5 Events You Can’t Miss If You’re Headed to Feast Portland This Weekend

This week, we’re headed to Oregon for a long weekend of eating at Feast Portland, the Pacific Northwest’s largest food festival. For the fifth year in a row, the festival’s taking over Rose City with private dinners, hands-on classes and big tent tastings. If you’re in town for the festival—or simply just in town—here are five happenings this week that you simply can’t miss.

 

1. Sandwich Invitational: This annual showdown, which takes place at Portland’s largest outdoor public plaza, RoseQuarter Commons, will feature 14 of the country’s best chefs vying for the vote of top sandwich. Competitors include Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station, Los Angeles), Tom Douglas (Lola, Dahlia Lounge and other restaurants, Seattle) and Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas (Olamaie, Austin).
2. The Hot Ten presented by Bon Appétit: Presenting sponsor Bon Appétit hosts its annual Best New Restaurants dinner tonight. Enjoy tastes from current and past winners, including Chicago’s Parachute and Portland’s Ava Gene’s, while rubbing elbows with the magazine’s Editor in Chief, Adam Rapoport, and Deputy Editor Andrew Knowlton.
3. Friday and Saturday Grand Tastings: Come find us under the tent at Pioneer Courthouse Square! We’ll be passing out delicious bites from the likes of Mei Lin (Top Chef), Matt Jennings (Townsman, Boston), Gregory Gourdet (Top Chef), Bonnie Morales (Kachka, Portland), Josh Even (Tosca, San Francisco) and Akkapong Earl Nimsom (Lang Baan, Portland).  Catch up one on one with chefs, tastemakers, artisans and wineries; you’ll find everything from Beaujolais wines to Salt & Straw ice cream to Rogue Creamery cheese—all in one place.
4. Smoked!: Saturday night’s main event at The Fields Park is a cookout that features anything made better by wood smoke. Enjoy creations from celebrity chefs like Hugh Acheson, Chris Cosentino, Brad Farmerie while you sip on vintages from 21 different wineries.
5. Brunch Village: The weekend hasn’t really happened if you haven’t made time for a long, leisurely and boozy brunch. This spirited outdoor party celebrates Portland’s favorite meal with representation from the country’s most famed brunch spots, including Sqirl (Los Angeles), Fat Rice (Chicago), Trove (Seattle) and Olympia Provisions (Portland).

Can’t make it to Portland this year? Fear not. You can still follow along on the #FeastPDX action by following us on Instagram @williamssonoma. And while you’re here, tell us: What food festival’s on your must-do list?