Maya Lovelace Archives - Pechluck's Food Adventures

Feast PDX 2016 Go Get You Some Picnic

September 30, 2016 by Pechluck 7 Comments

I attended my first smaller Feast PDX event (not yet then dubbed Fun Sized) last year at the Aaron Franklin BBQ event. This year, Feast Portland added even more Fun Sized events, and I’m glad they did – I hope they add even more next year. For Feast PDX 2016, Go Get You Some Picnic was the Fun Sized event I attended.

Unlike the big marquee events, these smaller events have a more laid back feel where you have less variety of chefs and food, but the plates are still enough for a meal (the plates each of the Chefs make are a bit bigger). As a guest you have room to sit and eat after getting your food from the booths or barrels to stand and eat cocktail party style, so no need to worry about juggling your food and drink unlike the marquee walk around events. Feast PDX 2016 Go Get You Some Picnic

There’s still a short time as a guest needed though on visiting booths collecting food, it isn’t served to you like at a Dinner Series event so you are still responsible for fetching it yourself in the order you want like at the Marquee walk around events. But at the Fun Sized Events mean you are only sharing the Chefs with 200 others (and they are not slammed with like 1000 people like the big events), so lines if any are short and fast generally just at the beginning when they let everyone in.

Since the chefs are in tents instead of behind in a kitchen like in the Dinner Series, you can also very easily talk to them after eating and everyone has gotten their food. Unlike a Dinner Series though each of the Chefs does not do a mini speech telling you the story behind the dish they decided to offer.

So now here’s a look at my food! The theme was Southern-style picnic featuring fried chicken and sides from

Tommy Habetz of Bunk Sandwiches and Pizza Jerk chicken was Korean Fried Chicken with apples, kimchee, and Willapa Hills Big Boy Blue Side
Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon and Little Bird gave us a French Indian take with his Hot chicken with vaudovan seasonings (and white bread and pickles) along with Salad Sauce and Tequila watermelon salad with sesame cucumber and jalapeno
Maya Lovelace of pop-up and already well loved by me for Mae PDX (which I’ve enjoyed and written about previously) brought a perfect piece of the chicken via Lard fried chicken wing accompanied by a sorghum butter and country ham biscuit and after-church broccoli salad. Loooove.
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Bostonian Matt Jennings of Townsman brought Chicken Fried Pigtails, Hot Sauce, Stinky Chow Chow, as well as a side (thank god, because 2 of the 3 chicken dishes and his chicken fried pig tails were all adding up to a lot of heat so I needed a break now and then) of Three Bean Salad to the picnic.
Annie Portlock of Annie Pies with 3 Mini-Pies
- Honey Lime Coconut Pie – honey shortbread, honey lime coconut cream, whip, toasted coconut, lime zest, I loved how tart these were!
- S’mores Pie – scratch graham, chocolate ganache, toasted marshmallow – these were my favorite of the 3
- Peach Julep Pie – gingersnap crust, minty peach filling, Kentucky bourbon white chocolate mousse
More dessert via a surprise appearance of Mika Paredes of Girls Club (ok, not too surprising as I just saw the three of them at my recent Plate & Pitchfork dinner and they are all friends, and I was stoked to see her even though she wasn’t on the Chef roster for the event) and she wowed everyone with Ambrosia salad Vietnamese “Che” style
More dessert thanks to Tillamook offering three flavor scoops of Oregon Marionberry Cheesecake Frozen Custard, Stumptown Cold Brew Extra Creamy Ice Cream, and Tcho Double Dark Chocolate Farmstyle Gelato
Drinks from the Union Wine Co, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

The event was so relaxing I had time to gather all the savory dishes at once so I could just sit down and eat all at once without having to get back up (great because several of these dishes were extremely messy with sauces; don’t know where they hid all the napkins and towels, but I was glad as part of my usual Feast supplies I always carry extra paper towels in my bag!) until my dessert round, and I got those all together as well!

Desserts by Annie's Pies, Tillamook, and Mika Paredes of Girls Club at Feast PDX Go Get You Some Picnic washed down by some Union Wine Co sparkling wine

When the Feast tickets for 2017 go on sale in the spring, I highly recommend checking out the list of Fun Sized Events. It’s a perfect event in that it is a mashup of a theme with multiple chefs including out of town chefs and getting to try multiple perspectives of that theme from the different chefs, but also casual and laid back so you can enjoy the experience and relax while eating rather then being in a big crowd at the bigger events. Did I mention the sitting to eat and drink enough yet?

Since you serve yourself you will be able to try everything within generally an hour or so, versus the longer 4 hour Dinner Series which have formal courses or the Marquee Events that just have more food and chefs to cover. The trade off is less variety of bites and less chefs than a Marquee event, and unlike the Dinner Series but like the big events you still have to visit booths and have minor lines as you pick up your own dishes.

But if the theme is one you are interested in or you really want to meet or try the food of the participating Chef, a Fun Sized Event would be a great compromise with the intimacy of a Dinner Series event and with the fun of a choose your own Feast adventure.

Save the date for Feast Portland 2017, scheduled for September 14 – 17 2017. Feast will be posting the schedule next spring which is when tickets go on sale, and many will sell out within just a few hours or within a few days so stay tuned to their newsletter and on their social media for on-going Feast updates.
Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2016 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 that I paid for myself, and this event I paid for myself ($85 all inclusive). 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: #feastpdx, #feastportland, #foodiefriday, #funsize, after-church broccoli salad, Ambrosia salad Vietnamese Che style, Annie Portlock of Annie Pies, Chicken Fried Pigtails and Hot Sauce with Stinky Chow Chow, Feast 2016, Feast Fun Size, Feast Fun Sized Event, feast pdx, Feast PDX 2016, Feast PDX 2016 Go Get You Some Picnic, Feast PDX Fun Size, Feast Portland, Feast Portland 2016, Foodie Friday, Fun Size Event, Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon and Little Bird, Go Get You Some Picnic, Honey Lime Coconut Pie, Hot chicken with vaudovan seasonings, korean fried chicken, Lard fried chicken wing, Mae PDX, Matt Jennings of Townsman, Maya Lovelace, Mika Paredes of Girls Club, Mini-Pie PDX, Mini-Pies portland, Oregon Marionberry Cheesecake Frozen Custard, Peach Julep Pie, S'mores Pie, sorghum butter and country ham biscuit, Stumptown Coffee Can, Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee Nitro, Stumptown Cold Brew Extra Creamy Ice Cream, Tcho Double Dark Chocolate Farmstyle Gelato, Tequila watermelon salad with sesame cucumber and jalapeno, Three Bean Salad, Tillamook, Union Wine Co Sparkling Wine, Union Wine Co wine in a can

A look at a Plate and Pitchfork Dinner

August 19, 2016 by Pechluck 1 Comment

Every summer, Plate and Pitchfork has been creating farm to table dinner events to help people appreciate and celebrate the journey and connection of the hard work of farmers to the incredible local food that can nourish us in nutrition and spirit. Each Plate and Pitchfork dinner takes advantage of highlighting the freshest seasonal ingredients from local farms picked at the height of flavor, prepared fantastically thanks to the expertise of a variety of partnering local chefs, and then guests dine al fresco at actual farms after a farm tour.
Plate and Pitchfork Farm Dinner, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms.

I attended my first Plate & Pitchfork dinner recently, which took place at Diggin’ Roots Farm in Molalla, Oregon. At this particular dinner on August 13 the chef trio of Chef Maya Lovelace from Mae, Chef Tommy Habetz of Pizza Jerk & Bunk Sandwiches, and Chef Mika Paredes of Girls Club PDX, and wines from Brooks. Here’s a look at some of the experience after we checked in…
Plate and Pitchfork Farm Dinner, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms.

Wine Tasting Reception

Wine tasting reception with the guest winemaker, Brooks Wine who was pouring their 2015 Pinot Blanc as everyone checks in and passed hors’dourves
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms: at this dinner the guest winemaker was Brooks Wines, here pouring 2015 Pinot Blanc

Pizza Bianca with Diggin’ Roots Caponata
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms: Pizza Bianca with Diggin' Roots Caponata

Bacon Fat Fried Shishito Peppers with pickled ramp and buttermilk vinaigrette
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms: Bacon Fat Fried Shishito Peppers with pickled ramp and buttermilk vinaigrette

Goat cheese crostatas with caramelized Siskiyou sweet onion
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms: Angel biscuits with cucumber benedictine, heirloom tomato, bourbon barrel smoked salt and toasted benne

Angel biscuits with cucumber benedictine, heirloom tomato, bourbon barrel smoked salt and toasted benne
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms: Angel biscuits with cucumber benedictine, heirloom tomato, bourbon barrel smoked salt and toasted benne

Farm Tour

Farm tour led by the host farmer to see the fields and learn about the farm’s history, operations and products. Our half of the group was led by Conner and son Wendell while his wife/mom of Wendell Sarah led the other group on the walk around Diggin’ Roots farm.
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Here we're at Diggin' Roots farm and going on our farm tour before dinner with Conner

Dinner

The chefs have prepared a family-style meal with produce plucked from the fields we just toured.
Plate and Pitchfork Farm Dinner, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms.

Grand Central Bakery bread was at each end of the table for 8.
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Grand Central Bakery bread was at each end of the table for 8.

Stone ground cornbread panzanella with lemon cucumber, pickled onion, romano beans, summer herbs, indigo apple tomatoes and sweet Jimmy Nardello yogurt, served with Brooks Wines 2014 Willamette Valley Riesling
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Stone ground cornbread panzanella with lemon cucumber, pickled onion, romano beans, summer herbs, indigo apple tomatoes and sweet Jimmy Nardello yogurt, served with Brooks Wines 2014 Willamette Valley Riesling

Lemon Bucatini with roasted heirloom tomatoes served with Brooks Wines 2015 Brooks Estate Riesling
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Lemon Bucatini with roasted heirloom tomatoes served with Brooks Wines 2015 Brooks Estate Riesling

A look at the atmosphere as we are eating the bucatini – the sun is slowly going down, giving us a relief from the heat
Plate and Pitchfork Farm Dinner, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms.

Lamb Arista, cast iron fried red gold potatoes with romano beans and dill creme fraiche served with Brooks Wines 2014 Janus Pinot Noir
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Lamb Arista, cast iron fried red gold potatoes with romano beans and dill creme fraiche served with Brooks Wines 2014 Janus Pinot Noir

The gorgeous horizon as we sip coffee and have dessert
Plate and Pitchfork Farm Dinner, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms.

Zucchini olive oil cake with cream cheese ice cream and Riesling caramel with optional beverage of Marigold Coffee using Guatemalan coffee beans
Plate and Pitchfork, bringing farm to table dinners during the summer in Portland where guests dine al fresco on farms. Zucchini olive oil cake with cream cheese ice cream and Riesling caramel with Marigold Coffee

The dinners are all inclusive of gratuity and beverages. Non-alcoholic beverages are always available, and it is listed which particular dinners can accommodate vegetarian meals with advance reservation only. All the dinners are for age of 21+ only, no pets, no smoking (the child and dog you see are residents of the farm). Seats are assigned at the tables of 8, but you can request ahead of time to be seated with certain party members.

To find out about the Plate and Pitchfork Dinner schedule, sign up for their mailing list so you can find out when the schedule for Summer 2017 will be announced and tickets go on sale.

Thank you Maya, Mika, and Tommy and the farmers with your local produce and Brooks Wines and everyone who is a Plate and Pitchfork partner for the delicious Plate and Pitchfork Farm to Table dinner.
Thank you the chef trio of Chef Maya Lovelace from Mae, Chef Tommy Habetz of Pizza Jerk & Bunk Sandwiches, and Chef Mika Paredes of Girls Club PDX, Diggin' Roots farm for the location and all the farmers with your local produce for the delicious Plate and Pitchfork dinner.

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Portland Highlights Tagged With: #chooselocal, #foodiefriday, #supportlocal, Angel biscuits with cucumber benedictine and heirloom tomato, Bacon Fat Fried Shishito Peppers with pickled ramp and buttermilk vinaigrette, Brooks Wine, Conner and Wendell of Diggin' Roots farm, Diggin' Roots farm, farm dinner, farm to table dinner, Foodie Friday, Goat cheese crostatas with caramelized Siskiyou sweet onion, Grand Central Bakery bread, Lamb Arista, Lemon Bucatini with roasted heirloom tomatoes, Marigold Coffee, Maya Lovelace, Pizza Bianca with Diggin' Roots Caponata, Plate & Pitchfork dinner, Plate and Pitchfork, Stone ground cornbread panzanella with sweet Jimmy Nardello yogurt, support local, Support your Farmer, Tommy Habetz, Zucchini olive oil cake with cream cheese ice cream and Riesling caramel

Mae PDX – Pre Thanksgiving Dinner

December 9, 2015 by Pechluck 6 Comments

On Wednesday November 25th, I had the pleasure once again to dine at the pop up Mae PDX. As I’ve written about previously when I attended and recapped the details of my first dinner, Maya Lovelace makes what I think is the best fried chicken in Portland, brined and fried in three fats and arriving at your table warm and juicy so it drips a bit in your hand after biting past the crispy outer layer into the meat inside.

Although the fried chicken is a constant course at these almost weekly pop up dinners (sign up for their mailing list to get messages on when the next dinners are and to sign up for a reservation – there are only 24 seats), the details of the other courses vary based on what is seasonal and her whims.

To find her pop-up after procuring your reservation, head towards the back of the Old Salt Marketplace parking lot and look for a red door. There, you can check in with whoever is greeting (either Maya Lovelace or Zach Lefler, the founders of Mae PDX) where they will let you know where your party will be seated. There are four tables of six set up so they have worked out the math based on who made the reservations already – each table of six will share their food family style.
Look for the red door in the back of the Old Salt Marketplace to enter the pop-up area where Mae PDX lives on Wednesdays The tables are 4 sets of six- each set of six shares dishes family style

Let’s take a look at the courses at my Mae PDX – Pre Thanksgiving Dinner version (since I enjoyed it the day before Thanksgiving!). Make sure you eat lightly before, as there will be LOTS of food – almost 10 shared plates – of food to eat at this dinner.

As always, it is BYOB. This time we brought sparkling wine to go with our champagne, but when you first arrive a little before 7 PM (dinner starts at 7), you are first presented pitchers of Sweet Tea. This time, it was a Sassafras Sweet Tea so it had a very sweet flavor that was a bit reminiscent of root beer.
Sassafras Sweet Tea at Mae PDX

Next was a passed appetizer of Deviled eggs with bread & butter pickled green garlic & hot sauce caviar.

You know, just the traditional southern deviled eggs with yeah, hot sauce caviar that I have feeling Grandma Mae did not make. It’s a perfect example of how Maya combines her family tradition with her own touches too.
Deviled eggs with bread & butter pickled green garlic & hot sauce caviar

There is usually an Assorted Pickle Platter of some sort, which comes on a big plate with lots of little jars and spoons. This time it consisted of (starting from bottom left and going clockwise, Green Tomatoes, Sour Corn (in a sauerkraut style), Okra, Pimento cheese & Benton’s 16 month aged country ham from Tennessee.
Mae PDX Pickle Platter for November 25, 2015: Pimento cheese & Benton's 16 month aged country ham, Green Tomatoes, Sour Corn (in a sauerkraut style), Okra

They are served with Benne crackers, a buttery toasty cracker that is addictive. I have a hard time holding myself back saving for what I know will be quite the parade of food to come – well, you’ll see.
Mae PDX Pickle Platter for November 25, 2015: Pimento cheese & Benton's 16 month aged country ham, Green Tomatoes, Sour Corn (in a sauerkraut style), Okra

Earlier while we were enjoying our sassafras sweet tea and waiting for everyone in the dining room to arrive and be seated, I had watched Zach prepare the fluffy mini Angel Biscuits and ever since then been waiting for those warm fluffy goodies to appear. Angel biscuits are flakey soft like a biscuit, but also have additional yeast that makes them fluffy and high.
Zach preparing the Angel Biscuits for Mae PDX as the pans get hot behind him for frying the chicken

Although bright and lemony tasty while serving as a call back to moonshine, the second of the 3 beverages Mae PDX offered for this dinner – here a Branch raw honey rye Old Fashioned – could not distract my thoughts from the pending biscuits. It was served in a small jar that we passed around the table and poured our drink into mini mason jars.

Now Zach was starting to fry the chicken in batches on the hot 3 pans behind and I started to acquire the scent of my clothing of fried chicken that I enjoyed on my Uber ride home. Thighs and drumsticks are my favorite pieces of fried chicken.
Zach starts frying the chicken and the whole place smells incredible at Mae PDX, popping up behind Old Salt Marketplace

Yay! The Angel Biscuits, here served with Sorghum Butter (you can see isassafras c melting) and a Cranberry and quince sauce
Warm angel biscuits Warm angel biscuits, topped with sorghum butter and a sassafras cranberry and quince sauce "Warm

Next was another slam dunk course, and one of the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever had they were so tender and smoky, roasted brussels sprouts with brown butter crunch, brown butter vinaigrette, and chervil.
Roasted Brussels sprouts, brown butter crunch, brown butter vinaigrette, chervil

Suddenly the dishes starting arriving fast and furious – the main event really was like Thanksgiving as I completely filled my plate with food such as

Green bean casserole with chanterelles and fried onions – I always prefer when real mushrooms are used instead of some mushroom soup

Fried chicken being plated! It’s go time!
The famous Mae PDX buttermilk brined fried in three fats Fried Chicken

Baked butternut squash, marshmallows and fried sage created in a Sweet Potato Casserole style

The Baked cheddar grits with ramps was generous with the Tillamook Cheddar
The Mae PDX Baked cheddar grits with ramps was generous with the Tillamook Cheddar

The smoky Cornbread dressing with Benton’s bacon and chicken livers and the Chicken Gravy
The smoky Cornbread dressing with Benton's bacon and chicken livers

As we enjoyed our main course, guests took turn observing Maya freely and generously pouring alcohol as needed to recreate the cream based on taste memory
Maya Lovelace creating her alcohol loaded cream purely by taste memory The dynamic duo behind Mae PDX, Maya Lovelace and Zach Lefler

I was super full at this point and glad I wore a dress that gave me a little more ahem room but still found the space to eat two of these mini Pecan tarts, just like her grandmother used to send Maya in the mail for the holidays. If there had been more I would have totally pocketed them – but every guest couldn’t resist eating several of these. I was so jealous that she used to get these in the mail.
Pecan tarts, just like her grandmother used to send Maya in the mail for the holidays

These were the perfect treat to go with the Coffee Syllabub, a creamy coffee drink with Zach’s roasted coffee that was like a mash-up of an Irish Coffee but also like Egg Nog becasue of the egg white cream.
Pecan tarts, just like her grandmother used to send Maya in the mail for the holidays, along with Coffee Syllabub

Maya plating the Sweet potato custard pie, the final course
Maya plating the Sweet potato custard pie, the final course

I liked how this was a little softer because of the custard, and not as squashy.
Sweet potato custard pie

Ooooff, now you see what I mean by eating lightly before dinner for this 10 course marathon right?

I like to think of myself as a patron of the arts – while some patrons collect art pieces and visit art galleries, or sponsor musicians, sciences, or charites, I’ve dedicated myself to the culinary arts. Besides Nodoguro, Mae PDX has a place in my heart and stomach as among my favorite pop-ups in Portland. I heartily endorse that you need to go – and if you need a friend to go with you, I volunteer!

If you’d like to learn more about Mae and Maya, check out this excellent podcast with Right At The Fork featuring Maya.

While at dinner, one of my guests mentioned he preferred cold chicken to hot chicken. I disagree. I do love both hot and cold chicken, but the juice running down from the warm meat, and the crispy texture that is yet soft of the chicken only happens when it’s hot, so hot gets more favor and will win. What do you think between cold vs hot chicken?

Thighs and the leg are my favorite part of the fried chicken, followed by wings and breasts. What are you favorite sections? What would have been your favorite dish of the dinner?

Filed Under: Food and Drink Tagged With: Baked butternut squash, Baked cheddar grits with ramps, Benne crackers, Benton's 16 month aged country ham, Branch raw honey rye Old Fashioned, Coffee Syllabub, Cornbread dressing with Benton's bacon and chicken livers, Deviled eggs with bread & butter pickled green garlic & hot sauce caviar, Mae PDX, Mae Pop-up, Mae Portland, marshmallows and fried sage, Maya Lovelace, pecan mini-tart, Pecan tart, Pickled corn, pickled green tomatoes, pickled okra, pimento cheese, Portland pop up restaurant, Pre Thanksgiving, Roasted brussels sprouts with brown butter crunch, sassafras cranberry and quince sauce, Sassafras Sweet Tea, sauerkraut corn, sorghum butter, sour corn, Sweet potato custard pie, Warm angel biscuits

Mae PDX – the Best Fried Chicken of my Life

September 21, 2015 by Pechluck 5 Comments

From some of my foodie friend’s feeds, I’ve been drooling for quite a while for the skillet fried chicken and the cornbread of Maya Lovelace.

She has been doing a pop-up called Mae PDX since late spring offering 10 course family style dinners and BYOB in terms of your alcoholic libations.

Maya Lovelace and Zach Lefler making the delicious in the kitchen at the back of Old Salt Marketplace

It used to be after she sent out the date and sign up email to her mailing list, the 24 seats would be taken before I even read the email (which sometimes would only be within a few hours and more lately, a few minutes!). But, I finally got my opportunity at the beginning of September, which I will recap in photos here.

The Mae PDX dinners are served family style where you share dishes at a table of 6

The menu does change, so this is just a sample. Rest assured that the one constant will always be that mind-blowing buttermilk brined skillet fried chicken, fried in 3 fats, will be there.

Since my visit, Maya has also switched from reserving by email (and then paying cash donation at dinner) to ~~now selling the pop-up dinner tickets via Brown Paper Tickets for $65~~ a seating that includes around ten courses, sweet tea, house roasted coffee, and digestif cocktail. Update 11/21

“We’re going to be returning to our original reservation format. This means saying goodbye to tickets and instead taking reservations on a first-come, first-served basis through email. It’ll be pretty simple… we’ll send out a dinner announcement, and you’ll respond to the email with the number of seats you’d like.
We’ll also be returning to a suggested cash donation for payment… this allows us to get great feedback from you on what you think our work is worth.”

You should sign up for the Mae mailing list and also like the Mae PDX Facebook page to be in the know and get the tickets link however! The trend I’ve seen is that they tend to be on Wednesdays – in fact there are still tickets available for the 9/23 dinner.

In addition, you can bypass the whole family style dinner with multiple courses if you’d like by attending the Mae PDX and Lardo pop-up happening this Sunday, September 27! If I wasn’t out of town, I would be there myself, no question.

On Sunday, 9/27 from 5 PM – 10 PM , Maya and her partner in slinging the Appalachian meets Pacific Northwest food, boyfriend Zach Lefler, will be at Lardo cart at the SE location of 1212 SE Hawthorne. They accept cash and credit card.

They’ll be offering that fried chicken and a variety of tasty sides. According to the newsletter, their rough draft of the possible menu (which may change based on farmer availability) includes

buttermilk brined, lard fried chicken (white, dark, wings)
green garlic deviled eggs
angel biscuits with sorghum butter and benton’s country ham
fried cornbread & late summer vegetable panzanella
porky braised greens
pimento cheese baked grits
fried green tomatoes & buttermilk ramp ranch
slow-cooked sea island red peas
bacon fried cabbage with pickled mustard seed vinaigrette

Ok, now onto my dinner photos to get you in the mood. And, did I mention this is the best fried chicken I’ve had in my life?

Sassafras and Pluot Luzianne Sweet Tea

Pimento Cheese and Benton’s Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers

Left photo: Maya Lovelace of Mae PDX introducing the starters of Pimento Cheese and Benton’s Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers

Black Locust Farm French Breakfast Radishes with Preserved Ramp Butter

One of the prettiest salads I’ve ever seen, Gathering Together Farms Sweet Corn, Pickled Chanterelles, Chrysanthemum Greens, Flame Nectarine

Anson Mills Stoneground White Cornbread with Sorghum Butter and Strawberry Spruce Tip Jam served hot from the oven in the skillet with the butter still melting

Compressed Melons and Petite Plums with Benton’s 16 Month Aged Country Ham and bourbon Smoked Salt and Shiso

The main event! The life changing… life changing I tell you- Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce. Behind you see a gorgeous skillet of Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy

So MUCH LOVE for this dish. You could really see and taste and feel the love from Maya that goes into the dish and then to us.

Who knew that simple Angel Biscuits with Duke’s Mayo and Sliced Siletz Tomato could be so good that I ate like 3 of them. Or maybe 4. Well, that’s only 2 whole biscuits right since they are halved? Right?

I’d never had Dragon Tongue Beans, but I enjoyed the snap of these that helped balance the richer chicken, corn, and biscuits. I did eat these Dragon Tongue Beans, Benton’s Bacon Vinaigrette and Tomato Gravy with my hands since I was already all in with the fried chicken and biscuits. And that little flower detail in the plating just makes me melt with the care Mae PDX has for their dishes.

Now heading into the final round, we were treated to a pretty potent Elderflower and Cherry Old Fashioned (don’t worry, it’s poured into a little mason jar to drink, that bottle is shared for the table – that’s how potent it is), then Zach’s House Roasted Coffee accompanied this Sundrop Glazed Pound Cake with Blackberries and Buttermilk

Thank you to the very gracious and patient people at my table who made paused from digging in so that I could take the photos.

If you’d like to learn more about Mae and Maya, check out this excellent podcast with Right At The Fork featuring Maya.

Which of these dishes appeals the most to you?

Filed Under: Food and Drink Tagged With: Angel Biscuits with Duke's Mayo and Sliced Siletz Tomato, Anson Mills Stoneground White Cornbread with Sorghum Butter and Strawberry Spruce Tip Jam, Appalachian meets Pacific Northwest, best fried chicken, Black Locust Farm French Breakfast Radishes with Preserved Ramp Butter, Compressed Melons and Petite Plums with Benton's 16 Month Aged Country Ham and bourbon Smoked Salt and Shiso, Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy, Dragon Tongue Beans with Benton's Bacon Vinaigrette and Tomato Gravy, Elderflower and Cherry Old Fashioned, fried chicken, Gathering Together Farms Sweet Corn and Pickled Chanterelles and Chrysanthemum Greens and Flame Nectarine, Mae at Lardo, Mae in September, Mae PDX, Mae September Menu, Maya Lovelace, Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, Sassafras and Pluot Luzianne Sweet Tea, skillet fried chicken, Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce, Sundrop Glazed Pound Cake with Blackberries and Buttermilk, Zach Lefler

Feast PDX 2016 Go Get You Some Picnic

A look at a Plate and Pitchfork Dinner

Wine Tasting Reception

Farm Tour

Dinner

Mae PDX – Pre Thanksgiving Dinner

Mae PDX – the Best Fried Chicken of my Life

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