Have a Grand Time at Feast Portland's Grand Tasting!
This fall, HRN is heading west to take in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Feast Portland. To gear up for our coverage of the festival, we’re bringing you a look into some of the weekend’s most anticipated events.
Friday Grand Tasting Presented by New Seasons Market
Friday, September 14th, 1-5pm
Click here for more info & tickets
"Where to begin?" You may find yourself pondering this question when planning your itinerary for Feast Portland. From workshops on sauerkraut and natural wine tastings, to signature dinners featuring the country's top chef talent, and even a 'Healthyish 5K,' there's quite literally something for everyone!
So, what if you just want to dip your toe in the Feast Portland waters? We suggest the Grand Tasting, a city-block-sized celebration of eating and drinking in the heart of Downtown Portland. It's your chance to get up-close and personal with more than 80 vendors, including some of the best chefs, vintners, brewers, bakers, cheesemakers and food artisans from the Northwest and across America. The Feast Portland team chooses their adjectives carefully. So when they put the word “Grand” in front of “Tasting,” you know they mean it.
Here's just a taste of some of the local vendors you can expect to encounter at the Grand Tasting:
Honey Mama's
Honey-cocoa bars made from five nutrient-rich ingredient: virgin coconut oil, cocoa powder, Himalayan pink salt, and either sprouted almonds or shredded coconut. That’s it! Honey Mama's is committed to sourcing the highest quality direct–trade, non–GMO, and organic ingredients they can find to make a treat that allows your body to thrive and your tastebuds to celebrate.
Tabor Bread
Starter + Flour + Water + Salt + Hands + Time = Tabor Bread. Tabor Bread believes that good food is key to a healthy community. Their diverse local, organic and transitional grains are milled in-house to maintain their essence. Their long fermentation process harnesses the power of wild yeasts to create nuanced flavors, toothsome textures and best of all, a bread that’s easier to digest. Baked in a wood-fired oven, Tabor Bread strives to capture the Northwest spirit in each loaf.
Riff Cold Brewed Coffee
As Riff's website reads: "We love what happens around coffee: conversations, kinship, long drives, slow meals, ideas." More than being an incredibly cool coffee company, they're also making delicious cold brew. In its fifth month of operations, Riff’s “Off The Cuff,” Artisanal Black Coffee with Notes of Dark Chocolate and Toffee was selected by industry experts to receive the “Best Nitro” Award. Now, that's impressive!
Rogue Creamery
Inspired by a sense of place for 80 years, Rogue Creamery draws from the beauty and flavors of Southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley to create handcrafted blue cheese, cheddar cheese, and TouVelle. As a USDA Certified Organic Creamery, Rogue makes it cheeses using practices that integrate 3 main goals: environmental health, animal welfare, and social and economic equity.
Of course, the Grand Tasting wouldn't be possible without Feast Portland's sponsors. Here are some of the folks making this Friday fiesta possible:
New Seasons Market, the Presenting Sponsor of Grand Tasting
Store by store, New Seasons Market focuses on building and nourishing the communities they serve and creating lasting relationships with customers, staff, and vendors. That means they buy from as many local tastemakers as possible, connecting them with New Seasons Markets' customers and doing their part to champion the regional food economy.
Bob's Red Mill
Bob’s Red Mill is an employee-owned company that has been offering organic, gluten free, and stone-ground products for decades. By producing the very best in whole grain foods, Bob's Red Mill is able to fulfill their commitment to help look after more and more people through better nutrition. Bob Moore, founder of Bob's Red Mill, simply wouldn't have it any other way!
Nicky USA
The premier wholesale butcher and purveyor of high quality meats and specialty game in the Northwest is celebrating its 28th year in business. Owner Geoff Latham started out by selling rabbits from the back of his Ford Escort hatchback to a few eager chefs. Now, Nick USA has a team of 60 employees, a full service USDA butchery & processing facility, and carries over 1000 items and cuts curated for the most discerning chef, food service and retail customers.
Oregon Cheese Guild
Founded in 2006, the Oregon Cheese Guild is dedicated to the art and craft of making cheese. The Guild is a collaborative effort to increase awareness of Oregon’s artisanal cheeses, create educational opportunities, and provide a platform for cooperation and shared resources among Oregon cheesemakers.
Bon Appétit
Bringing back their Fireside Chats at the Grand Tasting this year, Bon Appétit will feature Sean Brock in conversation with Amiel Stanek (Senior Editor, Bon Appétit), Alvin Cailan in conversation with with Adam Rapoport (Editor-In-Chief, Bon Appétit), and Elias Cairo, also in conversation with Adam Rapoport.
