The Game is Afoot!

Here's news of an event that might and should not pass under your radar.

On Sunday, September 7, 2014, from 11:30am-4:30pm , a truly wild event will be taking place outside Portland proper. It might just be a meat orgy! Revered chefs from some of my favorite Portland and Seattle restaurants will be facing off in a culinary competition to see who can produce the best dish using Nicky USA's meat and wild game.

The sensational and unbelievable Portland vs. Seattle match ups include:

Joshua McFadden of Ava Genes (Portland) vs. Shane Ryan of Matt's in the Market (Seattle)
Josh Schofield of Toro Bravo (Portland) vs. Rob Sevcik of Loulay (Seattle)
Jin Soo Yang of Bamboo Sushi (Portland) vs. Jason Stoneburner of Bastille (Seattle)
Jason French of Ned Ludd (Portland) vs. Mike Easton of Il Corvo (Seattle)

The showdown will be taking place at the Wy'east Annex at Timberline lodge. Guests will enjoy samples of each competition dish and vote for the winner while they eat their way through the artisan marketplace featuring products from regional artisan purveyors. For more information about the food sponsors and the extensive list of market participants, visit the Wild About Game website.

Tickets for this unique and guaranteed-to-be-flavorful culinary event will set you back $65 for a whole day of eating pleasure ($75 at the door). Make a weekend of it and join Timberline chef Jason Stoller Smith and last year's winner Aaron Barnett of St. Jack for a pre-game feast on Saturday, Sept 6th, 2014.

Tickets are available here.
For more information about Nicky USA or the event, click here.

Game on! Go Portland!

Feast Portland Ticket Sales Commence…NOW!

Prepare to loosen your belts because tickets are on sale for Oregon's quintessential culinary event of the year. The event takes place September 18-21, 2014, but get your tickets NOW because they sell out FAST (rumor has it one of the events has already sold out)!

Entering its third year, this four-day party for your mouth brings together leading chefs, artisans, farmers, winemakers, brewers and distillers from Oregon and beyond for one delicious weekend with over 35 events at venues across Portland. At the core of this annual exhibition of bounty is a mission to end childhood hunger in Oregon and across America by donating festival net proceeds to Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, giving more than $99,000 in its first two years.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Here's a shortlist of hot ticket items. A complete listing of events and participants can be found at FeastPortland.com.

The Hot 10 Dinner: Celebrating Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurants in America

Location: Ava Gene’s | Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $200

Feel the pulse of the country’s best restaurants at this multi-course dinner prepared by past and present recipients of the “Hot 10,” Bon Appétit's annual short list of the best new restaurants in America, as named each year by Restaurant and Drinks Editor Andrew Knowlton. Hosted by Knowlton and Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport this dinner is a showcase of Hot 10 alums as well as one chef/restaurant from the 2014 list to be unveiled in late August.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational Presented By Dave’s Killer Bread

Location: Director Park | Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014 | Time: 6pm-9pm | Price: $95

The goal: Sandwich Supernova. The event: The Sandwich Invitational, Feast Portland’s killer kick-off party, where wildly imaginative, chef’d-up interpretations redefine everything you thought the humble sandwich could be. This year, 13 of America’s top chefs gather under the stars at Downtown Portland’s Director Park in their quest for sandwich success. Test your sandwich savvy by voting for the People’s Choice winner, wash it down with local Widmer Brothers Brewing beers, Northwest wines and cocktails and you have yourself a deliciously unforgettable evening. 

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Presented by Alaska Airlines

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square | Date: Friday, September 19, 2014 and Saturday, September 20, 2014 | Time: 12pm-5pm | Price: $60

Oregon is known for outstanding artisan offerings such as cheese, charcuterie, wine, beer and coffee. Come taste them all at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting when we transform Portland’s “living room” into the city’s dining room for two days of Feast-ing!  At the festival’s premiere daytime event, you can eat and drink your way through artisans, wineries and breweries. And while you’re indulging in Oregon’s best, the country’s top chefs return to the KitchenAid Main Demo Stage for lively cooking demonstrations. Whether you’re new to Oregon’s bounty or a dedicated locavore this event is not to be missed.  

USA Pears Night Market at Zidell Yards

Location: Zidell Yards | Date: Friday, September 19, 2014 | Time: 6pm-9pm | Price: $125

The nation’s liveliest outdoor celebration of global street food moves to the iconic Portland waterfront at Zidell Yards. So get ready for an evening that is bigger, bolder, and somehow, filled with even more food! Situated below the Ross Island Bridge, the Night Market will overlook the central artery of this port town, the Willamette River. New street food offerings will include the plethora of Asian options you’ve grown to love, along with Italian, Argentinian, Indian and more. With a who’s who of Oregon craft beer, wine, and spirits, you’ll be ready for an experience that embodies the sights, sounds, and tastes of an international culinary journey.

Oregonian Media Group High Comfort at The Nines

Location: The Nines Hotel | Date: Saturday, September 20, 2014 | Time: 6pm-9pm | Price: $175

Feast Portland doubles down again this year, with more than 20 chefs pushing comfort food out of its comfort zone at High Comfort. Put on your cuff links and high heels ladies and gents, cuz we’re headed to The Nines Hotel for the most decadent culinary event around. Oregon’s top winemakers will personally keep your glass full and you’ll be fed silly by the nation’s top culinary talent from Portland to NYC and everywhere in between. Don’t plan anything early the next day!

Brunch Village

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square | Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014 | Time: 11am-2pm | Price: $75

We’ve gathered the best of the brunch for Feast Portland’s newest event, Brunch Village. If you’ve ever found yourself waiting in line outside of that must-get-into brunch place, if you’re a baron of Bloody Mary’s, a sultan of scrambled eggs, then pull up a chair and join us for the best boozy brunch ever. Chefs from Portland and around the country will build their “towns” of bacon, eggs, pastries, and everything else that makes brunch our favorite meal of the day. Pile your plate up high, relax and take in the first-ever Feast Cocktail Competition, where Portland’s top bartenders mix up their favorite drinks for brunch glory. We guarantee you’ll apply for citizenship of Brunch Village.

Hands-On Classes & Tasting Panels

Location: Throughout Downtown Portland | Date: Friday, September 19, 2014 – Sunday, September 21, 2014 | Prices: $55-$125

For those who want to bring home more than just a fully belly from the festival, Feast Portland’s Hands-On Classes provide a rare opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade directly from the nation’s most skilled artisans and chefs. The Tasting Panels explore new trends in the beverage world, with discussions and tastings of wine, beer and cocktails led by local and national experts.

Dinner Series:

New KitchenCru Dinner Series Debuts

Traditional Feast Portland Dinner Series Returns

Location: KitchenCru Culinary Prepspace and Various Portland Restaurants | Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014 – Sunday, September 21, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Prices: $100-$175

KitchenCru is a shared use kitchen and culinary incubator in the heart of Portland – thus it’s the perfect location for the Feast Portland KitchenCru Dinner Series, our brand-new, next-level, multi-chef, collaborative dinner series where chefs from around the country will bring together their unique perspectives for once-in-a-lifetime dinner experiences. Feast Portland’s popular traditional dinner series also returns, pairing a visiting chef with a Portland favorite, creating the menus of their lives. With a spotlight on the best Oregon ingredients and local wines, attendees will feast on the culinary excellence of the country’s top chefs and those from our own backyard.

State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyard and Willamette Valley Vineyards

Location: KitchenCru Culinary Prepspace | Date: Friday, September 19, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $175

Join a super group of the country’s leading edge chefs for what will be one of most interesting dinners ever to happen on Oregon soil. 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.

Pop Stars with Elk Cove Vineyards and Ponzi Vineyards

Location: KitchenCru Culinary Prepspace | Date: Saturday, September 20, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $150

Pop-up dinners and restaurants are the culmination of inventive culinary themes and vanguard chefs, so we’ve gathered together our favorite “pop stars” including Sarah Simmons (City Grit, NYC) along with local pop heroes Katy Millard (Coquine, Portland) and Will Preisch and Joel Stocks (Holdfast Dining, Portland) in one kitchen for one night to create what is sure to be a once-in-a lifetime meal.

Girls! Girls! Girls! with Elizabeth Chambers Cellar and Domaine Serene

Location: KitchenCru Culinary Prepspace | Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $175

Those who claim that men monopolize the culinary world simply haven’t been paying attention for the past decade. Be schooled by bad-ass lady chefs Kuniko Yagi (Hinoki and the Bird, Los Angeles), Christina Tosi (Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast, Portland), and Johanna Ware (Smallwares, Portland) as they ‘lean in’ and show you why women are leading the culinary conversation more than ever.  

Edward Lee and Jenn Louis at Lincoln Restaurant with King Estate

Location: Lincoln Restaurant | Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $150

Two Top Chef alums join forces at Lincoln for a food reality TV junkie’s fantasy dinner. Kentucky-based chef Edward Lee (610 Magnolia, Louisville) and Jenn Louis (Lincoln, Portland) will serve up delicious dishes full of Oregon bounty.

Anita Lo and Gregory Gourdet at Departure with R. Stuart & Co. Winery and Sokol Blosser

Location: Departure Restaurant | Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $150

Two masters of invention spiked with Asian flair, Anita Lo (Annisa, NYC) and Gregory Gourdet (Departure, Portland) come together for an unforgettable evening. At Annisa, Chef Lo has been collecting stars – one  from the Michelin guide and a rare three sparklers from The New York Times in the past year – while Chef Gourdet has been turning heads as a prolific chef and budding television personality. We’ve even thrown in Downtown’s best view for good measure because we take ‘unforgettable’ seriously.

Ari Taymor and Sarah Pliner at Aviary with Archery Summit

Location: Aviary Restaurant | Date: Friday, September 19, 2014 | Time: 7pm | Price: $150

Chef Ari Taymor (Alma, Los Angeles) ventures north to team up with Sarah Pliner (Aviary, PDX) for a dinner to remember. Two food world Picassos, Taymor and Pliner, root classic technique at the heart of their food, but add a world of abstraction and creativity that brings it to another level. You won’t want to miss what they create together.

MORE INFORMATION

Tickets can be purchased at feastportland.com for the more than 35 events around Portland, Oregon, and offer a broad range, from “The Package,” which includes one ticket each to the Friday Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Saturday Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Sandwich Invitational, Night Market, Brunch Village and High Comfort, at $530, to tasting panels at $55.

In addition, visitors and media are invited to expand their Feast experience by taking advantage of pre- and post-event options that will take them to Oregon tastemakers’ favorite mouthwatering spots. Travel Oregon’s “Trails to Feast” inspirational itineraries give a firsthand look into Oregon’s bounty – meeting the farmers, fishermen, winemakers, foragers and food artisans who contributed the ingredients behind Feast. For more information or to plan your tasty adventure, go to TravelOregon.com/see-do/eat-drink. 

To apply for a Feast Portland 2014 Media Credential or Blogger Pass, please visit www.FeastPortland.com/press. To learn about becoming a Feast Portland sponsor, please email sponsorships@feastportland.com. 

Get Your Fixe - Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery offers new multi-course lunch menu

Cheese maven Sasha Davies and Michael Claypool are the brains behind Cyrils at Clay Pigeon Winery. One part urban winery, one part cheese-centric restaurant, one part retail outlet, Cyril's is like a one-stop shop for the resident foodies (have we officially retired that word yet?). 

And now they're offering a very special lunch menu.

Release - Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery is introducing their all new three-course lunch prix fixe lunch menu to Portlanders weekly at their small-scale urban winery and tasting room along Portland’s Eastside Industrial Corridor. Called The Fixe, the seasonal, weekly rotating multi-course lunch includes a salad, entrée and either a house made dessert or lunch time pour of wine or beer.

With the menu changing weekly based on seasonal and local availability of produce, pricing for The Fixe can range between $14 to $18. With options like Pork Empanadas & Winter Vegetable Cole Slaw, and Winter Greens Tart with Seedy Spinach Salad, it’s the perfect way to sample Cyril’s approach to fresh, local, organic, seasonable and sustainable dining. The Fixe is available Monday through Friday.

Clay Pigeon Winery is an urban winery producing wines with Oregon Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes. Cyril’s is the gathering place, tasting room, and retail shop set against the backdrop of the winery. Joining a burgeoning urban wine trial through Portland, Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery offers a curated collection on wines, wine-friendly bites, four rotating taps from favorite brewers in Portland and beyond, as well as a tap of Kombucha.

Cyril's at Clay Pigeon Winery

815 SE Oak St
Portland, OR 97214
503.206.7862

info@cyrilspdx.com

IPNC: The Weekend to End all Weekends

Wide selection of fine wines, including kosher wines.

You dream in shades of burgundy. To you, sexy legs are the ones that coat the side of glass, streaking the fine crystal with signs of viscosity. A nose is less a prominent feature on a face, but more so the fruit and spice characteristics that waft up from the glass, enrapturing your heart as well as your olfactory system. Age refers not to how many years you have tucked under your worn belt, but the length of time from creation you’ve been able to save that special bottle until it’s reached its moment of perfection, when you share it those you hope will appreciate it.

Traveling the world and tasting the finest in wine and food is a part of your lifestyle, yet you want to learn more… you seek out knowledge in order to better understand the luscious liquid that fills your glass. Maybe you’ve read about soils, have an inkling of terrior, visit various regions by way of jet plane (or your local wine shop), readily absorb cues from the wine with respect to aromas, textures, flavors… yes, clearly you’ve been bitten by the Pinot Noir bug.

If any of the above description resonates with you, chances are you may have already signed up for this year’s International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC), a showcase for both the world’s finest Pinot noir and the Northwest’s farm-to-table style of cuisine. If you’re new to wine and food appreciation, perhaps the extravaganza has yet to enter your field of vision. If the latter is your story (or it you're still busy figuring out your summer plans), I have one piece of advice: Pull out your bucket list and add this to the top, now (if it’s not yet sold out that is).

Preeminent winemakers, wine lovers, educators, revered regional chefs and epicureans from all over the globe will gather together in McMinnville Oregon for the 26^th annual event that is the absolute foremost in wine weekends. This year’s IPNC, scheduled to take place July 27-29, will land you smack dab in the heart of Oregon wine country exploring everything Pinot noir for three full days. With featured wineries from the North America, Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, this is your rare chance to taste them all side-by-side and get to know them all intimately. Enjoy vineyard tours, a grand seminar by Burgundy expert Allen Meadows, and welcome keynote speaker, actor and wine producer, Kyle MacLachlan.

In addition to tasting a wide world of Pinot, you can learn about how geology, geography, climatology, international relations and anthropology all relate to the Pinot noir grape through engaging seminars from the world’s foremost authorities on the subjects at the event’s University of Pinot. Explore walkabout tastings, movie screenings, book signings, alfresco breakfasts and lunches, a grand dinner as well as the renowned and much anticipated Salmon Bake…whatever floats your cork.

If the whole weekend isn’t in your budget, you can still experience a taste of the event with a Sunday walkabout ticket or a Pre-IPNC dinner only. Though there are many interesting dinners on the list to chose from, my personal favorite is always Anne Amie’s annual Counter Culture; a celebration of international wineries and urban street food. This casual atmosphere welcomes some of Portland’s most coveted restaurants alongside wines from local and way beyond, with breathtaking views and relaxing grounds to soak it all up from. As night falls, a bonfire is lit and fire dancers have been known to make their appearance, dazzling the audience while adding an air of mystique and excitement to the already magical evening. The whole IPNC weekend is utterly enchanting, you might even feel like you've died and gone to Pinot heaven. Join me there.

No Person Hungry in Portland - A Food and Wine Mecca

A foodie's dream come true, Taste of the Nation was created to bring awareness and raise money to stop childhood hunger. 5,000,000 calories later, I'm still digesting this concept. This year the event changed venues from Luxe Autoworks to the sun-dappled Jeld-Wen Field, and since the weather was especially accommodating (it was practically summer), one could almost feel the energy coursing through the breezy air. Thrill and excitement could be seen and felt by all who attended, worn like clothing on the bodies of those waiting for their entry, their next bite and their next drink.

The event is a showcase for local culinary artistry. Top chefs come out in the name of a worthy cause and don't hold anything back. Some of them are risk takers—huge props to Aviary on their Fried Pig Snout with Pickled Fennel, Hard-Boiled Egg and Mustard Creme Fraiche and La Calaca Comelona for their Octopus Stew atop a Slice of Green Apple. Some stay in their comfort zone, like the esteemed Joel Palmer House with everything mushroom, who still managed to throw out a few surprises with their mushroom desserts, like the tasty Candy Cap Mushroom and Madeira Milkshake.

A feast for the eyes, not only the belly, there's food in cups, on spoons, square foods, round foods and everything in between. Do I need to even mention the sweets? Top visual honors go to Otto for their Egg Cake (which wasn't really an egg at all) and Andina on their Causitas Maki (though I didn't care much for the texture when it hit my mouth, much preferring the taste of their Empanaditas de Lomo Saltado instead).

If I were to give out awards for favorite bites of the night, it would be a tough call, as there was literally a concourse of comestibles. Foods so scrumptious, they'd tempt you to eat more (like the little devil on your shoulder), even while your belly was screaming that is was so full another mouthful might make it burst. My most esteemed entrees of the evening were Aviary's Deep Fried Pig Snout, Boke Bowl's Asian Steamed Buns, Ned Ludd's Rabbit Confit, Biwa's Karokke, Circa 33's Mushroom Forest, Departure's Honey Chicken Buns, Irving Street Kitchen's Potato Latke Salmon Gravlax with Apple Butter and Herb Creme Fraiche and Portobello Vegan Trattoria's Beef Tartare with Cashew Cheese. Wow.

Top wineries were on hand to enhance the tasting experience, of which I particularly enjoyed the Bergstrom 2010 Old Stones Chardonnay, Elk Cove 2011 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Argyle 2008 Brut (who could turn down a glass of their bubbles?), Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah, Cana's Feast 2009 Barbera and Seven Bridges 2008 Malbec. If wine didn't put a smile on your face, local breweries were pouring beer and cider, and distilleries were also sampling a multitude of spirits and cocktails which seemed to leave imbibers with ear to ear grins.

A huge suceess, kudos to the Share our Strength Taste of the Nation organizers, staff and volunteers on a job well done! I hope the event achieved its goal and was able to raise the funds they were hoping for to make a difference in the lives of hungry children everywhere.

Get Your Tickets Now for the Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival

Keep it local…is the message. The Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival features the very best of Oregon's culinary culture with world class wineries and celebrated food artisans.

Don't miss the 2nd Annual “Best of Oregon” Food & Wine Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 14, from 5:00– 9:00 p.m. at the fabulously elegant Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon.

Showcasing the very best of Oregon's culinary culture – 30 world class wineries and 20 food artisans will be presenting their goods for one night only. Tickets to the main festival are $30.00 pre-sale and $35.00 at the door and wines will be available for purchase!!

Addtionally, the program includes a golf tournament prior to the festival. The tournament will be offered to a limited number of participants at an entry fee of $150 per person and includes access to all the day's  festivities. Kuni BMW is donating a brand new BMW for a “hole in one” prize!

Best of Oregon aims to support and promote Oregon's local economy by encouraging patrons to support the local festival vendors. A portion of the proceeds from the golf tournament, sponsorships and festival fees, along with 100% of door prize ticket sales will benefit Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation.

Check out the line-up of food and wine and then purchase your tickets today, visit www.bestoforegonfoodandwine.com! Contact Claudia Bowers at praviawines@gmail.com for more information.