I think I took for granted how good the Luckey’s Woodsman food truck was when it was over at the PowderHouse. Since closing the doors of the truck May 19, if you want the Woodsman’s special blend of hearty, healthful and foraged food, you have to go to the Trailside Kitchen in Sisters to luxuriate in the grub. Seriously, if you haven’t had the perfectly spicy Munch Wrap Supreme (ghost pepper cheddar, camper queso, tortilla chips, pico, shredded butter leaf and mango habanero aioli with added roasted jalapeno) then you’re seriously missing out. Make the little drive.
Luckey’s Woodsman specifically caters to those adventure-minded Central Oregonians with freshly made hot and cold kits to take on any kind of summer excursion you can think of going after. Not only is their food delicious, but they’re doing something so specific and original that it’s amazing no one has done it before. Having the food cart and restaurant, but also supplying Camper Kits (at a discount for outdoor professionals like guides and rangers) shows the love for the outdoor Oregonian lifestyle.
The Source got to chat with the chef-owner of Luckey’s Woodsman Jackson Higdon about his inspiration, foraging and the future.
Source Weekly: What was the initial inspiration for Luckey’s Woodsman?
Jackson Higdon: To bring back my grandparents’ legacy through my mission of bridging the divide between outdoor recreation and professional food service. We believe at Luckey’s Woodsman that by implementing the outdoors into our operation we can use it to provide a healthier and more enjoyable work experience and possibly inspire people to cook again. It’s a tough industry with razor-thin margins and high burnout rates. I have always used the outdoors in my career to balance myself during stressful times and to get me through the peak season chaos. I thought if I mixed my passion for the great outdoors and love for our local wilderness areas with making people happy through food, I might be able to create a life worth living.
SW: Did you always want to eventually become a brick-and-mortar?
JH: Initially, when we first started out, I was just excited to be chasing my dreams and wasn’t sure where it was going to go or if I was going to make it. Eventually, I found myself in a position where it was sink or swim and I decided I’d rather swing for the fences or go out in a blaze of glory, and this is when I opened our restaurant in Sisters on July 5, 2023. Our goal is not just to be a restaurant or a food truck. We believe in elevating your next outdoor experience by adding convenience in the form of delicious, adventure friendly food and in doing so we hope this will help inspire you to Adventure More, Dream Bigger, and Eat Better.
SW: So much of your business is designed to take care of adventurers, guides, rangers and the like. What inspired you to want to reach out to this group directly and design not just a business model but menus for outdoor professionals?
JH: As a local who was born and raised in Central Oregon, I will admit that I took this outdoor mecca for granted growing up. My wife is way tougher than me and taught me how to backpack years ago, and with that I fell in love with this area all over again. (I still can’t get over the fact that we live in an area where you can drive 30 minutes, get out and hike a few miles and find yourself in some of the most beautiful old-growth forest around. There’s nothing like the feeling of getting out into nature and experiencing a backcountry lake all to yourself with your family.) Connecting with adventurers, guides and rangers directly allowed me to hear what they specifically need out in the wilderness when it comes to food. Creating menus and cultivating food options that are going to truly fill the needs of people in the outdoors is very important to me. I believe that the world would be a better place if we all enjoyed the outdoors just a little bit more and I think creating ways to incentivize people to recreate more can do just that.
SW: When you think of outdoor-inspired food, what does that mean to you?
JH: Outdoor-inspired to me means envisioning a way to elevate that camp mac you make over the fire, or maybe it’s the berry you find on the side of the path that you find out is actually edible and ponder what it might taste like. I think about the bounty of foraged mushrooms you find, because you’re all in on this outdoor thing and just want to eat all the $50-per-pound mushrooms you can for free after getting a permit from the forest service. It’s the feeling you get when you have hot chocolate after an epic day on the mountain. It is ideas that are inspired by adventure and recreated on the plate.
SW: How do you want your customers to feel when they eat one of your meals?
JH: I want them to feel cared for, I want them to feel educated on the world of foraged foods and I want to create memorable moments in the outdoors for our guests, whether it’s in the restaurant or in the backcountry. For me that is a great accomplishment as a chef — to not only create an amazing meal but to cultivate a memory of epic proportions for our guests.
– Interview edited for space.
This article appears in Source Weekly June 13, 2024.
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Love, love, LOVE Luckey’s Woodsman food! Try their nachos!