Tips for Attending Feast Portland

September 10, 2014 by 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 Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Friday, Ben Jacobs3n himself of Jacobs3n Salt

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!

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!

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Countdown to Feast 2014

August 13, 2014 by 2 Comments

Can you believe it’s almost mid-August? Where did the entire summer go? Is it really the time of back to school sales already – and did those commercials for school supplies seem to run way early this year?

I haven’t been in school for a long time, and with no kids, September has not meant a reason to go shopping for school supplies. Instead it was just a time to start putting the summer strappy dresses away and taking out the cardigans for layering outfits. In a way, I missed that excitement of what a milestone September used to be, when it was time to go back and see all my school friends and be back with my social tribe.

Actually though, last September and this September I’ve been feeling that same enthusiasm and anticipation as the first day of school used to bring… and that’s because of Feast Portland.

Looking back on some of my stuff for the scrapbook of Feast Portland 2013

Feast 2014 is a huge food and drink festival that will run this year from Thursday September 18 – Sunday September 21st, 2014. That’s only 5 weeks away!

Most of the over 30 food and drink events are located in various locations in downtown Portland, and draws food lovers from all over as the premier Portland food and drink festival of the year.

In fact Fodor lists it as one of the top 15 North America food festivals alongside The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, NYC Wine & Food Festival, and Aspen’s Food and Wine Classic. Pretty good since this is only Feast’s third birthday.

The festival draws food lovers and big food names from all over, varying from the fellow West Coasters of California and Washington to the cosmopolitan cities of Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New York, Boston… and you can expect that many established and rising stars of Portland will also be there.

What this means to me is that like a special 4 day summer camp for adults, food lovers will be gathering at Feast to learn and share knowledge and most important, do a lot of eating and drinking of deliciousness.

When I attended Feast last year (both with a Feast Media pass and because I bought tickets to a couple events on my own dime), I came home every day with a big bag full of cards and pamphlets of new products I had just been introduced to, lots of scribbled notes of tips and ideas for future scrumptiousness, and a tummy full of so many distinctive bites and sips. For instance, what you see below was from just 2 hours in of Feast on Day 1…
Some swag from Feast Portland 2013

If you’ve been to Feast before I’m probably preaching to the choir, so let me help give an overview to those who haven’t attended Feast before, and why you should strive to attend at least one event.

First, you should know that the tickets for each of these events is always all inclusive. That means all food and drink are included in your price. Also, all the events for ages 21 and over only.

Second, you should also keep in mind that the net proceeds of Feast go towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength. In it’s first two years, Feast has been able to raise $46,000 in 2012 and more than $52,000 in 2013 so far. So your money is not only getting you admission to all this food and drink, it’s also for a worthy and important cause.

Third, if you can’t afford a ticket, you might also consider applying to volunteer for Feast. Remember it’s all for a valuable cause, and also promoting so much culinary delight!

The Type of Events at Feast

There are 4 main types of events at Feast.

1. Hands On Classes

These are workshops where in small groups like in a hands on cooking class, you will be tutored on a specific subject, and all the classes are spread throughout the days of Saturday and Sunday of Feast food camp. They all take place at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

What makes these stand out from normal cooking classes is that you will be learning from a nationally, even internationally, recognized expert in that subject!

Six of the eight the classes have already sold out, so I won’t tease you with those. The classes that are still open as of this post in case this is something you want to be schooled by one of the best include

Feast Portland Classes 2013 c/o Shawn Linehan, Tea Blending class
Photo Credit: Shawn Linehan CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Saturday, September 20, 2014
  • Soda Jerk: Artisanal Soda Making with Ross Hunsinger. Learn how to craft amazing soda with fruit syrups and infusions in your own kitchen so you can make your own spruce cola, birch root beer, etc that are restaurant quality from Ross, the founder of Atlas Sodaworks and who provides soda for Aviary 3-4:30 PM for $65
Sunday, September 21, 2014
  • Juicy Juice with Portland Juice Company. Have you been hearing about the juicing trend, varying from those on juice cleanses to those who just want to incorporate more healthy juices in their regular diet? Portland Juice Company can help you create winning combinations that are enjoyable and healthy. Class is from 11-12:30 PM for $65

2. Tasting Panels

These are classes where you get to taste a large variety of a special beverage while being educated on that particular beverage by expert tasting panel. Most of these run on Friday and Saturday and are held at the Portland Art Museum, outdoors under a tent in the museum’s sculpture area.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Tasting Panel 2013 c/o Katie Acheff for Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Katie Acheff CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

  • Chardonnay is for Lovers aims to introduce you to a fresh perspective on this white wine from 12-1:00 PM for $55
  • A Walk on the Sour Side explores sour beers from 2-3:00 PM for $55
  • Negroni O’clock explores the classic negronis from various negroni experts of Seattle, Portland, and New York from 4-5:00 PM for $55
Saturday, September 20, 2014

Tasting Panel 2013 c/o Katie Acheff for Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Katie Acheff CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

  • Tiny Bubbles takes a look at the bubbly beverages ranging from champagne to prosecco from 11-12:00 PM for $55
  • Beans and Booze mixes coffee cocktails with you from 12:45-1:45 PM for $55
  • Tastes Great. Less Filling challenges you to try lighter lager beeers from 2:30-3:30 PM for $55
  • Get Lei’d: It’s Tiki Time takes you on a tiki cocktail journey from 4:15-5:15 PM for $55

3. Dinner Series

These are 10 dinners from Thursday to Sunday of Feast food camp. Each of unique dinners is a mash-up of chefs from various restaurants and various cities all contributing their skills and culinary perspective to a singular dinner experience for that one night. Every dinner includes drink pairings – remember, it’s all inclusive.

If you were to continue this school analogy, this would be the final projects of various self-selected groups… and your ticket to the dinner means you get to be the judge of how well the end project result is. And the groups are all made of your teachers.

Feast Portland Dinner Series 2013 c/o Shawn Linehan Feast Portland Dinner Series 2013 c/o Shawn Linehan
Photo Credit: Shawn Linehan CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Last year, I did not buy a dinner series ticket, as I had decided to splurge on a ticket to High Comfort. This year, I decided that I wanted one of these special Dinners instead.

Nine out of ten of these once in a lifetime dinners are already sold out, including the one I have a ticket to – the State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyard and Willamette Valley Vineyards and chefs from 5 different cities but all individually defining the boundaries of modernist cuisine.

There is only one dinner left with tickets on sale, if you are interested:

  • Dessert for Dinner brings together 5 dessert chefs plus pairings of the courses with Sherries and Madeiras for one sweet time on Thursday September 18th at 7 PM for $100

I’ll try to take as many photos as I can of my dinner experience with State of the Art so you can see for yourselves what these final project report outs are like!

4. Main Marquee Events

Finally, the events that are like the school science fairs… but better because instead you can eat these, and the booths are all about deliciuosness.

These are five Marquee events which operate similar to open markets for you to sample from various tables. Unlike the previous three types which are in smaller groups, the Marquee events involve you being a lot more on your feet and in control of what, when, and where you’ll be as you wander as you’d like to each sampling station.

If you have ever seen on shows like Top Chef when the chefs each are manning a station putting forth a small sample dish they have conceived- that’s what these first four Marquee events are like.

Sandwich Invitational

The official name of this marquee event is Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational Presented by Dave’s Killer Bread. This runs on Thursday September 18th from 6-9:00 PM in Director Park.

Feast Portland Sandwich Invitational 2013 c/o John Valls
Photo Credit: John Valls CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

For $95 , for those 3 hours you can have at least 14 slider sized or better sandwiches, one from each of the 14 chefs in the lineup, including from visiting chefs like Hugh Acheson, Chris Cosentino, Paul Kahan and Matt McCallister as well as ten more Portland chefs from fine restaurants and the reigning sandwich kings of Portland, Rick Gencaralli of Lardo and also Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood of Bunk Sandwiches.

Feast Portland Sandwich Invitational 2013 c/o Allison Jones
Photo Credit: Allison Jones CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Oh yeah, and there’s also free flowing Widmer Brothers beer, cocktails by Reyka Vodka, and six wineries pouring all night. I attended this event last year – you can see my recap that was in my post in 2013 here – and I’ll also be attending this year!

Night Market

This is always the first Marquee Event to sell out- and it has just indeed sold out in the past week! The official name of this event is USA Pears Night Market at Zidell Yards and runs on Friday September 19th from 6-9:00 PM at Zidell Yards.

Feast Portland Night Market 2013 c/o Allison Jones Feast Portland Night Market 2013 c/o Allison Jones
Photo Credit: Allison Jones CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

For $125, for those 3 hours you can journey to the markets of Asia to eat street food, courtesy of 20 chefs, each presenting their interpretation of a street food plate for you. You won’t be thirsty though with 10 breweries, 6 wineries, and 9 distilleries keeping your glasses full. Given the famous names in the chef lineup, it’s no surprise this event is so popular.

High Comfort

Of all the five events, this is the one that is the fancy dress up and dine on comfort food like you were the 1%. The official name of this marquee event is Oregonian Media Group High Comfort at the Nines, held at the Nines Hotel on Saturday September 20th from 6-9:00 PM.

For  $175, for those 3 hours you can eat comfort food that has been upped in decadence and luxury from 20 different chef stations while enjoying generous pours of Widmer Beer, cocktails by Hendrick’s Gin, or keeping your wine glass full thanks to 15 wineries.

Feast Portland High Comfort 2013 c/o John Valls Feast Portland High Comfort 2013 c/o John Valls
Photo Credit: John Valls CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

I attended High Comfort last year in 2013: here’s my recap if you are interested in what it was like, and I’m sure it will be even better this year.

Brunch Village

This is a new marquee event for Feast’s third year. The Tillamook Brunch Village is taking over Pioneer Square held at the Nines Hotel on Saturday September 20th from 11-:200 PM.

For $75, you get a long and leisurely 4 hours to enjoy brunch bites from several nationally known chefs including the familiar faces of BBQ King Aaron Franklin and Ace of Cakes/Charm City Cakes Duff Goldman and more, plus the 5 breweries and 5 wineries.

All this eating and drinking will be while also watching a Brunch Brawl on the Main Stage as five bartenders compete to make the best brunch cocktail. The pictures below are from the Portland Monthly Country Brunch I covered earlier, but I am guessing that the concept will be similar in that there will be enticing brunch bites like this…

Chef Johanna Ware from Smallwares brought one of my favorite Asian breakfast dishes, Breakfast congee with Chinese Sausage, egg, scallion, granola and maple ponzu at Portland Monthly's Country Brunch 2014 at Castaway benefiting Zenger Farm Chef Rick Gencarelli from Lardo of course brought the fat with a Pork Belly Egg Benedict with a buttery buttermilk biscuit, big hunk of pork belly, fried quail egg, and Frank's hollandaise. Portland Monthly's Country Brunch 2014 at Castaway benefiting Zenger Farm  Chefs Michael Madigan & Jeff McCarthy from TenTop did a unique take with their Miso Soy Ginger Bagel with bulgogi beef, kimchee schmear, and cured egg yolk at Portland Monthly's Country Brunch 2014 at Castaway benefiting Zenger Farm

I’ll be at the Brunch Village event, reporting back with my recap of this event after I probably waddle home and take a big long nap.

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

This two day marquee event is like the best farmers markets you have ever visited- be it your local city one, Pike Place Market in Seattle or Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver or the great big markets in Europe or Asia.

Don’t be surprised if you are even a little overwhelmed by all the various booths of artisans. After all, there are 15 breweries, 33 wineries, and 16 artisan product stands and more… with each stand usually having multiple items for you to sample, and most with a winemaker or the artisan maker of the food product right there on the other side of the table for you to ask all the questions you want.

Feast Portland Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting 2013 c/o Allison Jones
Photo Credit: Allison Jones CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland
The $60 ticket to the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Presented by Alaska Airlines is good for all that that day (either Friday or Saturday) from 12-5:00 PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Feast Portland Logo

I’ll be back in a few weeks with specific tips on how to make the most of Feast 2014 if you attend. Meanwhile, I hope this post has been helpful to understand what will be going on in mid-September and how delectable it is all going to be! If you want to find out more, visit FeastPortland.com

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 though- it just means I will have more to recap for you! Follow me on Instagram @pechluck or Twitter @pechluck and check this blog during Feast for updates, or check the hashtag #feastpdx.

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Feast Portland 2013 Day 3: High Comfort Recap

September 23, 2013 by 6 Comments

Disclosure: 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. I paid for my own ticket to the High Comfort event.

I was excited for this event, High Comfort at The Nines, presented by Portland Monthly Magazine.  Tickets were a splurge for me (but I plunged forward anyway- this as not covered by my Bloggers Pass) at $175 and were sold out by Labor Day weekend of September. The event of course took place as part of Feast Portland on Saturday, Sept 21st 6:00pm – 9:00pm at the Nines Hotel to help raise money for Feast Portland charity partners: Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

As I wrote about in my countdown post to this event previously, reviewing some of the level of creativity and quality of food from the Feast 2012 event convinced me this was worth the price tag. Now I return the favor to all of you out there wondering if you may want to attend High Comfort 2014 with the details of this year. Although I still wonder how to get the lifestyle that I loved to watch on Gossip Girl (how was there a fancy party every other episode, always with new dresses?), for a few hours on this evening, I loved that I was able to have an excuse to wear a long gown when it wasn’t a wedding and be fancy and glamorous.

I was so dedicated to trying to get to all the food stations that I totally do not have a single photo of myself or the dress that I trekked to get to this fabulous party (yes, I walked 1.3 miles from home to the Nines! Don’t worry- I took a Pacific Foods sponsored pedicab to the After Party, and then a taxi home because my feet were just killing me, so I couldn’t go on). But I went all out wearing a floor length gown, thanks to everyone who came up to compliment my multicolor dress and made me feel like Cinderella at some sort of food Oscars- the dress was by Muse Apparel.

And now, I present to you my High Comfort Recap.

Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

All was well when I arrived as even before they put my Feast wristband on, they offered me a glass of champagne. Yes, let the VIP treatment, even if only for a few hours, start! The theme was that of a diner, starting with “The Peach Pit After Dark” which had more classic lounge music in a darkened, elegant setting with a few lights. You then would move down the hallway past Olympic Provisions, OSU’s Artisan Cheese Showcase, and Widmer Brothers Brewing to the Comfort Lounge which included Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Hendrick’s Gin, and two dessert station you’ll see at the end of this post.
Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

Finally, there was a large ballroom which was the High Diner, where most of the chefs stations were, with a few wineries having stations on each side of the wall, and one large center area where four different wineries were pouring.
Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

But for now, let’s admire the beautiful comfort food from my view! Especially, because my memory can only last me so long in remembering everything!

The Peach Pit After Dark

  • Thomas McNaughton of flour + water (San Francisco, CA) – Fermented Grain Porridge with mushrooms, Red Hawk cheese and duck crackling. It probably doesn’t look like much to you, but I liked the textures and I thought this was a perfect representation of taking a comfort food to another level, but it still had its simple, and sincere, heart.
    Thomas McNaughton of flour + water (San Francisco, CA) - Fermented Grain Porridge with mushrooms, Red Hawk cheese and duck crackling at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Aaron Barnett of St. Jack (Portland, OR) – “Mom’s Spaghetti” wild boar, sweetbread and pig trotter bolognese. This was tasty but a pain to eat- too short to wrap around the Verterra fork like real spagetti, but couldn’t just scoop up like a tortellini or rotini.
    Aaron Barnett of St. Jack (Portland, OR) - Mom's Spaghetti with wild boar, sweetbread and pig trotter bolognese at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • April Bloomfield of the Breslin Bar & Dining Room and The Spotted Pig (New York, NY)- Seafood Sausage. One of only 3 lines I stood in the entire evening for a chef’s station. This one almost went to the door of the Peach Pit!
    April Bloomfield of the Breslin Bar & Dining Room and The Spotted Pig (New York, NY)- Seafood Sausage at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Jenn Louis of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern (Portland, OR) –  Lamb Tartare wtih salsa verde and cured egg yolk. My favorite bite of the Peach Pit, and among my top 3 for all of High Comfort. Maybe I did go back and get a second chip.
    Jenn Louis of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern (Portland, OR) - Lamb Tartare wtih salsa verde and cured egg yolk at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Jason French of Ned Ludd (Portland, OR)- Creamed chipped smoked salmon, brioche soldiers
    Jason French of Ned Ludd (Portland, OR)- Creamed chipped smoked salmon, brioche soldiersat Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

High Diner

  • Justin Wills of Restaurant Beck (Depoe Bay, OR) – Water Buffalo Bratwurst
    Justin Wills of Restaurant Beck (Depoe Bay, OR) - Water Buffalo Bratwurst at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Justin Woodward of Castagna (Portland, OR) – Smoked Black Cod Nasturtium Cream
    Justin Woodward of Castagna (Portland, OR) - Smoked Black Cod Nasturtium Cream at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Tom Douglas repping from his Tom Douglas Restaurants empire, Tanaka San (Seattle, WA) – Dungeness Crab, Peanut and Pork Sausage with Kimchee Fried Rice. This was the second line I stood in during the evening, but Tom Douglas is the king of Seattle, and having already loved multiple of his restaurants I was speechless in his presence as he handed me my tasting portion.
    Tom Douglas repping from his Tom Douglas Restaurants empire, Tanaka San (Seattle, WA) - Dungeness Crab, Peanut and Pork Sausage with Kimchee Fried Rice at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Tom Douglas repping from his Tom Douglas Restaurants empire, Tanaka San (Seattle, WA) - Dungeness Crab, Peanut and Pork Sausage with Kimchee Fried Rice at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Tom Douglas repping from his Tom Douglas Restaurants empire, Tanaka San (Seattle, WA) - Dungeness Crab, Peanut and Pork Sausage with Kimchee Fried Rice at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Tom Douglas repping from his Tom Douglas Restaurants empire, Tanaka San (Seattle, WA) - Dungeness Crab, Peanut and Pork Sausage with Kimchee Fried Rice at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Philippe Boulot of the Multnomah Athletic Club (Portland, OR)- Dartois of sweetbread, foie gras and lobster
    Philippe Boulot of the Multnomah Athletic Club (Portland, OR)- Dartois of sweetbread, foie gras and lobster at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Jason Stoller Smith of Timberline Lodge (Portland, OR)- baked potato fram, smoked pork cheeks, truffled yougurt powder. I could have had a whole bowl of these.
    Jason Stoller Smith of Timberline Lodge (Portland, OR)- baked potato fram, smoked pork cheeks, truffled yougurt powder at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Renee Erickson of The Whale Wins (Seattle, WA)- Herring Rillette, Preserved Peppers in oil, Rye Toast
    Renee Erickson of The Whale Wins (Seattle, WA)- Herring Rillette, Preserved Peppers in oil, Rye Toast at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Vitaly Paley of Imperial and Paley’s Place (Portland, OR) – “Steak and Eggs” Smoked Elk Tongue, Duck Egg Yolk, Crispy Potatoes. Winner of best plating of the dish of all of High Comfort, don’t you think?
    Vitaly Paley of Imperial and Paley's Place (Portland, OR) - Steak and Eggs with Smoked Elk Tongue, Duck Egg Yolk, Crispy Potatoes at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer (Portland, OR)- Oregon Elk, Offal Aioli, Semolina Pita, Pickled Vegetables snuggled in the “grass”… I would give them award for best booth presentation.
    Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer (Portland, OR)- Oregon Elk, Offal Aioli, Semolina Pita, Pickled Vegetables at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer (Portland, OR)- Oregon Elk, Offal Aioli, Semolina Pita, Pickled Vegetables at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer (Portland, OR)- Oregon Elk, Offal Aioli, Semolina Pita, Pickled Vegetables at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Stephanie Izard of The Girl and The Goat (Chicago, IL)- Goat Chilli with Pizza Poufs. I only secretly squeed as she presented me with my sample.
    Stephanie Izard of The Girl and The Goat (Chicago, IL)- Goat Chilli with Pizza Poufs at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Stephanie Izard of The Girl and The Goat (Chicago, IL)- Goat Chilli with Pizza Poufs at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Stephanie Izard of The Girl and The Goat (Chicago, IL)- Goat Chilli with Pizza Poufs at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Andrew Carmellini of The Dutch (New York, NY) – Foie Gras Hot Dogs
    Andrew Carmellini of The Dutch (New York, NY) - Foie Gras Hot Dog at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Erik Van Kley of Little Bird (Portland, OR) – Lamb Belly BLT
    Erik Van Kley of Little Bird (Portland, OR) - Lamb Belly BLT at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort
  • Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho. The longest line of all the chef specials being offered, because they were plating to order, first with a container of just the radish noodles, then Michael himself slicing and personally serving your beef, and then a cutie delicately but deftly garnishing and finishing the plating with a pair of chopsticks! Totally worth the wait. Maybe I had two bowls of these. I mean seriously, here is my attempt to capture the experience to share with you. Look at that meat. Everything was good- even just the broth I would have been so happy with by itself, it was so flavorful.

Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Michael Voltaggio of ink (Los Angeles, CA)- Pho at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

Somehow, I missed Michael Lightner from Atera’s dish, who did a country fried beef. Sad. I wish the maps (which I scanned after someone discarded and left it behind, they were laminated but never saw where they came from) had actually been helpful in listing who was where: even Eat Mobile seems to be able to get that together.

Comfort Lounge

for Dessert too!

  • Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw (Portland, OR) – Raspberry Dipped Cone of Oregon Black Raspberries and Smoked Ham ice cream
  • Kristen Murray of Maurice (Portland, OR) – Oregon Berry & Sweet corn Pavlova, Jacobsen Sea Salt Honey Popcorn Candy

Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw (Portland, OR) - Raspberry Dipped Cone of Oregon Black Raspberries and Smoked Ham ice cream at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort Kristen Murray of Maurice (Portland, OR) - Oregon Berry & Sweet corn Pavlova, Jacobsen Sea Salt Honey Popcorn Candy at Feast Portland 2013 High Comfort

The one criticism I have was that there was absolutely no place to put down anything you were holding, and jugging a glass of champagne or wine and/or your food sample and possibly a utensil needed to eat with, and in my case a phone to boot, was a nightmare. I saw many others in cocktail attire basically left to sit in the hallways, trying to find a wall space.

This was a surprise to me logistically because I have been to many Portland Monthly sponsored events which have always been a great experience and have included seating (usually tables that also have their magazines fanned on them), even if they were holding it in a paved parking lot or empty art gallery loft. Well, I did like that when I first entered, there was a chalkboard with the twitter handle and hashtags- that seemed a familiar touch from Portland Monthly’s event planner, thanks!

I also don’t know what I was thinking in using this event to break in/learn the camera on my new phone (a Samsung Galaxy 4). This might be if you are a regular reader, why my photo thumbnails (as usuals, you can click on them to see a larger version) are more narrow than from my usual point and shoot camera. I learned the Samsung cameraphone lets me choose where to auto focus with a tap… except at this event, that means I needed a finger to tap that focus spot while holding everything else too! I kept going back and forth from the rooms with the stations to the hallway to eat in order to get the lighting you see. I can’t wait to see some of professional camera pictures and will update this post with links to the inevitable slideshows as I discover them, so come back and visit this post again in a week!

Disclosure: 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 ticket to this High Comfort event was paid from my own pocket. 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. 

Also check out my recap of Day 1 Sandwich Invitational and Day 2 Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

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Counting down to Feast Portland: High Comfort at The Nines

August 26, 2013 by 11 Comments

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.

High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll 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.
High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll 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

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.

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