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This website focuses on adventure, so it is not often that I discuss food, much less devote a whole post on a dinner; however, sometimes an adventure can be culinary in nature. This was literally true for the Eagle Ridge Resort Morel Mushroom Dinner and the experience was so awesome that I just have to share.

We are off to a good start at the Eagle Ridge Resort Morel Mushroom dinner thanks to Executive Chef Randy Hoppman dishing out sautéed morels with Lake Galena in the background

One of the best parts of the experience was I was joined by my mom just a couple of days before Mother’s Day. Related – A pre-Mother’s Day morel hunt at Eagle Ridge Resort

Enjoying the company of mom at Eagle Ridge Resort during the Morel Mushroom Dinner

Wine and sautéed morels with a view of Lake Galena

We started out on a deck overlooking Lake Galena with wine and Executive Chef from Eagle Ridge Resort, Randy Hoppman sautéing morel mushrooms. With the beautiful view of Lake Galena, delicious pinot noir, and delicious morels made by a renowned cook made for a recipe of incredibleness right from the start. This was just the beginning.

Morel mushrooms

First of all though, I need to introduce the morel mushroom. The morel mushroom is the walleye of the mushroom community. This metaphor rings true on two fronts as everyone loves to catch and eat walleyes just like people love to find and eat morels.

A plate of beautiful morel mushrooms at the Eagle Ridge Resort cocktail reception

Morel mushrooms are only found for a couple of weeks each spring. Field & Stream magazine calls them America’s mushroom and tries to explain their popularity.  They provide a couple of theories including they taste really good, are widespread, and due to only being found in the spring it gives us a reason to get outside after the winter and early spring.

Morel mushroom springing out of the ground in Galena

Whatever the reason, there is a almost a fanatical love of the morel mushroom for those who tread off into the woods in order to search for these delicacies. On eBay, Wisconsin morels are currently selling for $40 a pound.

Morel mushroom dinner

After an hour of wine, morels, and conversation out on the deck, it was time to head indoors for the morel mushroom dinner. We walked into the dinning room, and our faces fell to the ground. The dining set up was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. The tables were filled with plants, trees, wooden carved morel mushrooms as if we were eating in a forest.

Local media swooning over the dining arrangements at Eagle Ridge Resort at the Morel Mushroom Dinner

The silverware was facing up and each piece was stuck in a bed of plants as if they were stuck in the ground of an Illinois forest floor. Under each plate was more coolness as smaller likenesses of morels were found underneath as well as other plants and items found in the forest. It was quite an homage to the morel mushroom and the forest that provides us with these delicacies.

Eagle Ridge Resort Morel Mushroom Dinner – Have you ever seen a cooler place setting

The only problem with such an outstanding arrangement is it put a lot of pressure on the Eagle Ridge Resort cooks to produce a dinner that matched the place settings. You could not have just any dinner on this table. We had all the confidence of the world in Executive Chef Randy Hoppman to deliver. He did not disappoint as the Eagle Ridge Resort Morel Mushroom Dinner was outstanding. One of the best meals I have ever had.

My mother Elaine clearly enjoying the ambiance of the Morel Mushroom Dinner

The dinner started with scallops. You know when a meal starts with scallops that it is going to be outstanding as usually scallops play the staring role as an entree. These scallops were prepared in morel citrus butter, morel cream reduction, and morel pepperonata. I am not sure exactly what all this is, but the scallops were absolutely delicious and it proved that anything with morels in the name are going to be pretty tasty.

Scrumptious scallops served during the Morel Mushroom Dinner at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa

The soup was next. I am not sure what was better, the presentation or the taste. It was an asparagus & hickory chicken potage crécy. The best part was the cute little morel inside the piece of camembert crostini. The soup was delicious that I cannot even describe, but my taste buds were in heaven.

Love the presentation and the taste of this soup, especially the cute little morel embedded in the bread

The Morel Mushroom Dinner was then temporarily suspended due to a Lake Galena sunset. Several diners ran out of the room with iPhone and camera in hand to capture the gorgeous colors developing on the western horizon behind the beautifully wooded lake.

A Lake Galena sunset interrupts the Morel Mushroom Dinner

Then it was back inside for the entree and dessert.  The entree was a porchetta & gnocchi featuring morel ragout and potato dumplings.

Even if you did not see the title of this post, it is obvious that the morel is the constant theme in the dinner. What about dessert you might ask. Mushrooms and dessert just don’t mix. Would there be a morel gelato, mushroom rhubarb cake, or perhaps a morel cobbler. They all sound kind pretty unappetizing.

Pistachio rhubarb tart – A delicious likeness of a morel mushroom tops off the evening

Instead, we were treated to a pistachio rhubarb tart. It was comprised of vanilla bean gelato and strawberry chocolate tuile.  Where is the morel you ask? Just see the picture above and you will understand. Nicely done Eagle Ridge Resort and hats off to Chef Randy Hoppman and the rest of the staff.

Morel Mushroom dinner menu

This was just the beginning of the Eagle Ridge Resort morel mushroom hunt. The next day we would be armed with a mesh bag, an Eagle Ridge cap, a walking stick and brought to a hardwood forest and let loose to try and find the elusive morel.

Since this dinner was a media event, it is not open to the public.  I can attest after eating for two days at Eagle Ridge Resort that the food is amazing. This is true whether it is specially arranged for the media by the chef or purchased at one of their several dining spots. No surprise that the Resort was just rated the best in Illinois by Illinois Meetings Magazine. The price range for their cuisine is very reasonable as well compared to Chicago prices.

Morel menu and pinot noir along with another shot of the fabulous place settings

I was invited by the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa to take place in the Third Annual Morel Media Hunt and provided with a complimentary stay and dining. The thoughts, opinions, photos, and love of the morel are purely my own.

Adventure on!

The goal of Traveling Ted is to inspire people to outdoor adventure travel and then provide tips on where and how to go. If you liked this post then sign up for the email newsletter. Notifications are sent out once or twice a month with what is new with Traveling Ted’s adventures. There is no spam and email information will not be shared. Other e-follow options include Facebook (click on the like box to the right) or twitter (click on the pretty bird on the rainbow above).