Search Results for: Feast 2014

1 Month until Feast 2015

August 17, 2015 by Pechluck 15 Comments

It’s the countdown – 1 month until Feast 2015. Four weeks from now, on Thursday September 17th – Sunday September 20th is the incredible food festival called Feast Portland 2015. This is the biggest food festival in Portland, featuring SIX main events, THIRTEEN extravagant dinners with chefs from outside Portland and inside Portland collaborating to create epic multi-course dinners, SEVEN hands on classes and SIX panels with sampling of liquid libations via the Drink Tank series.

The tickets to Feast went on sale back in May, and many events are already sold out. However, don’t despair – besides volunteering for an event, there are still some excellent events still open as of this post publishing date.

Keep in mind that for the price, you are also helping a worthy cause. Besides showcasing delicious eats and drinks, and celebrating many local chefs and producers of Oregon, Feast also has a mission to fight hunger. The Feast festival net proceeds go towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon and around the country through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry.

Now to my highlight of fabulous Feast events you can still buy tickets to!

Sandwich Invitational

The Sandwich Invitational offers you the chance for 3 hours to indulge for $95 at Director’s Park. The offerings include 15 or so mini sandwiches while enjoying Widmer’s beer, Hendrick’s gin, or wine from 5 wineries in Washington and Oregon.

Chefs creating sandwiches to win the title of Judge’s Choice or People’s Choice include famous names like Alvin Cailan of Eggslut, Aaron Franklin of Franklin’s BBQ, Duff Hoffman from Charm City Cakes (and also Ace of Cakes), Gregory Gourdet of Departure (and who you may have rooted for recently in Top Chef), Vitaly Paley of Paley’s Place/Imperial/winner of Iron Chef Battle Radish, and more!

Almost half the chefs are from out of town, so the Sandwich Invitational is saving you travel money by providing a chance to sample one of their culinary creations right all in one place. And you are guaranteed to see each of these chefs as they will all be on hand in their sandwich making station.

I’ve attended the Sandwich Invitational in previous years – to see an example of all the goodness I got to eat (I was staggering out each time, barely able to get in all the sandwiches but I did it all for you!) check out my recaps of Sandwich Invitational 2014 and Sandwich Invitational 2013.

Brunch Village

This new event from 2014 was my favorite event last year. Brunch Village occurs on Sunday for 3 hours at Pioneer Courthouse Square for the all you can eat and drink admission price of $75. I probably got $25 worth of bloody mary alone at the Build Your Own Bloody Mary booth last year, no joke.

And I washed down a beermosa and at least 2-3 other brunch cocktails featuring wine or liquor. This year there are 7 wineries and 6 distilleries attending this year, as well as Widmer hopefully bringing back their beermosa again…

But don’t overlook the 13 or so delicious brunch bites available either! The location of Pioneer Courthouse Square offers lots of seating with the steps in order to enjoy your progressive brunching.

For details on what the experience might be like, check out my Brunch Village 2014 recap to see all I ate and drank last year.

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

The Friday version and Saturday version of the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting events are huge bang for your buck in terms of food and drinks at $60 for five hours of noshing. Most importantly, this is your chance to get introduced so many incredible producers of food and drink here in the Pacific Northwest.

Many of these food and drink stuffs you may have seen or heard and wondered about – well now you can sample their product as part of your Oregon Bounty admission! And, you’ll be introduced to even more wonderful artisan products so you’ll be in the know of the latest and greatest in the local food world.

Not to mention the wine. Instead of having to drive from tasting room to tasting room, the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting assembles the greatest wine tasting room ever with 30+ wineries all pouring samples of their wine offerings which are all included in your admission price. If you or your partner (like F for me) prefer beer instead, there will be 15 breweries with their beverages as well.

While you are taking a seat on the Portland Living Room steps to enjoy yourself, you can watch chef demos on the stage.

Think about it – $60 for 5 hours, if you can last, means sampling at $12 an hour. That’s why I love recommending the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting for anyone attending Feast for the first time – the value, and the longer time means you can take your time visiting all the booths.

For a look back at examples of how I enjoyed the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting in the past, check out my recap of 2014, and my recap of 2013 to get an idea of what your experience could include.

Hands on Classes

Available Hands on Classes that are still available include (prices vary based on the class)

Photo courtesy of Feast Portland

Farm to Cocktail Shaker -Creating Your Own Cocktail Ingredients with the Commissary/ shows you how to transform ingredients into syrups, shrubs, and juices to up your cocktail making game.
Learn to shuck like a pro, taste and compare different oysters, learn how to pan-fry oysters and navigate the oyster offerings at your favorite restaurant with Aw Shucks with Lissa James Monberg
Learn to brew the ultimate cup of coffee with A Game Coffee with Liam Kenna of Stumptown Coffee Roasters
At Basic Pig Butchery with Camas Davis butcher a pig and get tips on how to cook those cookable cuts you created
At Beer Bites with Christian Debenedetti and Andrea Slonecker pair beer and food bites with a guided beer brunch following broad flavor profiles—from “Fruit & Spice” to “Sour & Complex” and “Malty, Rich & Sweet”
Find out what amaro is and how to make incredible cocktails with it by attending Amaro Meets Cocktail: Mixing and Sipping the Forgotten Spirit with Mark Bitterman

Drink Tank

Beans & Booze panel at Feast 2014
All the Drink Tank events occur at the Portland Art Museum Evans H Roberts Sculpture Hall and include the panel as well as accompanying snacks and drinks as appropriate.

Drink Tank Panels that are still available include (prices vary based on the panel)

Bon Appetit Shaken, Stirred and Buzzed: Why We Really Like Booze panel with representatives from the wine and spirits industry sharing wisdom and tales. The price includes a year subscription to Bon Appetit.
I’m in a Cult takes a look at collectible rare beers
Margarita’s Moments celebrate the classic margarita by taking a look at its history and how to make the best margarita
Get a taste and hear the story behind European farmhouse style beers with Old MacDonald Had a Brewery

Beans & Booze panel at Feast 2014
Are you going to Feast 2015? If you could choose an event to attend, what would your top pick and why?

Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2015 for blog post and social media coverage but I am not otherwise being compensated. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #feast2015, #feastpdx, #feastportland, Beans & Booze Drink Tank, Beans & Booze panel, Brunch Village, Drink Tank, Feast 2015, Feast Brunch Village, feast pdx, Feast Portland 2015, Feast Sandwich Invitational, oregon bounty grand tasitng, Portland Food Festival, Sandwich Invitational

Feast Dinner Recap of State of the Art

September 24, 2014 by Pechluck 13 Comments

This is my Feast Dinner recap of the only dinner (and my first Feast Portland dinner) I attended for Feast 2014. Like all of the Feast events, the net proceeds of the dinner went towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength.

This dinner, officially named State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, was part of the KitchenCru series. It was held al fresco under a white tent with twinkling lights in the parking lot of the KitchenCru Culinary Prep space on Northwest Broadway and Flanders. The description promised “Local boy Justin Woodward (Castagna, Portland) will be joined by Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, San Francisco), Homaro Cantu (Moto, Chicago), Matt Accarrino (SPQR, San Francisco) and pastry chef Matt Tinder (The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa Valley) in this culinary super jam.”
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards

There were essentially 5 courses, with each of the various chefs contributing at different points. All 5 chefs kicked us off with the appetizer portion, followed by Dominique Crenn with first course, Matthrew Accarrino and Homaru Canto with second course, Justin Woodward bringing up third and Matthew Tinder bringing it home with the sweet course. Meanwhile, each of these 5 courses was paired with both a Willamette Valley Vineyards wine and a Adelsheim Vineyards wine, so that’s 10 wine pours.

Here are the two winemakers from Adelsheim and Willamette Valley, and our Bon Apetit acting host. I’m sorry the photos are when you were talking so your mouths are open, but maybe if you guys wouldn’t move so much when talking… 😛 Pro tip: if you are speaking at an event, pause a few times because you know someone is taking a photo of you and don’t move and make your best looking face! Or maybe one day I will win a really nice camera instead of my smartphone or little point and shoot.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, winemaker from Adelsheim Vineyards

First

The pairing for this course included Willamette Valley Vineyards 2012 Gruner Veltliner and Adelsheim Vineyards 2013 Pinot Blanc. I loved how the crisp acidity, particularly of the Gruner Veltliner, helped brighten and refresh between each snack.

Ceviche, Justin Woodward
I was happy to see all the food lovers around me did the same as I and drank the liquid afterward.
Aged Cheddar Budino di Pane, Pear Mustard, Quail, Celery, Matthew Accarino
This was my favorite of the appetizers, but I’m a cheese addict.
Beet Chip with Beef Tartare, Justin Woodward
A classic offering of one of the snacks at Castagna
Buttermilk Custard with Truffle served in an Egg, Homaru Cantu
How can you not be wowed how beautiful this was!
Sea Urchin and Licorice by Dominique Crenn

Second

The pairing for this course included Willamette Valley Vineyards Elton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 and Adelsheim Vineyards Caitlin’s Reserve 2012 Chardonnay. I don’t usually think to pick up and drink a Chardonnay, and these two wines reminded me I am being stupid to not drink it more often. I often turn to red wines, but I am so missing out by doing so. Lesson learned- I am going to definitely be seeking out these two Chardonnays in the future.

“BBQ” Parsnip, by Dominique Crenn

This was probably the only dish I didn’t really enjoy, though all of us having to pick it up (because there is no way to cut it) and getting white powder on your fingers and face all together and having to gnaw at this because it was extremely tough and chewy is a definite ice breaker from the more haute presentations in the appetizer course. I appreciate the risk taking.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards 'BBQ' Parsnip by Dominique Crenn

Oyster, Coconut and Wheatgrass, by Dominique Crenn
Why is it blue? She only mysteriously said “why is the sky blue”. The left is from my phone and right from my camera, but let me tell you, it was bluuuee… This is one of the things I love about modernist cuisine. I love hole in the wall joints and street food and comfort food and bar food also, but the heightened art of making art with your food and making all the other senses part of the experience is something I really think is fun. Of course it’s not your everyday food, but I enjoy the challenge of exploring food in a new way like this once in a while. Also, humor in food is fun- and this dish is definitely representing that creative whimsy!
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards Oyster Coconut and Wheatgrass by Dominique Crenn

Third

The pairings were Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate 2012 Pinot Noir and the Adelsheim Elizabeth’s Reserve 2011 Pinot Noir.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Chef Matthew Accarrino

Pork Shank Terrine, Ear, Persimmon and Wild Rice, by Matthew Accarrino

I’m so glad that all of us food lovers were not embarassed at this pricey dinner to all be picking up and gnawing at that bone all together at our table. There was some real bonding in that moment.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pork Shank Terrine, Ear, Persimmon and Wild Rice by Matthew Accarrino

Corn Pudding, Beef Tongue and Cheek, Burgandy Truffle, by Matthew Accarrino
Sooooo loved this dish. I loved the color it presented, as opposed to what would soon be a parade of earth toned plates.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Corn Pudding, Beef Tongue and Cheek, Burgandy Truffle, by Matthew Accarrino

I have visited both Moto and Otom in Chicago before, so I had witnessed before some of the exquisite plating from Homaro Cantu’s kitchen. As you recall, he had brought us that custard and truffle in an egg, and here he continues his earthy nature look with these two courses. Although you can see Homaro Cantu was in the house, he sent charming Richie Farina to talk to us. Richie is the Executive Chef at Moto and briefly appeared on a few episodes of Top Chef

Fallen Log, by Homaro Cantu

Even though I know it’s not really a log, doesn’t it perfectly look like what you would expect to see while hiking? I can totally see a character from Beatrix Potter scurrying by.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Fallen Log by Homaro Cantu

Sus Scrofa, by Homaro Cantu

From what I remember, this has wild boar, dried mole, puffed rice and blueberry skin. It was really fun texturally to eat!
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Sus Scrofa with wild boar, dried mole, puffed rice and blueberry skin, by Homaro Cantu

Fourth

The pairings here were Willamette Valley Vineyards Bernau Block 2012 Pinot Noir and Adelsheim Vintage 32 2009 Pinot Noir.

Rye Bread and butter, by Matthew Tinder
I was caught by someone’s Instagram inside as this was being prepared on a little WC run…

How is this the only photo of me that evening, I always forget to take photos of myself.

But, I did not forget the bread and butter! I told myself I wasn’t going to waste precious stomach room with much bread and usually all I need are some generous smears of butter, but damn if I didn’t eat that whole slice and would have had a second.
"Feast Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards Rye Bread and butter, by Matthew Tinder

Duck Boudin Blanc with Matsutakes, by Justin Woodward
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Chef Justin Woodward

Doesn’t the plating of this dish remind you a little of those dancing mushrooms in Fantasia by Disney?
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Duck Boudin Blanc with Matsutakes, by Justin Woodward

Fifth

The sweet wines here included Willamette Valley Vineyards Sweet Hannah 20, which pretty much everyone at my table really enjoyed, and the Adelsheim Deglace 2012 which was much sweeter and might have paired better with perhaps a different dessert.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards chef Matthew Tinder

Haogen Melon, Padron Pepper, Vanilla Bean, by Matthew Tinder

This was my favorite of the two desserts, just gorgeous.
Feast 2014 Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Haogen Melon, Padron Pepper, Vanilla Bean, by Matthew Tinder

Huckleberry Panettone, by Matthew Tinder

In retrospect I should have had this dish with some coffee. But I knew I was heading to an after party next so…

So that was dinner!

Overall, what were my impressions of the dinner? I still think the best value for your money and experience are the Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting (which yields 5 hours of buffet snacking) or the laid back fun of the Sandwich Invitational. I admit I have not yet attended the Night Market, which is always one of the first to sell out (I was torn but this dinner was the same evening as the Night Market, and I ultimately picked the dinner experience). So I can’t speak to that, though it always seems people have a really good time at that event. And as you’ll soon see, I adored the Brunch Village, which hopefully Feast will bring back as one of the Main Events next year.

Between High Comfort or one of the Dinner Series, I would recommend the Dinner Series. Most of the dinners and the High Comfort event are priced similarly. However, unlike at High Comfort where you are dressed up and standing in line for sampling of high class food, at the dinner you can enjoy a seated dinner that is served to you.

As you can see from the number of plates I had, I probably had just as many samples of different foods as someone attending High Comfort with their 19 chefs since I had 15 tastes at my dinner. The big trade-off is the variety of chefs you can get to experience, but 5 is already I think a diverse number of perspectives. The other thing you know you will get with a dinner is a more crafted experience in terms of the progression of your meal, versus various random samples you might get at a sampling event.

It was a long dinner though- from 7pm-11pm! Of my recap, what dish peaked your interest? What do you think of modernist cuisine?

For another perspective, Michael Russell of the Oregonian highlighted his pick of the Eight Beguiling dishes here.

This is my third recap of my adventures at Feast: my first was for the Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting on Friday and Saturday and my second was for the Sandwich Invitational. My next recap will be for the Tillamook Brunch Village!

Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2014 for blog post and social media coverage but I am not otherwise being compensated. For this event, I purchased my own ticket to the event! I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #Feast2014, #feastpdx, Adelsheim Deglace 2012, Adelsheim Vineyards, Adelsheim Vineyards 2013 Pinot Blanc., Adelsheim Vineyards Caitlin's Reserve 2012 Chardonnay, Aged Cheddar Budino di Pane, bbq parsnip, Beef Tongue and Cheek, Beet Chip with Beef Tartare, Burgandy Truffle, Buttermilk Custard with Truffle served in an Egg, Coconut and Wheatgrass, Corn Pudding, Dominique Crenn, dried mole, Duck Boudin Blanc with Matsutakes, Ear, example Feast Dinner, Fallen Log, Feast 2014, Feast Dinner Series, Feast modernist dinner, feast pdx, Feast Portland, Feast Portland 2014, Haogen Melon, Homaro Cantu, Huckleberry Panettone, Justin Woodward, Kitchencru dinner series, Matt Accarrino, Matt Tinder, oyster, Padron Pepper, Persimmon and Wild Rice, Pork Shank Terrine, puffed rice and blueberry skiin, recap of Feast Dinner, review of Feast Dinner, Richie Farina, Rye bread and butter, Sea Urchin and Licorice, State of the Art Feast Dinner, State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyards and Willamette Valley Vineyards, Sus Scrofa with wild boar, Vanilla Bean, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards 2012 Gruner Veltliner, Willamette Valley Vineyards Elton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011, Willamette Valley Vineyards Sweet Hannah 20

Feast Specials

September 18, 2014 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

Are you attending Feast, or wish you were? Well besides the Feast food festival events kicking off today, here are a few Feast Specials I wanted to have you know about. I will try to keep this updated- some are special deals for those who are attending Feast. Others are just specials that are being offered to the public to help celebrate Feast and show off the delicious bounty of Oregon and Portland!

Show your Feast wristband for a deal

Show your Feast wristband and enjoy special offers from these tasty Portland restaurants. Valid 9/18 – 9/21 at all restaurant locations.

Blue Star Donuts – buy one, get one free (all locations- the one most convenient to most Feasters is the downtown one at 1237 SW Washington Street). Yes, you could go to the famous Voodoo Donut with all the other tourists. But those in the know here locally will tell you that we get our donuts from Blue Star, which starts with a classic brioche recipe and local ingredients. They come in tasty flavors be it classic buttermilk old fashioned or lemon poppy seed or cinnamon vanilla sugar. There is a Valrhona Chocolate Crunch or Bacon Maple or Fried Chicken on a Spicy Honey Donut to get your savory fix. Other unique ones like Blueberry Bourbon Basil or Cointreau Creme Brulee (it has a shot of orange Cointreau liquor!) or Dulce de Leche Hazelnut or Salted Almonds on Chocolate Ganache are pretty tempting too. Don’t judge that I know all these flavors. With this Feast deal you have no excuse to not try 2 flavors!

While here, don’t forget to grab something to wash your donut down such as with Portland favorite Stumptown Coffee Roasters (I like the Hairbender, French Roast, and Cold Pressed coffee) or Steve Smith teas without having to take an extra trip to the shops (unless you want to!)
Boxer Ramen – free dessert with purchase of a ramen bowl, but I would be disappointed in you if when you visited, you also did not order the okonomiyaki as well. Warning, this is a cash only place (1025 SW Stark St.)
Little Big Burger – free truffle fries with purchase of a burger (all Portland locations, the one closest to downtown is in the Pearl at 122 NW 10th Ave). Their burger menu is pared down to the basics to offer you the best, the truffle fries are crazy addictive, and oh yeah, you can ask them to make you a beer float because even though their food menu is focused, they can’t help but offer 30 beers on the menu.
Son of a Biscuit – free dessert with purchase of a meal that would of course, naturally be composed of fried chicken and biscuits. (2045 SE Division St.)

Feast Wine Flight

This weekend, don’t miss out on the Feast Flight, celebrating Oregon’s Bounty at the SE Wine Collective. SE Wine Collective will be pouring Division Winemaking Company 2011 Red Collar Chardonnay, Fullerton Wines 2013 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Vincent Wines 2013 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills. Come on by through Monday, September 22 to share in the fun of Oregon’s Feast Portland celebration!

Feast Cupcakes

This weekend, Saint Cupcake is offering a Hazelnut Buttercream exclusively for Feast weekend! They have big and small cupcakes, so maybe also try their flavors of Big Top (vanilla cupcake baked with chocolate chips on top – like a cookie AND a cupcake), Toasted Coconut Cream (vanilla with toffee chips and topped with toasted coconut flakes), Big Elvis (banana cake with chocolate chips and peanut butter fudge) or my favorite the Salty Captain (chocolate cupcake with caramel buttercream) or stick to classics like Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, and yes they have vegan ones too. Other treats include their cookies (like smoked chocolate chip, bittersweet chocolate with sea salt or ginger molasses) or bonbonbunbuns of cinnamon sugar covered light airy brioche bites or savory offerings of Caramelized onion and gruyere pocket pies, Bacon Wrapped Crackers, Ham and cheese brioche buns.

Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2014 for blog post and social media coverage but I am not otherwise being compensated. Even before I was given the Blogger Pass I already had tickets for some Feast events – so it just means I will have more to recap for you now! The listings above are ones I am just gathering in one place for convenience for both you and me!

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #Feast2014, #feastpdx, #pdxnow, Blue Star Doughnuts, Boxer Ramen, feast, Feast 2014, feast pdx, Feast Portland, Feast Portland 2014, Feast Specials, Feast Wine Flight, Little Big Burger, saint cupcake, Son of a Biscuit, Steve Smith Tea, Stumptown Coffee

Tips for Attending Feast Portland

September 10, 2014 by Pechluck 7 Comments

GAH! Where did the summer go soooo fast? Can you believe Feast Portland, the best, most delicious, food festival in Portland, the all holidays rolled into one long weekend of September 18 – 21, is only 1 week away! EEEEEeee!!!

I have shared before an overview of Feast PDX 2014 in a previous Countdown to Feast post. This time, assuming you have a ticket to at least one event or have signed up for volunteering for Feast, I wanted to share tips for attending Feast Portland.

Tip 1: Carry a tote bag

You will be picking up business cards and pamphlets for instance if you are attending the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting on either Friday or on Saturday. Tickets are still available for these two events BTW! Anyway, I have a tote bag that has a small little mesh pocket on the side which I actually use to carry my drink glass sometimes. That way I had someplace to put my glass when I wanted to get both hands on my mini sandwiches when I was at the Sandwich Invitational last year (I also plan to attend the Sandwich Invitational this year also. And there are still tickets available for this event if you are interested).

The glass for beer at the Widmer Sandwich Invitational at Feast 2013 Supporting local, thanks to Whole Foods at Feast 2013

I also use the tote bag to carry extra napkins (including wetnaps!) and to carry the same knife/fork/spoon all night so I don’t have to use additional ones because I threw it away. I also have a bottle of water in there!

My tote bag also has a little notebook where I might jot down notes of things I might hear, be it stories from the vendors or one of the chef demonstrations at the Grand Tasting, or from talking to various people I may meet as we are simultaneously tasting wine together.

Who knows, you may even find something you’d like to buy and carry back with you… like I got these awesome T-shirts from Flavour Gallery that are super soft and comfortable and proudly proclaim my love of deliciousness. Only a week after Feast 2013 last year, I was excited to pack that shirt and wear in when I was traveling looking at waterfalls in Ithaca NY. I remember seeing them at the Sandwich Invitational and at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting
Shirt from Flavour Gallery at Feast Portland 2013. I love this shirt. Me wearing my Feast Portland 2013 shirt from Flavour Gallery just a week later after Feast while posing with Buttermilk Falls in New York

The biggest secret in my bag? I have little ziploc bags in there. You don’t have to sample everything, but believe me, even so you can only eat so many of those Sandwich Invitational sandwiches without feeling overly full. One thing I learned from being a certified PNWBA barbecue judge is that there is no reason to take more than a few bites. Since I don’t want to waste the food, I then put the rest in the ziploc bag in my tote and move on to another taste. And then I eat those leftovers the whole next week after Feast…

Tip 2: Talk to Strangers

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Friday, Kyra's Bake Shop

I give my personal business card out freely as anyone I meet whether it be in line or while trying to balance samples is a food lover like me, and we can surely be friends. Something as simple as “Oooo, what are you having? Where did you get that?” or “Did you have a favorite sandwich/sample/wine/etc” is a great conversation opener. Everyone here is HAPPY to talk about food and drink while eating food and drink, believe me!

At events like the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, take this opportunity to find out the story about the various artisan vendors and to explore new things you have never tried before. This is a serious tip- Urban Bliss also included it on her tips list, and you should also check out her Top 10 Tips for Feast Portland Newbies post!

Tip 3: Make a Game Plan

When I first go to an event, before I even attend I take a look to see if their are any names that initially jump out at me as ones I want to visit right away. Then, when I actually arrive at the event, based on how busy it is, I will decide how I am going to order my visits. I personally like to be there when the event first opens. Then I walk around the entire event space, seeing who is where and what everyone is offering. Based on that, I then plan my visit order!
The layout of the High Comfort event at Feast 2013 Grilled Cheese Please! From Tillamook Widmer Sandwich Invitational at Feast PDX 2013

An example might be at the Sandwich Invitational and when I attended High Comfort last year (there are tickets still available to High Comfort for 2014!), I picked out certain chefs who I knew were from out of town and likely to be in high demand and figured out where their booths were and looked to see what they were serving as their sample tastes. Then based on that, I picked out what I wanted to eat most and went from there. Pretty much I’ll be making a beeline for Hugh Acheson at Sandwich Invitational and for Aaron Franklin at the Tillamook Brunch Village (tickets already sold out!) for instance. <3 <3 <3

At an event like the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, check the schedule of the day to see who and when the chef demonstrations are occurring at the KitchenAid Main Demo Stage!
The Lee Brothers charm the audience during their Kitchenaid Demo, regaling with many stories while making oyster peanut stew on the KitchenAid Main Demo Stage at Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Feast 2013 Naomi advise to squeeze butter w your hands to help warm it up as she prepares corn souffle on the KitchenAid Main Demo Stage at Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Feast 2013

Tip 4: Wear Comfy Shoes and have Pockets

For events in which are will be visiting a lot of different booths in a food market style – namely the Sandwich Invitational Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting, High Comfort, and Brunch Village, you will be on your feet a lot. If you are attending the dinners or tasting panels you will be seated so relax.

Be prepared accordingly. These events are also rain or shine, so check the weather and bring a rainjacket hoodie if necessary. Don’t do an umbrella – you don’t want to waste your hands that could be holding food and drink!

I also highly recommend wearing something with easy accessible pockets. Even if you have your tote bag, you don’t want to go scrounging around in there each time you want to get your camera to grab a photo.

Tip 5: Use your Phone! Take Photos and follow Social Media

One of the best tricks for remembering delicious things is to take a photo of them. I take photos of signs describing the dish as I’m going up to the booth, and if I really like a particular beer or wine or anything, I take a photo. The visual cue of seeing the descriptions (particularly wine bottle labels) when I look on my phone is so helpful later!

In order to see what is happening and hot, be sure to check the hashtag #feastpdx on Twitter #feastpdx or the handle Twitter FeastPDX and follow on Instagram Feast Portland to also see what everyone is talking about – maybe that’s how you’ll know to hurry and get into a particular line for a food dish before it runs out. If you do share, make sure you tag #FeastPDX too.

I know I’m sorry to be missing the Night Market, but I’ll be following the pictures online to live vicariously through all the social sharers out there.

Given that you may be taking photos and twittering… don’t you think of leaving home without your phone charger with you. Who knows how long the evening might extend to and you don’t want to run out of battery.

Make sure you also program a taxi number in your phone. You may not need it, but it’s so useful to have just in case you get invited to party on with new friends that you meet…

I’ll be on Twitter and Instagram myself covering Feast, so I hope we are already friends on Twitter @pechluck and on Instagram @pechluck .

If you don’t have tickets yet, the recommendation I would give (and apparently so would Carrie Welch, one of the co-founder of Feasts – she noted this in an interview Bakery Bingo recently posted. Also check out some interesting tidbits about her at an interview of Carrie at love, rachel with her post Coffee Conversations: Carrie Welch Co-Founder of Feast Portland is to strongly consider either the Sandwich Invitational on Thursday evening, or Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting on either Friday or on Saturday.

I hope these tips are helpful to you, and maybe I’ll see you at Feast? Don’t be shy about coming to say hi!

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #Feast2014, #feastpdx, #feastportland, feast, Feast 2014, feast pdx, Feast Portland, Feast Portland 2014, Flavour Gallery, Food Festival, High Comfort, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, portland events, Portland Food Festival, Sandwich Invitational, Tips for attending Feast, Tricks for Feast, Widmer Sandwich Invitational

Portland June 2014 Events Roundup

May 30, 2014 by Pechluck 10 Comments

Sometimes I joke that Portland has made me drink more. But it’s not really a joke- the high caliber of local wineries, distilleries and microbreweries here in Portland has really wowed me and made me enjoy beverages more than I ever thought.

Portland also isn’t shy about outright celebrating its liquid bounty. Take June for instance. I decided to do a Portland June 2014 Events Roundup of all the various events in June, and I decided to highlight these (keep in mind there is probably more that I missed).

Tiki Punch Out!

Wednesday May 28 – Tuesday June 3, 2014

Portland Monthly Magazine and Captain Morgan White bring you Tiki Punch-Out!, a classic tiki punch competition! At the free but ticketed event (21+ only) at Punch Bowl on Tuesday June 3 5:30 – 7:30 PM, they will be breaking out the rum, the booze infused watermelons and hollowed-out coconuts! Six of the city’s best bartenders will vie for the title of Tiki Punch-Out Champion and a cash prize of $500!

Participating Establishments:

Kask
Hale Pele
Alibi
Trader Vic’s
Punch Bowl Social
Sand Bar

May 28 to June 2 is Tiki Punch-Out Week so you can stop by any of those above participating bars to get previews of the punches.

Salt & Straw Cocktail Ice Cream Month

June 1 – July 3, 2014

At all of the Salt & Straw locations, you can try for one month only some special ice cream flavors. Welcome to The Summer Cocktail Ice Cream Series, where Tyler Malek, Salt & Straw’s head ice cream maker, collaborated with various top bartenders in Portland to offer five ice cream twists on classic drinks (the ice cream itself has the alcohol burned off so you will get the flavors without the tipsyness).

Chocolate Chip Mint Julep: Hand-selected batch of bourbon from Four Roses Distilling with Oregon grown spearmint and Oregon roasted single-origin chocolate (Brandon Wise, Imperial)
Strawberry & Verbena Pimm’s Cup: Strawberry and lemon verbena ice cream with Aviation gin marmalade (Ross Hunsinger, Aviary), a sweet and bitter, citrusy pop in the mouth
Lemon Amaretto Sour: Amaretto sherbet with punches of lemon egg cream (Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Clyde Common)
Pineapple Honey Dorléac: based off of Kyle’s own Dorléac recipe, Honey, vodka and Aperol ice cream with a gentle ribbon of pineapple caramel (Kyle Webster, Expatriate)
Rhubarb & Saffron Champagne Cocktail: Subtly yeasty Champagne ice cream with a tart ribbon of saffron and rhubarb jelly reminiscent of that perfect summer-fresh rhubarb spritzer (Evan Zimmerman, the Woodsman Tavern)

Part of the proceeds from the summer cocktail ice cream series will go to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, in support of (RED)’s EAT (RED). DRINK (RED). SAVE LIVES campaign. No seriously it is all caps and with the parenthesis, I remember buying their tshirts before and the RED is always like that.

Negroni Week

Monday June 2 – Sunday June 8, 2014

Negroni Week is sponsored by imbibe Magazine and Campari internationally. In the 7 days of Negroni Week, participating bars take advantage of the ingredients of a Negroni (Campari, Gin, Vermouth) to raise money for various charity causes. Participants vary from Canada and England and Australia and France to all over the US, including almost 40 participating bars here in Portland Oregon.

Each bar can select the charity of their choice, so for instance by filtering to Portland in the US here at the participating bars list you may decide to have a Negroni at

Bunk Bar or Irving Street Kitchen benefiting Share our Strength. I should mention that Bunk Bar plans to serve a slush-i-fied version of the Negroni…
Clyde Common for the Pixie Project
Multnomah Whiskey Library for United Way
Ned Ludd for Zenger Farms
Ox or Whey Bar for Panda Paws Rescue
St Jack for the Humane Society
Teardrop Lounge for Alzheimers Foundation of America,
etc.

The above are only a small selection I pulled out as examples but illustrate the amazing bars that are participating. So make sure to browse the list and visit a bar or two for a Negroni! I’m actually going to be in San Diego and Chicago for part of Negroni Week, but don’t worry that are participating bars I saw for Negroni week in both those cities as well, so being out of town is no excuse.

To kick off Negroni Week, Imperial will host a Negroni-centric happy hour on Monday, June 2nd from 4-7 PM featuring Negronis made with local Aria gin and Beefeater from guest bartender Douglas Derrick (previously of Nostrana, now managing Raven and Rose, and also featured in that video below! He helped inspire Negroni Week with the Negroni Social he used to hold at Nostrana) and Imperial’s presiding barman and Negroni Week supporter Brandon Wise.

There will also be a special Negroni ice cream from Salt + Straw made with House Spirits’ Aviation American gin.

Scoops are just $3 and Negronis are $5 and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross. I’ll still be in San Diego so am missing that event, but how awesome does that sound?

Imbibe and Campari Present: Negroni Week 2014 from Imbibe on Vimeo.

PDX Beer Week

Thursday June 5 – Sunday June 15, 2014

Apparently it’s not enough that we have July dedicated to Oregon Beer. We need a special week just for Portland beer celebrations. And boy, is there a lot going on for PDX Beer Week! I am not going to cover all the events going on- look on the website yourself for that as there is lots to read and more being added it seems every time I check! But let me highlight in my personal opinion (of course- this is my blog after all) my selected 12 favorites for beer week. Ok, technically, it is a little bit more than a week, it’s 10 days, but no problem with that!

The Official Beer Week Sandwich available at the various Lardo locations and Easy Company will be featuring this official special sandwich as well as the official beer week beer and t-shirt for sale as a special package for the duration of Portland Beer Week. The official beer week sandwich is with Olympic Provisions Kielbasa, smoked Tillamook cheddar, sauerkraut, Worthy/Hopworks Session India Rye Ale mustard on toasted ciabatta.
What? There is also an Official Beer Week Donut??? Yes, Blue Star Donuts is developing a special beer week beer donut that will be featured at their 2 locations and at select beer week events, a Widmer Brothers Hefe citrus cake donut!
pFriem & Irving Street Kitchen Beer Dinner Pairing. Sunday June 8, 2014 5:30-8:00 PM Irving Street Kitchen Executive Chef Sarah Schafer will be hosting pFriem Family Brewers for a four course meal plus passed canapes paired with a lineup of Pfriem beers. I love the farmhouse style beers of pFriem and I think it would go fabulously with the Southern cooking by Chef Sarah. Tickets will will be $85, which includes food, beer, and gratuity. For reservations contact Irving Street Kitchen at 503.343.9440 or jessie@irvingstreetkitchen.com. The photo below is an example of the awesomeness that can come from Chef Sarah when I attended an event where she matched her cooking with Hawks View Wine so I am confident she will be just as kickass doing food pairing with beer. There is another Brewer’s Dinner event taking place at Raven and Rose with Samuel Smith beer that same night, but since that is more of an English, I’m going to vote for this Beer Dinner pairing because it’s local.
Alternately, also on Sunday June 8 6 PM is a Beer Versus Cider & cheese pairing where the same cheese, selected by Cheesemonger Steve Jones of Cheese Bar, is paired both by a beer from Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing and a cider by Nat West of Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider as part of a face-off to see whether the beer or cider paired better with the cheese. You would get 10 different cider and beer pairings for $31 (advanced ticket sales only). Take a look at the cider and beer and cheese that will be at the event here at the ticket site.
New School and Bailey’s Taproom New Breweries Showcase June 9 2 PM – midnight features ten new breweries from across the Oregon state. These are all breweries that are probably new to you: Chetco Brewing, Salem Ale Works, Buoy Beer Company, Sam’s Bond Brewing, Plankton Brewing, Vagabond Brewing, Gratin Station Brew Works, Baerlic Brewing, Thunder Island Brewing, and Stormbreaker Brewing. Don’t worry, they have been conveniently gathered for you to learn about all in 1 place. At Bailey’s Taproom 2 beers from each of these breweries will be on top, and from 4 to 7pm at The Upper Lip you can meet the owners and brewers. No admission fee, just pay for what you drink! See that link to the showcase description at the New School website for more information/hint of what beers everyone is bringing to this party.
Old Salt + Upright Brewing Brewers Dinner. Upright Brewing is teaming up with chef Nathaniel Price of the Grain and Gristle for a special pairing dinner at Old Salt Marketplace’s event room on Monday June 9th 7 PM. This seven course dinner is going to exclusively feature vintage barrel aged beers. and is the first time the brewery has reached into the cellar for every course, including sometimes their final cases of a beer. There are some amazing verticals slated for the seven course dinner, including 2012 & 2013 Blend Love, 2011, 2012, 2013 Fantasia, and 2010, 2011, 2013 Billy the Mountain. Yeah, that’s a lotta beer for some of those courses, but I love tasting verticals to compare and contrast the flavors, and you get to taste them with food pairings too! Email the brewery uprightbrewing@gmail.com to reserve a spot, tickets: $75.

Mussels from Brussels is an event where 4 breweries (Breakside, Lompoc, pFriem, and defending champion Upright) create 4 secret sauces for dipping in one pound of mussels served with fries, and paired with their Belgian-inspired beer. There is a seating for a table of 10 that takes place every 30 minutes between 5:30-8:30 PM on Tuesday, June 10, with the awards ceremony at 9 PM. The cost is $25 per person (ticketed) and the event is taking place at Bazi Bierbrasserie. Mmmm beer and mussels and fries is a classic, just classic combination.
More seafood + beer coming your way… this time with the Upper Lip Oyster Social which brings together on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 5 – 8 PM Oyster Social’s Hama Hama oysters, six taps and over 100 bottles to try at The Upper Lip. Sip beer and slurp freshly shucked oysters right on the spot. Eat one or a dozen–the world is your oyster at $2 a pop! Please note that the raw bar is cash only, though you can have a tab for the beer.
The Sour and Wild Beer Seminar on Thursday June 12, 2014 6 – 8 PM is an opportunity to both learn about and taste sour and wild ales from Oregon’s masters of the styles including Cascade Brewing’s Ron Gansberg, Block 15 Brewing’s Nick Arzner, De Garde Brewing’s Trevor Rogers and Breakside Brewery’s Ben Edmunds. It is a seated seminar style event that includes a panel discussion with the brewers while you also get to taste the beers by the brewer panelists. Last I checked, this seems to be still in the finalization stages and I didn’t see tickets on sale yet.
On Friday, June 13th, from 4 PM -2 AM is the Taplister Rye Beer Festival, held at Eastburn. The festival features 22 rye beers, as well as rye cocktails and rye-themed food. Partial proceeds from the sale of beer will be donated to the Dawn to Dusk paddle fund for the Children’s Cancer Association. Entry to the event is free, and you just pay for the price of your beer (5oz samples and pints), cocktails and food as your order.
If like me you love barrel aged beers, perhaps instead of the Rye Beer Festival (or before…) you might attend the Barrel Masters Night on Friday June 13th 6 – 8 PM at Hopworks on SE 28th and Powell. This social mingle event includes Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk of Oakshire Brewing, Ben Love of Gigantic Brewing, Widmer Brothers innovation brewer Jack Beiting, Deschutes barrelmaster and Assistant Brewmaster Ryan Schmiege and moderator Ben Edmunds of Breakside Brewery in a guided discussion with free samples of all the beer included in the ticket pricing. Tickets are $37 from Stranger Tickets., and you can check the list of the beers at the PDX Beer Week event listing
Ok, maybe these are multiple events, but they are all with Firestone Walker. The one I ranked highest is the Luncheon with the Lion at Saraveza and Firestone Walker. I love Firestone Walker, so I was quite torn when I saw that this event on June 15 12 – 3 PM Sunday is taking place the same day as the Portland Beer and Cheese Festival (which I cover below). The event includes David Walker of Firestone Walker Brewing Co at Saraveza where he will be speaking specifically about Firestone Walker’s barrel-aging program at 1:30pm. Meanwhile they will have a special ‘Bangers & Mash’ pasty alongside many delicious draft offerings of Firestone Walker beers, including the highly regarded 2010 “Abacus” Barrel-Aged Barleywine, 2013 “Stickee Monkee” Barrel-Aged Belgian-Style Quad, ”Parabajava” Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout Infused w/Coffee, and more! No admittance fee for this event, you just pay for what you order. Alternately, David Walker/Firestone Walker is doing a Lions Brewers Dinner with Old Salt Marketplace that evening though the menu and beer options are not listed yet as of writing this post. And, earlier the day before, at The Lion’s Scratch event which is free (pay for what you drink), David Walker/Firestone Walker will be at Belmont Station Saturday June 14 4 – 7 PM where they will be offering 2011-2014 Parabola vertical flights. They will also have some special Firestone Walker vintage beers for sale in the bottle shop and if you buy one of these special vintage Firestone Walker beers, you can have David Walker sign it for you! Afterwards, follow The Lion as he walks pied-piper style down the street to The Horse Brass, where he will continue his evening there with 13+ Firestone Walker beer offerings.

Portland Fruit Beer Festival

Friday June 6 – Sunday June 8, 2014

Taking part in PDX Beer Week as well is this festival so good I made it a section of it’s own. Saturday June 7 – Sunday June 8 is the Portland Fruit Beer Festival, which features almost 50 fruit beers and ciders. As usual nearly every beer and a few ciders have been brewed specifically for the Fruit Beer Festival and use a wide range of fruits.

Some of the beers on the list vary from 10 Barrel Brewing Cherry Sour Brown, Breakside Passionfruit Sour Ale, Burnside’s Nero Fiddle with a blend of apples, Elysian D’Mango Unchained, Falling Sky Marionberry Smoked Ale, to Oakshire Oude Bes: Strawberry Balsalmic, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider Sweet Triple Hot ¡Tepache! Pineapple wine with three different hot peppers to Stone Brewing’s “The Tiger Cub” Saison aged in White Wine Barrels w/Sour Cherries… (you can see the list here at New School which has descriptions with the beer, though that list of 25 does not yet include the two dozen Rare Rotating Tap list of one-off or vintage kegs of just 5 gallons each).

I know right, doesn’t that sound delicious!!?? It is a one of a kind festival, with one of a kind beers exclusive to this festival.

Tickets are already on sale at $20 general admission Saturday 11am-9pm or Sunday 11am-6pm. There are also $30 VIP admission on Friday 4-9pm and limited to 300 VIP guests with a few special tappings – that one is almost sold out so if you are interested in that act fast! The Fruit Beer Fest is open to All-Ages.

The festival will be held Burnside Brewing. Burnside Brewing will be open, so you can still get a cheese plate to compliment your beers, or my personal favorite their cohiba cigar as I covered here previously and/or beer cheese curds on their menu! Not only that, but one of my favorite food carts Pulehu Pizza will be there with their grilled pizzas and making a special pizza for the festival, as well as Bunk Sandwiches.

Burnside Brewery & Portland Fruit Beer Festival Documentary from Ron Cummings on Vimeo.

Portland Beer and Cheese Festival

Sunday, June 15, 2014 12:00PM-6:00 PM

I guess technically this is also part of PDX Beer Week, but too good to not have it’s own section. I have been attending the Portland Beer and Cheese Festival for several years as it brings together beer AND cheese. You can see my recap of 2012 here and my recap of last year 2013 here, and the photos below are from those previous festivals.

Held this year at Burnside Brewing, this will be the festival’s 3rd year featuring 11 breweries and beers each carefully paired with a select cheese by award winning cheesemonger Steve Jones of Cheese Bar. Tickets are $35 (on sale now, advanced ticket sales only so there will be no tickets at the door- this helps control the amount of people there and amount of attendees and prepare tastings accordingly. No minors allowed at this event). When you check in you will get a special festival glass and a punchcard for samples of each of the 11 beers and their respective cheese pairing. Maybe 11 beer and cheese pairings doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is. You should skip brunch and go directly to this event.

Portland Beer and Cheese Festival, beer and cheese pairing, The Commons Berwery, Steve's Cheese, Pfriem Family Brewers Wit, paired with Fern’s Edge Dairy Mt. Zion, raw goat, Oregon

Also, did I mention Olympic Provisions will be providing complimentary charcuterie at a table for your own savory meat cleanser/complement as needed. I mean, just look at Chop’s amazing meat board from previous years (he is taking this year off to actually enjoy Father’s Day), which they kept filled during the event!

Portland Beer and Cheese Fest 2013: charcuterie provided by Chop Butchery Portland Beer & Cheese Fest

It was never so crowded that there were more than a few people in front of me, and most of the time I could just walk up and ask for my taster and sample. The Punchcards helped suggest an order as well as provide information about the beer and cheese that would be in the pairing. It it is one of my favorite beer events all year, and particularly it brings out a generally sophisticated beer drinking crowd that wants to think and savor what they are having rather and how everything tastes than just taste a lot of beer.

Cider Summit

Saturday June 21 – Sunday June 22 2014

Did you know that Portland has a Cider Festival, called the Cider Summit? SBS Imports and the Seattle Beer Collective organize the fest that is presented by World Foods & Bushwhacker Cider, and ironically when I attended the Cider Summit I did so in Seattle because they also do it theirs in the fall. It looks like next year they are even expanding Cider Summit to two new cities, Chicago and Berkeley!

This year the Cider Summit is celebrating its 4th year in Portland by moving from the South Waterfront to the northern Pearl District at Fields Neighborhood Park. It will be held Friday, June 20 from 2 – 8 PM and Saturday, June 21 from 12 – 6 PM. As before, cidery owners and cidermakers will be on hand to inform and guide guests through the samplings which will be available in 4-ounce tasting portions in a souvenir festival glass.

In addition to the range of ciders, the event will feature the DoveLewis / Unleashed by Petco dog lounge, expanded food selections from World Foods & St. Honore Boulangerie (if you visit their Division location they have wonderful cider taps!), special dessert pairings from Smitten Truffles and cider ice cream from Fifty Licks. Transportation wise Brewvana Brewery Tours shuttle will run a continuous loop from SE Portland to the Park because of its location you can easily also ride the Portland Streetcar to the event.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 (cash only) at the door and are available online via Stranger tickets, Umpqua Bank Pearl District branch, and at many of the area’s leading bottle shops. Admission includes a tasting glass and 8 tasting tickets. Additional tasting tickets will be available for sale onsite at $2 per ticket. There is also a special VIP ticket available for $35 that includes 4 additional tasting tickets and early admission on Friday from 2p-3p, only 200 of these tickets are available – exclusively online via the event website. Dogs are allowed at the event, but no minors.

Re-admission will be allowed at any time with event wristband and tasting glass. The Cider Summit event will benefit Northwest Cider Association, Cascade Blues Association, DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, and The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research.

Portland Monthly’s Country Brunch & Bloody Mary Smackdown

Sunday, June 22, 2014 11:30AM-2:00 PM

I hesitated too long when the first Portland Monthly Country Brunch tickets went on sale their first year, but was smarter and snapped them up quickly last year and again this year. The photos below are from when I attended last year and did a blog recap so visit there for more.

Portland Monthly's Country Brunch 2013, Kevin Atchley, Walt Alexander and Brian Snyder of Pine State Biscuits, whose sample was Ayers Creek cornmeal crusted Carolina catfish mini biscuits with vinegar slaw and sweet pickle remoulade

This event is obviously sponsored by Portland Monthly Magazine, which is one of the best organizers of events. They always put together a beautiful atmosphere and most importantly, always think of seating to enjoy the food and drink! This year, six chefs will prepare bites of their favorite brunch fare while Irving Street Kitchen (People’s Choice) and Le Bistro Montage (Judge’s Choice) winners from last year defend their titles of “Best Bloody Mary” in the third-annual Portland Monthly Bloody Mary Smackdown!

Portland Monthly's Country Brunch 2013, Bloody Mary Smackdown, Olympic Provisions provided by Jess Hereth an Olympic Mary with House Mary mix, vodka, and a pickles and of course their excellent salami as part of the garnish

Furthermore, 100% of net proceeds will benefit Zenger Farm‘s new Urban Grange. Urban Grange is an 8,960-square-foot facility that will support the Zenger Farm ongoing efforts to connect Portland communities to fresh-grown food by being a space for Zenger youth field trips, summer camps, healthy eating workshops, and farmer training programs, opportunities for emerging businesses in the commercial kitchen, etc.

Here are the participants for the Brunch and Bloody Mary competition!

Brunch Bonanza by:

Chef Matt Christianson from Urban Farmer
Chefs Karen Pride & Brittney Galloway from Harlow
Chef Johanna Ware from Smallwares
Chef Rick Gencarelli from Lardo
Chef Jose Chesa from Ataula
Chefs Michael Madigan & Jeff McCarthy from TenTop

Bloody Mary Smackdown presented by Grey Goose:

Irving Street Kitchen (2012 People’s & Judges’ Choice Champion, 2013 People’s Choice Champ)
Le Bistro Montage (2013 Judges’ Choice Champion)
Broder
Radar
Doug Fir
Imperial

In addition to brunch, guests will enjoy bottomless Manmosas (see: beer +orange juice) by Miller Highlife and Crispin Cider. I’m not sure what to think about that yet. Also, New Seasons Market will treat attendees to fresh organic juices and local hot sauce condiments. Sunshine Dairy will be sharing its delicious yogurts and Boyd’s will be keeping everyone caffeinated with their fresh brew.

Just like last year, Whole Foods Market will host a Bloody Mary Accoutrements Station to dress your Bloody to your liking… which was amazing. I think I ate like a half dozen of those giant cocktail shrimp.

Portland Monthly's Country Brunch, Whole Foods, Bloody Mary Smackdown, garnish station

Do you have your tickets? VIP Brunch & Bloodies (must be 21+) includes early admittance at 10:30 AM, brunch items, adult & non-alcoholic beverages and swag are ticketed at $45, or you can just have brunch and no bloody marys for $35 and still get 1 hour early entrance and swag. Or, enter at the regular admission time like I am at 11:30 AM and enjoy Brunch & Bloodies for $30 or Brunch Only for $20. Kids 5 or younger are free. The event is taking place at Castaway Portland. Get your tickets here at Eventbrite.

Sake Fest

Thursday, June 26, 2014 6:30PM-9:00 PM

Saké Fest PDX brings together more than 130 samples of saké, plum wine & beer with food from local restaurants & purveyors at the Sentinal Hotel. I’ve never been, though I have heard good things! The admission fee for the ticket/tasting glass is all inclusive, so all food and all saké sampling stations! Tickets for the event are $50 per person in advance online with limited tickets will be available at the door for $60. Participants must be 21 years or older to attend

A portion of the net proceeds from Saké Fest PDX benefits the Japan-America Society of Oregon (JASO)

North American Organic Brewers Festival

June 26-June 29, 2014

The North American Organic Brewers Festival brings together organic beers and ciders alongside live music, food, sustainability-oriented vendors, non-profits and a children’s area at Overlook Park. I missed it last year, but attended the previous two years. The goal of this festival is to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living and the NAOBF serves up nearly 60 organic beers & ciders from around the nation.

The festival times are 12-9 PM Thursday, Friday & Saturday, and 12 – 5 PM Sunday. Admission into the event is free, but the $6 reusable, compostable cornstarch glass is required for tasting beer. You also need to purchase drinking tokens, each token is $1. However, you can get a $1 discount toward the tasting glass with a validated Tri-Met ticket! ALso, the event is cash only.

WWOOOOOOOO!!!

Isn’t it crazy with all these June events? And to think after that is July, which is Oregon Beer Month and there will be even more events to celebrate! What a summer that is coming!

Are there any events that I mentioned that you are thinking of attending / will I see you?

Filed Under: Cheese, Cocktails, Current Affairs, Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights Tagged With: beer and food pairing, Beer Versus Cider & cheese pairing, Beer Week Donut, Beer Week Sandwich, Bloody Mary Smackdown, Imperial Negroni Happy Hour, Lions Brewers Dinner, Luncheon with the Lion, Mussels from Brussels, Negroni Ice Cream, Negroni Week, Old Salt + Upright Brewing Brewers Dinner, PDX Beer Week, pFriem & Irving Street Kitchen Beer Brewers Dinner, Portland Monthly's Country Brunch, Salt & Straw cocktail ice cream, Salt and Straw, Sour and Wild Beer Seminar, Tiki Punch Out!