Bon Appetit Presents Feast Portland To Debut September 2012 As The Northwest's Flagship Food Event

NEW YORK, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The hub of the artisan food movement and the birthplace of industry legend James Beard, Portland, Oregon, is situated in the ingredient epicenter of the world with soil, vineyards, ocean, and pastures that produce one-of-a-kind food that makes this Northwest culinary hot spot one of the country's greatest food and drink destinations. Enter Bon Appetit Presents Feast Portland—a first-of-its-kind event premiering September 20–23 that celebrates the unmatched vibrancy of the Oregon food community by showcasing local culinary talent—from chefs and winemakers to farmers and distillers—and region-defining ingredients alongside internationally recognized industry professionals and experts. Co-founded by Mike Thelin and Carrie Welch, the festival aims to spotlight everything that makes Portland awesome, capturing the current energy driving America's food revolution, all while raising significant funds to help end childhood hunger. Oregon—despite its perceived food abundance—ironically ranks among the top five hungriest states in the nation.

Innovative festival events offer ample opportunity to both indulge and learn while interacting with local, national and even international industry elite—from large-scale tasting events like the Sandwich Invitational, Oregon Bounty Marketplace, Feast Portland Night Market, and High Comfort, to intimate sit-down dinners, hands-on classes, live culinary demonstrations, thought-provoking speakers, and industry get-togethers. Vitaly Paley (Paley's Place), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok), Cathy Whims (Nostrana), Adam Sappington (Country Cat), Gregory Gourdet (Departure), Jenn Louis (Lincoln), David Machado (Nel Centro), Elias Cairo (Olympic Provisions), Philippe Boulot (The Heathman), Jason French (Nedd Ludd), Stephanie Kimmel (Marche), Ben Bettinger (Imperial), and Tommy Habetz (Bunk) welcome a roster of visiting chefs such as Duff Goldman, April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig), Eddie Huang (Baohaus), Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza), Seamus Mullen (Tertulia), Brad Farmerie (PUBLIC), Chris Cosentino (Incanto), Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune), Anita Lo (Annisa), Amanda Freitag, Hedy Goldsmith (Michael's Genuine), Lee Anne Wong, Matt Lightner (Atera), Paul Kahan (Publican), Daniel Patterson (Coi), Sean Brock (Husk), and Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris).

Tickets can be purchased at feastportland.com and on the festival's Facebook page, with individual event tickets starting at just $30 and an "All In" Festival Weekend Pass, available for those who want to experience it all, at $650. While thousands gather to enjoy Oregon's bounty, the payoff will no doubt be meaningful as all festival proceeds benefit national childhood hunger relief organization Share Our Strength and local hunger-related charity Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

"With Portland and Oregon receiving worldwide culinary recognition and cementing their rightful places on the food map, a celebration embracing the region's rich history and incredible bounty seemed not only in order, but long overdue," said festival co-founders Thelin and Welch.

Thelin, whose expertise in culinary branding and business development is the focus of his Portland-based company Bolted Services, has masterminded countless food fetes across the country, including the Eater Awards, and also serves as a contributor on Cooking Channel. During Welch's ten-year career as a Food Network PR executive, the food-obsessed former New Yorker played an integral role helping to create the New York City Wine & Food Festival. She moved to Portland in 2010 and opened food-and-wine PR agency Little Green Pickle.

Sponsors and founding partners of the inaugural festival include national media partner Bon Appetit, title sponsor Travel Oregon, presenting sponsor Whole Foods Market, and regional media partners Portland Monthly and Seattle Metropolitan. Additional founding partners include Travel Portland, KitchenAid, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Key Bank, and Nicky USA.

"The spirit of Portland and this incredible new festival align perfectly with our mission at Bon Appetit, which is why we're excited to be a founding partner of what will undoubtedly be a one-of-a-kind event with a bright future," said Adam Rapoport, editor in chief of Bon Appetit.

"To complement the festival offerings, we worked with local chefs and artisans to create Trails to Feast, a series of culinary trip ideas to inspire visitors to add a few extra days to their itineraries to see where all our great ingredients come from. Oregon is still that magical place where you can meet and experience the people and the land that produce such abundance," said Holly Macfee, Vice President of Global Brand Strategy at Travel Oregon. "Combined with the state's vast natural beauty and wide-ranging recreational activities, it's clear why Oregon is fast becoming one of the country's greatest food and drink destinations."

A complete listing of events and participants can be found on the Feast Portland Web site. Highlights include:

THE PORTLAND MONTHLY MAGAZINE SANDWICH INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY WIDMER BROTHERS BREWING
September 20, 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Director Park (815 SW Park Avenue), $95
The definition of "sandwich"—and even what counts as bread—is up for creative interpretation in this event, co-curated by Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood of Portland's legendary Bunk Sandwiches. With participants like Habetz, Wood, Naomi Pomeroy, Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue, and Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Animal in Los Angeles, the Sandwich Invitational celebrates the inventive spirit of young chefs who are transforming America's culinary landscape bite by bite. Each sandwich will be paired with a handcrafted beer made by Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. Three industry expert judges, including food festival aficionado Lee Schrager, determine which sandwich reigns supreme, while event attendees select a People's Choice winner.

FEAST PORTLAND DINNER SERIES
September 20, 21 and 22, evenings
Locations vary, $95–$200
The Feast Portland Dinner Series affords once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the talents of chefs from across the country without leaving Portland's city limits. All dinners will feature a collaboration between a Portland chef and a visiting chef and offer local beer, wine, and spirits. Duos include: Sunny Jin (Jory, Newberg, OR) and Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles), Adam Sappington (The Country Cat, PDX) and Elias Cairo (Olympic Provisions, PDX) with Paul Kahan (Chicago); Jenn Louis (Lincoln Restaurant, PDX) with April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig, NYC); Matt Lightner (Atera, NYC) with Sean Brock (Husk, Charleston, SC); and Daniel Patterson (Coi, San Francisco) with Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris).

OREGON BOUNTY MARKETPLACE
September 21 and 22, daytime
Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW Sixth Avenue), $60 per day or $100 for both days
Portland's so-called living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square will transform into the city's dining room for two days as host to Feast Portland's grand tasting event—the Oregon Bounty Marketplace, sponsored by Travel Oregon/Oregon Bounty. The 40,000-square-foot, award-wining public space will feature wineries, breweries, cheesemakers, coffee roasters, distillers, and many of the featured regional artisans that landed Oregon's exciting and energetic food community on the map. Experience the local scene; meet the chefs and the winemakers you've read about, watch cooking demonstrations from celebrated local and national chefs, and head to the Oregon Storyteller's Circle to listen to the stories of the people who paved the way.

OREGON BOUNTY MARKETPLACE MAIN CHEF DEMO STAGE
September 21 and 22, daytime
Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW Sixth Avenue), admission included with entry to Marketplace
Anchoring the amphitheater steps at Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Bounty Marketplace main stage will feature cooking demonstrations by some of the most innovative local talent and visiting chefs like Aaron Sanchez, April Bloomfield, Naomi Pomeroy and Seamus Mullen.

DIRECTOR PARK TEACHERS FOUNTAIN DEMO STAGE
September 21 and 22, daytime
Director Park  (815 SW Park Avenue), $45
The Teachers Fountain demo stage will feature chefs and experts demonstrating techniques, but without a full kitchen. Learn mortar-and-pestle cooking with Chef Nancy Silverton, taste charcuterie made from locally raised pigs paired with Oregon Pinot Noir grown from the same soil in Pork and Pinot Noir, led by Elias Cairo of Olympic Provisions and Eric Finley of Chop Butchery; enjoy an expert demo, Thai Street Food with Andy Ricker, that will undoubtedly change opinions about one of the world's most misrepresented cuisines; and celebrate chocolate alchemists pushing the boundaries during the Chocolate City, USA, panel led by Sebastian Cisneros of Cocanu, David Briggs of Xocolatl de David, and Sarah Hart of Alma Chocolate.

DIRECTOR PARK DRINKS PAVILION
September 21 and 22, daytime
Director Park  (815 SW Park Avenue), $45
This covered outdoor terrace in Portland's newest downtown piazza will be home to the majority of the festival's wine-and-beer programming, including learning Stupid Wine Tricks with Josh Wesson and uncovering the flavorful botanicals used in distinctive Not Your Grandfather's Gin. Beer expert and author Christian DeBenedetti will also confirm why "Belgium is a Place in Oregon."

DIRECTOR PARK TASTING ANNEX
September 21 and 22, daytime
Director Park  (815 SW Park Avenue), admission included with entry to Teacher's Fountain
The Tasting Annex provides an opportunity for attendees of the Teachers Fountain demos and Lower Terrace Seminars to apply their newfound knowledge in an intimate tasting area. Following each demo and seminar, a tasting experience will be set up to showcase the chocolates, charcuterie, wines, and beers featured in Director Park programming. Picture a seminar on Oregon Chardonnay followed by an exclusive tasting of Chardonnays from around the state, or a sampling of Oregon's bean-to-bar chocolates followed by a confections demo.

HANDS-ON CLASSES
September 21 and 22, daytime
Classes: Le Cordon Bleu (600 SW Tenth Avenue), $65
At the heart of Oregon's food culture is a devotion to traditional culinary craft. Whether it's whole-animal butchery, how to pickle and preserve, or how to make the perfect pretzel, Portland and Oregon are home to many expert teachers. Feast Portland has amassed the best of them to share knowledge on how to do it yourself in an intimate classroom setting, including Whole Animal Butchery with Camas Davis, Homemade Bitters by Mark Bitterman, Pretzel Making by Andrea Slonecker, and Root Vegetables by Diane Morgan.

FEAST PORTLAND NIGHT MARKET
September 21, 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Ecotrust Building (721 NW Ninth Avenue), $125
With James Beard Award winner Andy Ricker among the planners, the Feast Portland Night Market will transform one of the city's most well-known historic buildings into the nation's liveliest outdoor celebration of global street food. Imbued with the spirit of the great nighttime food markets of Southeast Asia, but celebrating multiple food traditions, the Feast Portland Night Market will embody the sights, sounds, smells, and energy of a world culinary journey. The sensory overload is complete with participating chefs like Anita Lo, Aaron Sanchez, and Eddie Huang as well as restaurants Aviary, Boke Bowl, Double Dragon, Biwa, Andina, and Nong's Khao Man Gai.

THE WHOLE FOODS MARKET SPEAKER SERIES
September 22, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Gerding Theater at the Armory (128 NW 11th Avenue), $30
The Speaker Series is Feast Portland's forum for regional and national food-thought leaders to create a platform for open dialogue on issues that are important to our region and to the world. Hosted and curated by Randy Gragg, and featuring experts like Bon Appetit editor in chief Adam Rapoport and food writer Francis Lam, the Speaker Series will provide an opportunity for all attendees to go into greater depth on many different food topics, gain new perspective, and share feedback as part of the food community.

HIGH COMFORT
September 22, 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Multnomah Athletic Club (1849 SW Salmon Street), $200
Curated with the help of renowned Portland chefs Vitaly Paley and Philippe Boulot, High Comfort is a showcase of comfort foods pushed out of their comfort zone and into an elevated and rarefied realm—where mac and cheese is scented with Oregon truffles, where a Reuben sandwich is made with Dungeness crab and sturgeon caviar, and where a diner is never more than an arm's length away from the next slice of Iberian ham or foie gras. Multiple Oregon wineries will be featured alongside a handful of their high-end European contemporaries. Participating chefs include Brad Farmerie (Public, NYC), Seamus Mullen (Tertulia, NYC), Cathy Whims (Nostrana, PDX), Hedy Goldsmith (Michael's Genuine, Miami), Amanda Freitag (NYC), Gregory Denton (Ox, PDX), and Chris Cosentino (Incanto, San Francisco).

ABOUT BON APPETIT PRESENTS FEAST PORTLAND
Founded in 2012 by Carrie Welch and Mike Thelin as the Northwest's flagship culinary event and Oregon's first-ever international food-and-beverage festival, Bon Appetit Presents Feast Portland (feastportland.com) is a region-defining celebration of the unmatched vibrancy of the Oregon food community and everything that makes Portland awesome. With Oregon ranking as one of the hungriest states in the nation despite its perceived food abundance, all festival proceeds benefit national and local hunger relief organizations Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. Follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter (@FeastPDX).

ABOUT Bon Appetit Magazine
Bon Appetit and bonappetit.com, the fastest-growing epicurean site, deliver not just recipes, tips and techniques, but a world of lush travel, high-gloss entertaining and up-to-the-minute restaurant coverage. It's a visually arresting publication, driven by excellent photography, clean graphics and headlines that pop. And notable faces, too: Each issue features of-the-moment tastemakers, from chefs and restaurateurs to fashion designers and celebrities. All of these elements combine to make Bon Appetit the largest epicurean magazine in America with the most affluent readership.

ABOUT TRAVEL OREGON
Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $8.8 billion tourism industry that employs over 92,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com

Media Contact:
Carrie Welch (@carriePDX), Festival Co-Founder
E-mail: [email protected]  
Cell: 917-846-3599

SOURCE Feast Portland