful on both fronts. He learned to play as hard as he worked and his restaurant, Raphael’s, is celebrating its 25th year of serving Pendleton Round-Up guests this summer.
So who is Raphael? True to the quote, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman,” the Raphael behind Raphael’s is not a man or Ninja Turtle, nor is the restaurant French or Hispanic. Pronounced like the city San Raphael (Ra-fell), Raphael Hoffman is Native American (Nez Perce), Irish and German and is the great woman behind the great Chef Rob. The dynamic duo tastefully renovated the historic 1904 Raley house into destination dining at its best. Instead of heavy velvet drapes, floral cushions and ceramic knickknacks collecting dust in the corner (that the Queen Anne style conjures), the space is open and light, with modern color and contemporary and Native American art.
Lifestyles: Wow. Twenty-five years serving Round-Up. Anything special planned?
Raphael: We came up with the Raley Manhattan with pendleton whisky and the huckleberry martini. Do you want a martini?
Lifestyles: (laughing, declining) Nobody will believe me if I write that I declined a huckleberry martini (note to self: coming back for one). I do notice a berry theme on the menu. Any pairings that have really worked?
Chef Rob: The Indian salmon for sure. It’s a filet of Tasmanian salmon with fresh tomatoes and spinach leaves topped with a huckleberry puree. I also do a spicy raspberry glaze on the shrimp with beef sausage that is really popular.
Lifestyles: And rattlesnake!
Raphael: Oh yeah. Come Round-Up time, every table will order the smoked rattlesnake and rabbit sausage with the marionberry barbecue sauce and the wild mushrooms – Rob sautés them in a sour cream and sherry sauce. (she places her hand to her heart) It’s one of our signature dishes that we’ve done from the start.
Lifestyles: Any other unusual preparations that bring people back?
Chef Rob: I took a brandied peppercorn New york steak recipe and converted it to salmon.
Raphael: When he first came up with the idea, I thought it sounded horrid. he made it and I had it three nights in a row. you should go fix some!
Lifestyles: Sure, and I’ll have it with that martini.
Lifestyles: Best advice not listened to?
Raphael: It’s a meat-and-potatoes town.
Lifestyles: Overrated ingredient?
Chef Rob: Copper River salmon. It’s all in the name. It’s good but not that good. I’m using all farm-raised salmon from tasmania because I think it’s the most superior salmon I’ve ever seen. It’s impeccably fresh when I receive it and I’ve never had anything else that even compares.
Lifestyles: But farm raised?
Raphael: It’s farm raised in the ocean – in its own habitat (turns out living culinary legend, Charlie trotter, is a fan of tasmanian fish).
Lifestyles: Underrated ingredient?
Chef Rob: Trout. you don’t see it a lot and it doesn’t sell that well, but when people order it here, they always talk about how it brings back memories for them of growing up. And it’s really good.
Lifestyles: Favorite kitchen tool?
Chef Rob: I do have a favorite whip.
Lifestyles: Excuse me? oh – I get it, industry talk for whisk?
Chef Rob: Yes. A whip. I like doing everything by hand. Not just mixing – the crab cakes, for example – I’m not crushing vegetables, I’m not leeching juice – I cut everything by hand.
Raphael: (with an OMG expression) It makes a huge difference.
Lifestyles: Quirky trait?
Chef Rob: It used to be wearing bib overalls. that’s all I ever wore – seven days a week.
Raphael: Rob runs everywhere – mowing the lawn, he literally runs. he runs around cooking – he’d lose weight and his pants would start falling down.
Chef Rob: There are people that still come in and ask where my bibs are.
Lifestyles: That’s cute. that’s a fun image.
Raphael: (laughing) Not really.
Lifestyles: Favorite music to cook to?
Chef Rob: I don’t really listen to anything. If I did, it’d be country and the staff would kill me.
Lifestyles: Experience you attribute your success to?
Raphael: Having Charles Montee, owner of the Skyroom, believe in us. In 1985, he threw the keys on the coffee table and basically gave us the restaurant. In 1991, we bought this place and we’re still here.
Chef Rob: And we still love doing this.
