Beer N Burgers 2011- Recap of Burgers x 7

August 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The event is hosted by Portland Monthly in partnership with Fred Meyer and benefits Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. For $17, attendees can try tastings of beer from 10 local breweries and sliders from 7 local brewhouse chefs competing for the title of Best Burger- which the audience gets to vote for (the cost is $12 if not partaking in beer).

The list of brewhouse participants:

  • Alameda Brewhouse
  • BridgePort Brewery
  • Buckman Brewery
  • Burnside Brewing Co
  • Deschutes Brewery
  • Full Sail Brewing Co
  • Henry's Tavern
  • Laurelwood Brewing Co
  • Ninkasi Brewing
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing

The burgers are slider sized, but not really. For the second year in a row, I brought home leftovers instead of throwing out the burgers just because I was too full to finish them/wanted to save room to try them all. I didn't want to be wasteful of my food, and this time I was more clever in that I brought several ziploc bags in my bag. Now onto the burger food photos…

Laurelwood Public House & Brewery, the winner last year, came this year with a TEXAS BBQ BURGER: Smoked brisket, horseradish coleslaw, crispy Walla Walla onions, and Laurelwood’s signature Free Range Red BBQ sauce. Laurelwood Public House & Brewery offered a choice of either the organic pale ale or the organic free range red- I chose the Red in my sample cup

Burnside Brewing Co had the most hype as you watched them prepare their BURNSIDE BURGER: Liquid nitrogen-dipped and duck fat fried beef patty with ketchup, grilled onion, bacon, and cheddar powders, served with dill pickle “caviar”. The condiments teased us as we watched the prep show- dehydrated and food science executed onion, ketchup, cheddar, and duck fat all in powder, along with that white tub of dill pickle caviar…Unfortunately, I think everyone was disappointed that the flavors from those toppings didn't come through, and the burger was slightly dry though I could taste the extra savoryness from the duck fat.


It turned out my favorite and the one I voted for would be BridgePort Brewing Company's BIG ISLAND LITTLE BURGER: Beef and pork belly grind, char siu glaze, house cured pork belly, spicy sambal slaw, cilantro chimichurri, and tangy pickled red onions served on a toasted BridgePort Bakery Portuguese Sweet roll. It was a lot going on, but the sweetness and the herby earthiness of the chimichurri (which seemed more like a pesto to me) and the umami of the pork belly also all individually were good. 

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I also really liked the beer they were serving- the citrusy lined ale of Summer Squeeze which has infusion of lemongrass and yuzu.

In a very respectable second place for me was the Widmer Brothers Brewing THE GASTHAUS BURGER: Local Oregon beef, butter lettuce, Inaba Farms tomatoes and caramelized onion topped with smoked blue cheese & Nelson IPA fondue, served on a toasted brioche bun. Messy, but I do love cheese.There were three beers you could choose from and I went with their Okto, a seasonal ale for the fall.

Also in the high mess to eat category was Deschutes Brewery's THE YELLOW BELLY BURGER: Spicy pesto, candied yellow pear tomatoes, whipped goat cheese, and Obsidian Stout braised pork belly perched atop Deschutes Brewery Portland Pub’s classic spent-grain fed Coleman Ranch beef patty and elegantly gift-wrapped with a whole-grain mustard ciabatta bun. Yeah, they can barely get the description to fit on their sign! From one of the photos, you can see from this angle you can almost imagine this looks like the tomatoes are two eyes, and it's a goofy burger face… Heh heh heh. I think I'm delirious from the heat and food.

I also really liked the beer Deschutes brought- they also had 3 options and I went with The Cyclist, a hefeweizen and lemonade brew. It was really refreshing with the tangy citrus really coming through to give a nice summer tartness to the Hefeweizen like a preinfused Shandy.

Just as competitive as all these delicious burgers above was the more simple and classic Alameda Brewhouse's TILLAMOOK CHEDDAR PEPPER BACON BURGER: Frank’s Choice free ground beef, Zenner’s thick cut pepper bacon, Tillamook cheddar cheese on a Kaiser bun. I liked how they didn't throw a boatload of condiments on top- they let the wonderful seasoning of the beef with just a bit of bacon and cheddar say all they needed. Their assembly line was efficient and showed they had thought carefully about the logistics of serving out food so there wouldn't be lines.

Finally, the 7th burger… Henry's Tavern brought the HENRY’S HITMAN BURGER: Brioche bun topped with a burger patty, pesto aioli, provolone cheese, mixed greens, pickled sweet pepper, and jalapeño stuffed olives. I skipped the Henry's Tavern beer for Buckman Brewing experiments of the Ginger and the Chamomile beers

I hope they continue to look for improving space to hold it in- this year I appreciated how it was more spread out in the Fred Meyer parking lot rather then on the streets outside the Whole Food (who was last year's co-sponsor), but it was also Portland's first past 90 degree day… in fact the recorded high temp I believe was 97. Everyone was baking as the heat reflected back up from the asphalt, even as we all tried to hide from the microwave of the sun in some of the shade they tried to provide but just didn't have enough of.

Overall though, this event was organized well with the red and white checkered tablecloths and jars of flowers and fanned out Portland Monthly's that made this event once again classy and beautiful to the eye as well as filling to the stomach, all for a good cause. 100% of net proceeds will go directly to the Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon Summer Meals Program that helps provide funds for organizations to serve meals to low-income children during the summer when school is not in session.

Beer 'N' Burgers 2011
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Bite of Oregon 2011

August 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A visit on Sunday… laid back, not too busy with people, and the weather was sunny and warm with a cool breeze but not hot. It’s still not quite Taste of Chicago in that it actually offers “bites” or tastes of food, but it was better organized this year at least. The Groupon priced it at two for one which made it irresistable to come visit.

I always check out the Chef’s Table, where more high end restaurants offer a sample for ~$4-5 of a dish for a few hours on a specific day of the Bite of Oregon weekend. I attended on Sunday with my eye on the Bon Appétit times when Executive Chef Micah Cavolo, Chefs Mark Radford, Rogelio Berumen and Frank Salazar put together this description of a dish…I liked how he grated right on my dish/hands.


Traegar Smoked Food Forest Farm’s Berkshire Pork Porchetta, Served Open Faced on House -made (gluten free) Focacceta Rolls Drenched in Smoky Pork Jus Topped with Nero and Ricotta Cheese

Other samplings from the Chef’s Table booths included The Reserve Vineyards, Chef Jason Nussbaumer doing Huli Huli Pork Sliders with Grilled Red Onions, American Cheese, Sweet Pepper Aioli & Asian Spiced Yukon Gold Potato Chips and also Il Piatto’s Chef Eugene Bingham Gnocchi with Pancetta and Parsley Pesto

Grilling chicken… standing downwind makes sure I smell delicious all day and when I go home. These are used for Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro’s Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewer, their beverages also looked refreshing

Was a scavenger of friends’ Strawberry Shortcake and Marionberry Shortcake from Hoffman Dairy Garden

A free cupcake while listening to music, the Newmans at 988 booth making Fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab Cake with Lemon Aioli, and “drumsticks” from Sweet Lemon Vegan Bistro

We also tasted great wine at Rizzo and Tesoaria, of which Rizzo‘s supersweet Muscat and the cherry of Tesoaria’s new Sangiovese stood out particularly.

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Beer ‘n’ Burgers, 2011

August 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I really liked this Beer ‘n” Burgers event last year (see my photos and review), so I’m glad to see it back this year. They have moved it to the Fred Meyer Hollywood (3030 NE Weidler) in order to have more room, which they vaguely refer to as “on the East Side”.

The event is hosted by Portland Monthly in partnership with Fred Meyer and benefits Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. For $17, attendees can try tastings of beer from ten local breweries and sliders from seven local brewhouse chefs competing for the title of Best Burger- which the audience gets to vote for (the cost is $12 if not partaking in beer). The list of brewhouse participants:

  • Alameda Brewhouse
  • BridgePort Brewery
  • Buckman Brewery
  • Burnside Brewing Co
  • Deschutes Brewery
  • Full Sail Brewing Co
  • Henry’s Tavern
  • Laurelwood Brewing Co
  • Ninkasi Brewing
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing

The burgers:

  • BridgePort Brewing Company’s BIG ISLAND LITTLE BURGER: Beef and pork belly grind, char siu glaze, house cured pork belly, spicy sambal slaw, cilantro chimichurri, and tangy pickled red onions served on a toasted BridgePort Bakery Portuguese Sweet roll.
  • Deschutes Brewery’s THE YELLOW BELLY BURGER: Spicy pesto, candied yellow pear tomatoes, whipped goat cheese, and Obsidian Stout braised pork belly perched atop Deschutes Brewery Portland Pub’s classic spent-grain fed Coleman Ranch beef patty and elegantly gift-wrapped with a whole-grain mustard ciabatta bun.
  • Laurelwood Public House & Brewery is cooking up their TEXAS BBQ BURGER: Smoked brisket, horseradish coleslaw, crispy Walla Walla onions, and Laurelwood’s signature Free Range Red BBQ sauce.
  • Henry’s Tavern is grilling a HENRY’S HITMAN BURGER: Brioche bun topped with a burger patty, pesto aioli, provolone cheese, mixed greens, pickled sweet pepper, and jalapeño stuffed olives.
  • Burnside Brewing Co has in store their BURNSIDE BURGER: Liquid nitrogen-dipped and duck fatfried beef patty with ketchup, grilled onion, bacon, and cheddar powders, served with dill pickle “caviar”.
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing THE GASTHAUS BURGER: Local Oregon beef, butter lettuce, Inaba Farms tomatoes and caramelized onion topped with smoked blue cheese & Nelson IPA fondue, served on a toasted brioche bun.
  • Alameda Brewhouse’s TILLAMOOK CHEDDAR PEPPER BACON BURGER: Frank’s Choice free ground beef, Zenner’s thick cut pepper bacon, Tillamook cheddar cheese on a Kaiser bun

100% of net proceeds will go directly to the Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon Summer Meals Program that helps provide funds for organizations to serve meals to low-income children during the summer when school is not in session. I’ll be there… even though I need to be back to a party I am hosting later that afternoon, so I’ll be one of the first in line!

Portland Monthly is the host as I mentioned, and right now they are having a summer sale of $11 for the entire year- less then $1 an issue. You can access that offer through their FB page. I like to rotate these as reading material available in the bathroom…

Another interesting upcoming charity event also beings sponsored by Fred Meyer is Indulge at the Jupiter Hotel on September 22, 2011 from 5:30 to 9 PM. For regular admission of $45 (those purchasing tickets before September 9th pay $40), you can indulge in eats and drinks from 17 restaurants and food carts varying from Laurelhurst Market, Beaker and Flask, Genoa/Accanto, Screendoor, and Tabla to Cheese Bar and Lardo and Hot Pink Taco. Meanwhile beverages include various distilleries, breweries, and wineries.

The proceeds benefit p:ear programs helping to build positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth, ages 15 to 24, through education, art and recreation so that they can engage in meaningful interactions with the larger community of Portland. Each year these programs serve more than 550 homeless and transitional young people.

I love how these events instead of being high price ticket fancy galas where you need to behave and dress up are more focused on bringing together good food and drink and are affordable to allow more supporters, and I can wear something with some tummy flexing room… 🙂

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Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink Tagged With: ,

First August Weekend… Bailey’s Taproom and Meriwethers

August 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

August is a busy month in terms of eventful weeks and weekends, so I think I may be very brief in my blog writings and rely on photos to give you glimpses of what I am up to.

This past weekend was Bailey’s Taproom fourth Anniversary Festival. As a gift to themselves for their fouth year of successful beertending, they installed a new electronic tap list sign. It so happened I was there to see the sign’s grand opening on Monday when the shot taken shows me foursquare checked in. Below is a photo of the munchies to go along with the beers: various cheeses from Spain, Ireland, Beecher’s Flagship and Marco Polo… and Saucisson D’Alsace from Olympic Provisions

Meriwether’s Restaurant for a lovely brunch in the garden… look at those super fluffy blueberry pancakes! I had an omelette stuffed to brimming with lots of dungeness crab folded with a light sweet herb crema. There must have been at least 2 crabs worth of meat in there.  It came with potato au gratin, of which the redeemable and best part was the top with the burnt crunchy cheese, and also two pieces of almost crouton-state toasts with strawberry jam. I did appreciate that they were dishing out potato au gratin instead of the normal breakfast potato most brunches use.

I didn’t take a photo of the beverages- it seemed a bit pricey for the mimosas though it was nice that they provided choices of orange, pineapple, grapefruit or pomegranate juice which is a great idea and was gorgeous looking on the table. These Meri Mimosas come in a champagne glass though unlike the Grand Mimosa (with Grand Marnier) with comes in a  pint glass. I went with my usual bloody mary (“Bloody Meri”) which of course also comes in a pint glass and was peppery but nothing out of the ordinary.

The garden was wonderfully cultivated with flowers and greenery and little birdhouses and wrought iron furniture so it felt like an oasis. The only drama was in a friend’s tales during conversation, and not during any overwrought wait as you would typically expect at brunches (you can even make a reservation via OpenTable and they have their own parking lot), so it was a calming escape and a peaceful and positive start to Sunday.

I think this is my new favorite brunch place in terms of atmosphere usurping Mother’s… although food-wise I am still really blown away by Screendoor and Pine State Biscuit. The prices here are also slightly higher then many other brunch options, though they also are supporting the farm to table with their direct connection to Skyline Farm, which I support.  Ultimately I prefer my mornings to be more slow starting rather then feeling competitive or rushed and then feeling time slow down because we’re waiting for a table, so having brunch in the courtyard here is much preferred as I can feel time slow down because I can relax.

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Oregon Brewer’s Festival 2011

July 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Starting tomorrow to Sunday… the annually held Oregon Brewer’s Festival. Located by the Waterfront to the river, the festival offers four days with several stages for music and this year 85 breweries each pouring a showcase beer in tastings for $1 or glasses for $4. Also, a Buzz Tent with 8 rarer experimental taps that will be kicking all weekend since they are smaller kegs so that tent will continually be refreshed with new offerings.

To avoid the crowds, I am with a small group that took Thursday(tomorrow) off and will be sitting by the Buzz Tent to keep an eye on the rare beers. Going earlier always means it is less crowded, especially if it is before the after work crowd or Saturday late afternoon/evening people.


Photo from last year’s OBF

You can find the regular beer list here (though I like this list at Portland Beer better since it has descriptions, although the one on the official site has #s for the locations so you can more efficiently plan your various tent visits). The Rare Tap List is overall listed here but Twitter #OBFBuzzTent will announce when new beers are ready to taste all weekend. Entry to the event is free, though you have to purchase tokens and a $6 tasting mug to drink that is reusable the whole weekend in lieu of any entrance cost. There is some food available at the festival thanks to six restaurants that will have booths, but you can also bring your own food. I have XXX Sharp Cheddar and Bergonost cheese from Yancey’s with crackers all ready.

Some beers I am particularly looking forward to that caught my eye from the taplists:

  • Burnside Brewing’s Gratzer, a smoked beer style which they just unveiled recently
  • Dogfish Head’s Black & Red, which is a Raspberry Mint Imperial Stout, I wonder if those flavors will work… “A velvety smooth “dry-minted” stout with a serious fruit problem! Heavily roasted grains brings forth a dry, chocolaty character that contrasts with the sweet, fruity full-bodied flavor. But it’s not really black – it’s a very deep red, and the foam has a pinkish hue. A hundred pounds of spearmint and peppermint in secondary fermentation help the beer finish sweet and smooth.”
  • Kona Brewing Co’s Sassy Grassy, a beer described as “Ginger Lemongrass Quencher”
  • Old Market Pub & Brewery is offering a beer named Berried Alive! which is a Belgian Boysenberry Ale. “336 pounds of Oregon boysenberries and 110 pounds of Oregon raspberries in the secondary fermenter on top of a six-grain malt bill weren’t sufficient to make this beer stand out for Old Market brewers. They then fermented the brew with Trappist high gravity yeast and aged it in Pinot Noir barrels. Low hop levels let you better taste the fruit and oaky, smoky notes.”
  • Also in the fruity style is Widmer Brothers Brewing Foggy Bog Cranberry Ale, which promises tartness in its ale profile
  • Three Creeks Brewing FivePine Chocolate Porter sounds just my style- I’m a stout and porter type of girl
  • Prodigal Son Brewery and their Bruce Lee Porter, ok maybe partially because of the name
  • On the other hand, despite the name, Boneyard Beer’s Girl Beer which is a Pilsner with “Eighty-eight pounds of sweet dark cherry puree in the secondary give the English Ale yeast something to do while this one waits to make up her mind”
  • Many things on the Buzz Tent List sound delicious, but I am most excited for Ale Industries’Dry Hogged Bacon Brown and Maui’s Imperial CoCoNuT Porter and Stone Brewing Co’s Stone Smoked Porter w/Vanilla Beans

Possible Faceoffs:

  • Ginger as an ingredient- Blue Frog Grog’s Ginger Meyer Ann (with lemon) VS Kona’s Sassy Grassy (with lemongrass) VS Black Diamond Brewin’gs Oranje World (with orange) VS New Belgium’s Somersault (with apricot)
  • Berry Bash- Dogfish’s Black & Red VS Old Market Pub’s Berried Alive VS Ram’s Berry White VS Cascade’s Razberry Wheat vs Vertigo’s Razz Wheat VS Boneyard’s Girl Beer
  • Porter Time- FiftyFifty’s Donner Party Porter VS Laughing Dog’s Anubis Imperial Porter VS Maui’s CoCoNut Porter VS Prodigal Son’s Bruce Lee Porter VS Three Creeks FivePine Chocolate Porter
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