Counting down to Feast Portland: High Comfort at The Nines

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. 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 3 of Feast

Previously: I highlighted the Oregon Bounty 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 Feast event, the Best Butcher Contest and Fishmonger Face off on Sept 21.

This next Feast event I am counting down with you to is my splurge birthday gift to myself this year. It’s a food festival event which highlights comfort food that is familiar and makes you feel happy, but elevates it to a decadent level that I would imagine world leaders and only the jetset millionaires might see in terms of ingredients and execution, and so this would be a chance to spoil yourself and get a glimpse of that richness. Not to mention, I can be totally be a (secret) fangirl and see all these incredible chefs.

Photo Credit: Feast Portland All rights reserved by Feast Portland

The event is called High Comfort at The Nines, presented by Portland Monthly Magazine.  Tickets are $175 and the event takes place as part of Feast Portland on Saturday, Sept 21st 6:00pm – 9:00pm at the Nines Hotel.

Last year at Feast 2012, this event was held at the Multnomah Athletic Club, and reading some of the food from the event convinced me this was worth the price tag, as I paid for this ticket out of my own funds (not part of my Bloggers Pass). In fact, the price this year is slightly less expensive than last year’s ticket price of $200. Update: as of Labor Day weekend, this event is now sold out!

Furthermore, don’t forget that the money is going to two incredible impressive causes, so it’s a gift not only to myself but supporting Feast’s fight against hunger. Last year, it was reported that nearly 9,000 attended the September food festival on September 20-23 2012, raising $46,000 so that $23,000 was donated to each of the Feast Portland charity partners: Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. You can feed yourself and others!

Examples of the offerings from last year’s High Comfort event included

• pork skin spaghetti puttanesca from Chris Cosentino of Incanto;
• squab pot pie with chanterelles and corn from Stephanie Pearl Kimmel of Marché (Eugene);
• crispy Rocky Mountain oysters with coffee purée and pink shrimp Hollandaise from Dustin Clark of Wildwood;
• nutella panini with espresso, bacon and banana from Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink;
• foie gras cappuccinos from Philippe Boulot of Multnomah Atheletic Club;
• a cereal of maple pork corn flakes, smoked berry marshmallows;
• and toasted hazelnut milk from the Dentons of Ox;

Yeah you get the point.

Photo Credit: Feast Portland All rights reserved by Feast Portland

Description from the Feast website: What happens when comfort food gets pushed out of its comfort zone? What would grandmother’s food taste like if grandma had a Michelin star, an immersion circulator, and a pantry full of Iberian ham, foie gras, and candy bars? The answer: High Comfort, the most decadent culinary event around. Last year’s event saw meat cereal, caviar sandwiches, and a charcuterie hall of fame without rival. This year, some of the best chefs from the US and Canada are going to take it to the next level: Get ready to be fed silly with help from premier Oregon wines and their European counterparts. Don’t plan anything early the next day.

The Lineup

• Aaron Barnett, St. Jack (Portland, OR)
• April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig (New York, NY)
• Philippe Boulot, Multnomah Athletic Club (Portland, OR)
• Andrew Carmellini, The Dutch (New York, NY)
• Matt Christianson, The Nines (Portland, OR)
• Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants (Seattle, WA)
• Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins (Seattle, WA)
• Jason French, Ned Ludd (Portland, OR)
• Matthew Lightner, Atera (New York, NY)
• Jenn Louis, Lincoln Restaurant (Portland, OR)
• Tyler Malek, Salt & Straw (Portland, OR)
• David McMillan and Frédéric Morin, Joe Beef (Montreal, QC)
• Thomas McNaughton, flour + water (San Francisco, CA)
• Kristen Murray, The Chef Studio (Portland, OR)
• Vitaly Paley, Paley’s Place Bistro + Bar & Imperial (Portland, OR)
• Jason Stoller Smith, Timberline Lodge (Mount Hood, OR)
• Erik Van Kley, Little Bird Bistro (Portland, OR)
• Michael Voltaggio, ink. (Los Angeles, CA)
• Justin Wills, Restaurant Beck (Depoe Bay, OR)
• Justin Woodward, Castagna (Portland, OR)
• Widmer Brothers Brewing, (Portland, OR)
• Adelsheim Vineyard, Adelsheim Vineyard (Newberg, OR)
• Archery Summit, (Dayton, OR)
• Boedecker Cellars, Boedecker Cellars (Portland, OR)
• Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte (Chouilly, France)
• Chehalem, Chehalem (Newberg, OR)
• Col Solare, Col Solare (Benton City, WA)
• Domaine Serene, Domaine Serene (Willamette Valley, OR)
• Elk Cove Vineyards, Elk Cove Vineyards (Gaston, OR)
• Hawks View Cellars, Hawks View Cellars (Sherwood, OR)
• King Estate, King Estate (Eugene, OR)
• Northstar, Northstar (Walla Walla, WA)
• Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser (Dayton, OR)
• Spring Valley Vineyard, Spring Valley Vineyard (Walla Walla, WA)
• Union Wine Company, Union Wine Company (Sherwood, OR)
• Willamette Valley Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards (Turner, OR)
• Hendrick’s Gin, (New York, NY)

Here’s a video showing how it went at last year’s event.

For more, you can check out a slideshow from Serious Eats or part of the photo essay of the Feast festival from the Oregonian also.

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.