Started by Michelle Cairo, Tyler Gaston, Nate Tilden, Martin Schwartz and Elias Cairo back in 2009, Olympia Provisions is one of the nation's few USDA-approved salumerias.
Elias calls himself a “Salumist,” meaning he crafts American Charcuterie using local (Oregon and Washington-sourced) meats for wholesale to grocery stores, restaurants and wine bars around the country.
Working within the mediums of pork fat and the delicate craft of meat fermentation, Cairo is a true artist. Many of his fat-marbled, lovingly aged works are inspired by time spent in Europe during his early days of chefdom.
A greek-inspired salami is flecked with garlic, cumin and a touch of orange zest, while a garlic-and-pepper spiked saussicon sec tastes of pure French bistro, begging for a glass of vin du table to wash down its indulgent richness.
All of their fantastically inspired salumi is prepared and aged in their one-of-a-kind meat curing facility, which is located in the historic Olympic Mills Commerce Center, a beautifully restored cereal mill and a landmark in a Southeast industrial neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.