It’s been a week since Feast Portland put the wraps on another successful food festival, and I’m still savoring the memories and flavors of the event. The formula of daytime tastings, demos, and workshops combined with evening theme events and collaborative dinners continues to shine, with this year bringing an added attraction to finish the feasting.
Each year, I return home to remarks of “Why isn’t Seattle home to a festival like this?” We’ve certainly got the talent, though in the absence of a “Feast Seattle,” at least some of our Seattle-area culinary celebrities travel south to contribute to the Portland event. They’re part of a program that includes famous (and not-so famous) fooderati from around the country, from Food Network stars to local heroes that include chocolatiers, winemakers, farmers, and of course chefs.
Feast Portland is quite the hedonistic event, a feeding frenzy that justifies a juice cleansing afterward. For those feeling guilty about the gluttony, note that Feast Portland continues to benefit the statewide Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, as well as Share Our Strength—a national organization aimed at ending childhood hunger.
Check out the slideshow above which shows some Seattle food celebrities, favorite bites from the Grand Tastings and the four main events (Sandwich Invitational, Night Market, High Comfort, and Brunch Village), and a few extras from Feast Portland.
