My Highlights of Feast Portland 2017

Last week, from Thursday September 14 to Sunday the 17th, was the incredible food festival Feast Portland in Portland that benefits this year’s charitable partner, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. Over it’s 6 year run since 2012, Feast PDX has raised over $300,000 to help end childhood hunger in Oregon and across the country, not counting the 2017 contribution which is still being tallied. Besides benefiting such an important cause, Feast offers more then food and drink – it brings together food and drink makers and those who enjoy food and drink into a celebratory community.

People who love to eat are always the best people. – Julia Child

You know that feeling at Christmas when you get a chance to see friends and family you haven’t seen all year, and feel a holiday spirit that makes everyone generous and brings complete strangers together because of the camaraderie and shared experience of waiting in lines during holiday shopping and the richness yet exhaustion of multiple holiday parties?

Food can bring anyone and everyone together, and sees no lines that divide us – it does not matter what our background is, or where we may have come from, or what we do – food is that universal common ground. You get all of this, that same communal feeling of sharing, and togetherness, that bringing together, and feeling of love, during Feast Portland – and you get that feeling every year, every day of the Feast festival.

Meeting someplace with old and new friends, ordering wine, eating food, surrounded by strangers, I think this is the core of what it means to live a civilized life. – Adam Gopnik

I have more detailed summaries of the Bon Appétit Hot Ten Dinner (recap here), Night Market (recap now here), and Smoked (recap available here), but until I get through those 1000 photos, you’ll have to wait on the dish by dish recap. So for today I wanted to share my photo story with my highlights of Feast Portland 2017. If you were not able to attend Feast, come along with me now in this pictorial highlights meant to at least give you a feel for each event- let’s relive it together.

Bon Appétit Hot Ten Dinner

Bon Appétit Hot Ten Dinner: Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Good Ripe Tomatoes, Duke’s Mayonnaise, Sunflower Seeds, A borderline Obscene Amount of Dill and Basil, Lemon, Buttery White Bread by Mason Hereford, Turkey and the Wolf / Local Albacore Crudo with Green Coriander Yogurt, Cucumber, and Dukkah by Renee Erickson of Walrus & The Carpenter / Adam Rapoport, Editor in Chief of Bon Appétit, snapping a photo of the Pork Mixed Grill by Joshua Mcfadden of Ava Gene’s / Sesame Halva Tiramisu by Nora Antene of Tusk and Joshua Mcfadden of Ava Gene’s

“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” -Alan D. Wolfelt

Scenes from Night Market

 

“First we eat, then we do everything else.” -M.F.K. Fisher

Scenes from Smoked

“Food to a large extent is what holds a society together and eating is closely linked to deep spiritual experiences.” – Peter Farb and George Armelagos

Scenes from Brunch Village

After Party Fun

My Highlights of Feast 2017 – Portland Monthly’s Ham and Eggs Party at Bar Casa Vale with 1980s excess including Caviar and Jamon by Regalis Foods and Frozen Wheatley Vodka Martinis in test tubes and skewered shrimp by Bar Casa Vale, Sweet Potato Pie shakes made with sweet potatoes oven-roasted in brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon, and topped with Kettle chips and Bee Local Hot Honey by Late Shake.


Above: Chef Stable 5th annual Flip Cup Tournament. Below, Dear Salty, Stay Sweet after party of Feast Portland 2017 showcasing Washington wines with Eater at Bollywood Theater / After After party at Han Oak

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

If you were not able to attend this year, I hope you will reconsider next year for Feast 2018. As a 5 year veteran of the 6 year festival, I have enjoyed the festival more each year, and they continue to change it up with bringing something new to keep it fresh while still always showcasing the tremendous food and drink of the Pacific Northwest and of all the hardworking chefs and producers who come together for these 4 days.

What photo of mouth watering food attracted you from my My Highlights of Feast Portland 2017 Photo Recap? What event would you most likely want to attend?
     

Food and drink from Grand Tasting and Drink Tank are highlighted at the beginning and end of this post