Sponsored Post for Whole Foods. Disclosure: I was provided a gift card for Whole Foods in order to create a meal using the surf and turf from Whole Foods Market, and asked to promote the Best Butcher Contest and Fishmonger Faceoff event at Feast. There was no other compensation. But 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.

I previously wrote a little bit about the upcoming September 21 Feast Portland event with Whole Foods, the Best Butcher Contest and Fishmonger Faceoff, summarizing the previouslies in that post. After already winning regional competitions, 11 butchers and 11 fishmongers will be here at Director Park from 11am-2pm Saturday for the final battle.

Overview of the Contest and Faceoff Event

The contest and faceoff consists of a series of quick-fire challenges in front of a live audience (which could include you- it definitely is going to include me!) and panel of expert and celebrity judges (recognizable names include Jenn Louis and Paul Qui who have been on Top Chef Masters and won Top Chef respectively, as well as owning restaurants; also Adam Sappington of Country Cat and Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ).

See the detailed list of the panel and the competitors at the The Whole Foods Newsroom, but here’s a quick glance!

According to the Feast Website for this event, besides being dazzled by their presentation, craftsmanship, and swagger, there will also be opportunities to sample some surf and turf from Whole Foods Market’ partners, and also enjoy live music and a photo booth.

Get to Know your Whole Foods Meat and Seafood

In addition, this is also an opportunity to learn about the background behind the sustainable meat and seafood at the counters of Whole Foods. I spoke with a local fishmonger at the nearby Whole Foods in the Pearl, and was impressed to hear that one of his coworkers, Jesse, won in competing with his other coworkers at the store in terms of yield. He then faced off against all the other fishmongers at the Portland stores and won, which then took him to the regionals to compete. Although he did not win the regionals and is not competing tomorrow at the Fishmonger Faceoff, you may find that your neighborhood Whole Foods gives you access to some pretty top notch talent!

I also learned that they are all ready to help you get your seafood prepared for your dinner. Do you want to buy that fresh shrimp, but don’t want to deal with deveining/removing the tail? They’ll totally do it for you.

Want some help deciding how to flavor your seafood for your meal? They have tasted all the rubs and marinades and can help you pick out what to add to your selected seafood- and will season it for FREE for you! There are 14 rubs and 7 marinades for you to choose from!  That’s right- FOURTEEN rubs and SEVEN marinades.

The flavors options they offer are wide, varying from Lemon Dill or Blackened to Northwest Chipotle, Tandoori Spice, Tequila Lime, or Thai Curry or more for rubs, and choices such as Caribbean Mango, Ginger Teriyaki, Maple Chipotle and Raspberry Chipotle to select from! My rep was quite fond of Lemon Dill for fattier fish and the Maple Chipotle (though if you want more heat Raspberry Chipotle is hotter). They also provide several options in whcih are already prepped for you, and just waiting for you to finish and cook!

When you see they have specials with that whole fish, don’t be intimidated to ask them for help on cutting it for you- it will save you so much work and worry, and they are more than happy to give you a hand and be of service.

I wanted to also mention one of the reasons that when I do purchase meat, I like going to Whole Foods. I am willing to pay a little bit extra because they label all their meat with a scale of 1 through 5+ based on the animal welfare standards. This ranges from 1-no cages, no crates, no crowded as the minimum to 2 -enriched environment 3-enhanced outdoor access 4-pasture centered 5-animal centered no physical alterations step 5+animal centered, entire life on same farm.  Of course, this is not the same thing as organic. However, I strongly support stepping away from factory farms and a return to farming and ranching with respect for the life that is being taken.

Meanwhile, as I was admiring the case, I became interested in a cut I had never seen before- a Jersey Boneless Short Rib Steak. Apparently, there is only one cut of this per animal, and you don’t see it in stores much because butchers usually take it home to their families. I’ve had short rib before, noticeably and most often in Kalbi, a marinated grilled Korean version of the meat, which I love. But this is a boneless short rib. And, just like with kalbi, they are a very rich cut that includes some good fat content. I’ll circle back with more detail in a future post.

For now though, I encourage you to think about attending the FREE Feast event at Directors Park- both for seeing the mastery of the sharp knives from the butchers and fishmongers and also the surf and turf samples! Come cheer on the butchers and fishmongers as they can demonstrate their craft at this event, and learn about the meats and seafood of Whole Foods!

Disclosure: I was provided a gift card for Whole Foods in order to create a meal using the surf and turf from Whole Foods Market, and asked to promote the Best Butcher Contest and Fishmonger Faceoff event at Feast. There was no other compensation. But 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.