Counting Down to Feast Portland: Sandwich Invitational

This post is part of my series “Counting Down to Feast Portland” where I talk about events I plan to attend as part of this 4 day food and drink festival September 19-22, 2013. The goal of Feast Portland is to raise money for two Portland charity partners focused on fighting hunger: Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. Disclaimer: I was granted a Bloggers Pass for Feast Portland 2013, and asked to help promote Feast but they did not require that I write this post and I am not otherwise being compensated.

Update – After attending the event, you can see my recap here of Day 1 of Feast

Previously: I highlighted the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21.

One of the events I am very much looking forward to is the Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational presented by Lincoln Motor Company. Tickets are $95 and the event takes place as part of Feast Portland on Thursday, Sept 19th 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Director Park.

This event is not covered by my Bloggers Pass, so I bought my ticket to this event with my own funds. I recall this was the first event that I read last year that I had regret that I had not attended, particularly as I had walked by it during that time on the way to something else and been so cruelly teased from the outside. I had rationalized myself out of buying a ticket last year, telling myself it wasn’t worth paying that price for just sandwiches. I kept second guessing myself the entire time.

And then, after the event, I gazed at the photos from last year’s event here from the sandwich porn slideshow from Bon Appetit, a Portland Monthly Magazine Slideshow, an article and Slideshow from Serious Eats, and the Diary coverage from Michael Russel at the Oregonian.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Imperial served up some beef belly banh mi, featuring beef knuckle marmalade. Sandwich sample from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 This Cuban fritas from Irving Street Kitchen contained chicken liver, Kobe beef, pork tenderloin, and veal. Sandwich sample from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Staple & Fancy (Seattle) Ethan Stowell showed off his pork belly porchetta sandwich with Bosc pear and onion mostarda from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

I gazed hungrily at the photos of the various sandwich samples (ahem… at the time then, and also now as I compose this post!). 15 sandwiches, paired with beer. Sandwiches like shrimp and watercress sandwiches from Ned Ludd? Dungeness crab rolls with tarragon, lemon, fennel and bacon from Jenn Louis of Lincoln? “Egg McDuffin” sandwiches made of serrano ham, bacon, and sausage from Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes and the show Ace of Cakes?

Texas-smoked Carlton Farms pork butt and pickled Dungeness crab with Oregon pear slaw and pig’s ear gravy from Ned and Jodi Elliott from Austin’s Foreign & Domestic? Bunk Sandwich’s Tommy and Nick served up a matahambre (hunger killer), with chuck steak and a slow-cooked egg marinated in chimichurri, along with spinach and carrot escabeche?!

Then there was a collaboration sandwich, a smoked prime rib with jalapeno cheesesteak from Aaron Franklin of Austin’s Franklin Barbecue (one of the top Texas BBQ spots, and possibly of all the USA?) and Rodney Muirhead of Portland’s Podnah’s Pit? And representing Beast,  an offering of maple-glazed pork belly and pickled watermelon slaw on a housemade semolina roll from Naomi Pomeroy (who ultimately won the sandwich invitational)? I would go on but it’s making me really hungry and sad that I missed out.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Naomi Pomeroy of Beast's maple-glazed pork belly with pickled watermelon slaw on a housemade semolina roll sandwich sample from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Bunk served up this matahambre (hunger killer), a play on a traditional sandwich from Argentina with chuck steak and a slow-cooked egg marinated in chimichurri, along with spinach and carrot escabeche. Sandwich sample from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Um, so YUM. These are not your normal sandwiches, the combinations are creative, ingredients high end and fresh, and the flavors bold, these are sammies at a level you would never find on a regular menu, even at the home base restaurants of these illustrious chefs. Based on the experienced last year, it turns out that you barely had to wait in line for your taste, with the longest apparently being for the cheesesteak sandwich at 20 minutes. Are you kidding, I’ve waited for an hour or two to eat deliciousness before, and add to that this is being crafted from the very hands of those gifted palates (squeeeee!!!)… so 20 minutes (probably while eating another sandwich) is nothing! And OMG Jeffrey Steingarten was there! I should have bought a ticket ;(

Naomi Pomeroy of Beast and her sandwich samples from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Shrimp and watercress sandwiches from Ned Ludd, sandwich samples from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Jen from Lincoln served up Dungeness crab rolls with tarragon, lemon, fennel and bacon sandwich samples from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Naomi is one of the my dream chefs as I admire her as female chef in a mostly male-dominated industry despite not having formal training, and also as a representative celebrating Northwest cuisine and ingredients nationally, and her perspective of intimate supper club like food service rather than white linens experience… but I am also intimidated of. She is so unapologetically focused and driven, so whip smart and quick to learn and also take risks and pull from an amazing database of flavor possibilities in her mind. So kick ass.

And add to that the sandwich kings of Portland, Rick from Lardo and Tommy and Nick from Bunk, will be there? And the dream team for any meat,  Greg and Gabrielle from Ox? And I loved Stephanie on Top Chef (maybe I was already cheering her because she’s from my hometown Chicago, yes she’s a female chef too, and she is such an approachable genius that seems like you can have beers and laugh with). I could gush more, but suffice it to say it was clear to me I must be there at this Sandwich Invitational! I can’t write anymore, I need to go out and get a sandwich.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Kenny and Zuke brought the classic Reubon of course, sandwich samples from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational 2012 Rodney assembling the smoked prime rib with jalapeno cheesesteak collaboration from Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue and Rodney Muirhead of Portland's Podnah's Pit. Sandwich samples from Feast Portland 2012 event Sandwich Invitational. Copyright All rights reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Description from the Feast website: What happens when 15 of America’s top chefs convene to harness their culinary ambition between two slices of bread? Enter the Sandwich Invitational, Feast Portland’s killer kick-off party, where wildly imaginative, chef’d-up interpretations redefine everything you thought the lowly sando could be. Enjoy sandwich bliss under the stars at Downtown Portland’s urbane Director Park, an experience paired with craft brews from legendary local Widmer Brothers Brewing plus Northwest wines and cocktails.

The Lineup

And, here’s a video showing last year’s event.

Disclaimer: I was granted a Bloggers Pass for Feast Portland 2013, and asked to help promote Feast but they did not require that I write this post and I am not otherwise being compensated. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Comments

  1. I wish I went! I was dying all weekend seeing all your tasty pics on Instagram!

    • Thanks for encouraging me to sign up on Instagram- there’s a whole new world of food photos I was missing out on if someone didn’t tweet about it!

  2. Adventures in Dressmaking says

    Gorgeous photos! You go to so many cool events!!! I’m impressed by your knowledge of all these Portland foodie things!!

  3. This makes me want to eat a really well made sandwich…I guess I have a couple options now! 🙂 Thanks!

Trackbacks

  1. […] my last post looking back and forwards towards the Feast event of the Sandwich Invitational, I just had to go get a sandwich. So I walked to Lardo and back- which is about a 2 mile walk […]

  2. […] Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21. and also spoke of my excitement for the Sandwich Invitational on Sept 19 and the splurge gift to myself, the luxe High Comfort at The Nines on Sept 21. I also highlighted […]

  3. […] Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21 and also wrote of my excitement for the Sandwich Invitational on Sept 19 and then had to go get a sandwich to recover after writing that post. I also highlighted a free […]

  4. […] Bounty Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21 and also of my excitement for the Sandwich Invitational on Sept 19. I also described the Best Butcher and Fishmonger Face Off free event, and how I am so looking […]

  5. […] be present at the Widmer Brothers Sandwich Invitational at Directors Park on Thu Sept 19 6-9pm (which I previously blogged about here). The tickets just sold out to the Sandwich Invitational yesterday on the 12th, but you still have […]

  6. […] I also already bought myself a ticket to the Sandwich Invitatational (which I blogged about here), so I will report back on Thursday on these sandwiches, and will stalk around looking for a […]

  7. […] Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21 and also wrote of my excitement for the Sandwich Invitational on Sept 19 and then had to go get a sandwich to recover after writing that […]

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