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I Take Another Swing at the Best Food Festival in the Pacific Northwest

Last year was my first experience at Feast. And to be honest, the multitude of options was a bit overwhelming. Events like the Grand Tasting were filled with slightly sloshed souls sipping everything in sight. And it became more fun as the day wore on! With dozens of food purveyors and wineries, it was hard to make it through them all though I tried. Other events like Smoked held in a soggy field in a veiled mist of booze and rain were terrific though if not a bit too packed. Either way, there’s something for everyone at Feast Portland!

This year my approach will be different. I want to focus on all the meaty things without spending hours aimlessly standing in lines for bites I’m not sure will be worth the wait. I’m hitting the meaty highlights as usual and will be trying to meet the Chefs I admire most – along with a few newbies!

The Feast Portland Lineup

As was the plan last year, I’ve been given a formal itinerary of the events I’m permitted to attend gratis. In addition, I’ve been invited to a number of after parties ranging from one focused on jazz and hotdogs(?!?) to another that is a vodka focused bar crawl in which I might fear for my life towards the end…

The schedule for the event is impressive and likely an endurance test for even the most well-intentioned gourmand. There are so many top chefs I admire in the lineup this year including Nina Compton (who had the best bite at Smoked last year), the Dentons and Jose Chesa. In addition, Elias Cairo and charcuterie from Olympia Provisions will be abundant throughout the weekend and I’m excited about that.

But enough about what I can’t do. I’m excited that I will get to attend a good number of events including the following:

Top events I’m looking forward to are:

The Sandwich Invitational – where 19 featured chefs put some crazy spin-moves on the classic definition of “sandwich.”

The Grand Tasting – held on Friday and Saturday with more than 80 vendors, including some of the best chefs, vintners, brewers, bakers, cheesemakers and food artisans from the Northwest and across the country.

The Night Market – another highlight from last year with local booze and bites served in a Latin-inspired environment. Also complete with karaoke bus back downtown!

Smokedmy favorite event from last year where glow of giant flaming grills lights the way as 22 world-class chefs serve up the amazing and the unexpected. An abundance of cocktails, fine wines and craft beers are served as well!

Living the Keto Diet in an Unfriendly Environment

One major goal of mine, other than blindly indulging in copious amounts of meat, is to go Keto the whole trip. Yes, I may cheat but carbs be damned. I’m going to stick with protein, fat, lovely cheeses and wine to wash it all down. Hopefully I can come back without gaining 10 pounds in 5 days. Let’s do it!