I promise we'll get back to regularly scheduled recipe programming on Friday (and I've got a bunch of FEAST-inspired recipes coming your way! GET EXCITED), but I think we all deserve one more day of staring at pictures and pretending our email inboxes don't exist and going nostalgia-crazy for all the vacation-times. (If you're NOT already ignoring your email today in favor of flipping through your own vacation pictures, you should probably start right now. I'm giving you permission. It totally makes Wednesday feel less I-can't-believe-it's-only-Wednesday-y).
Now that I've had some time to reflect (and, y'know, recover from a severe food coma) on FEAST, I've finally been able to wrap my head around my favorite moments. In the middle of conferences or other big events, I'm always so focused on soaking up as much of the be-present-in-the-moment time as possible that it sort of makes everything run together and turn into one giant memory-blob once I get home. Anyone else have this problem? It takes me a good couple of weeks to sort out all the details in my head. But I'm sorted now! Which means I can tell you that my mind was straight up blown by a butternut squash and pear soup Vitaly Paley made for USA Pears (instead of the previously-brain-categorized-version "THAT SOUP THING WITH THE STUFF BY THE GUY WAS FREAKING AMAZING"). I can ALSO tell you that I was really impressed with how well FEAST was organized - everything ran smoothly and it was easy to get to and from events. (You'd be surprised at how many food festivals do NOT have the whole "organization" thing down).
Additional favorite things:
- The wine. SO MUCH (Oregon!) WINE.
- The rooftop view (and, umm, delicious food) at Departure PDX (Executive Chef Gregory Gourdet was a Top Chef runner up!)
- Oregon Beer. Be still my heart.
- Jacobsen Salt is my new obsession.
- Is it bad that half this list is alcohol?
- SPEAKING of which, we had a pretty bomb diggity aquavit cocktail from House Spirits.
- FEAST profits support No Kid Hungry and Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon ❤️
- Gettin' crafty with Will Leather Goods, who let us hammer our own (super sophisticated, farm-animal-themed) design into some leather!
- Sustainable, compostable dinnerware and utensils from VerTerra Dinnerware at every single FEAST Event.
PS - What are your favorite food events or festivals? I'd love to know your can't-miss food-tastic destinations!
Time for pictures! Here we go here we go!
Highlights ❤️ USA Pears // Chef Vitaly Paley // Will Leather Goods // Stumptown Coffee // The Commons Brewery // Jacobsen Salt Co. // Deschutes Brewery
Highlights ❤️ Lardo Sandwiches // Departure PDX // Widmer Brothers Brewing // Tillamook
❤️
Thanks to FEAST Portland for inviting me to attend their events this year! I had an amazing time and can’t wait to come back again. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Shane
Those wood plates and bowls are so hip these days.
Jessie
SO HIP. These Verterra ones are actually made from fallen leaves instead of new wood, which is kind of awesome.