43 replies to this topic

[Jill-O]

Thanks Zuke! I really like that new camera a lot - thanks for the rec. I did a bit of cropping, but otherwise those photos are untouched.

OK folks, there is still time to get tickets...and you should! It's an event that seriously puts the FUN in FUNdraiser.

There are too many hungry people in Oregon, too many kids who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Skip a couple of dinners out in the next couple of weeks and buy a ticket or two.

[loofahgirl]

I really want to, but now I might have a scheduling conflict. Grr!

[ducky]

I'm planning on going. Haven't been out much in ages so it will be nice to get out and see a few of my peeps!

[Jill-O]

This is gonna happen one week from today! Get your tickets...and yes, the VIP and Luxe tickets ARE worth it. Yes, they are expensive, but this is a big charity fundraiser!

While you may not know where you are going to eat your next meal (so many restaurants to choose from!), at least you know you will be having one. Lots of other folks in OR are not so lucky. It's just not right that in a area with a lot of restaurants, farms, artisan food/drink crafters & purveyors - so many folks are hungry, especially children.

Surely you can splurge on an evening out, one that you will certainly enjoy, and help raise money to feed those that need your help. Yes you can!

Go for it: http://ce.strength.o...ion-portland-or

[Amanda]

I'm so looking forward to this. It will be interesting to see how they do this in the soccer stadium.

Best regards,

Amanda

[Amanda]

Tomorrow night is nearly upon us and I can't wait! Taste of the Nation. My favorite function of the year.

Best regards,

Amanda

[Jill-O]

...and tickets ARE still available if you don't have yours yet. You can also get them at the event, if you want to pay at the door.

Please help raise funds to feed those that are hungry in Oregon! (and have one helluva time doing it!!)

[MaBell]

...and tickets ARE still available if you don't have yours yet. You can also get them at the event, if you want to pay at the door.

Please help raise funds to feed those that are hungry in Oregon! (and have one helluva time doing it!!)

Tickets will be available at the door on Tuesday starting at 2pm tomorrow. Online ticket sales end at 11:59 tonight.

Mayor Adams has declared tomorrow NO KID HUNGRY DAY for Portland. I encourage all of you to take 90 seconds to take the pledge tomorrow at NoKidHungry.org. then spread the word on Twitter and Facebook (hashtag #nokidhungry).

The hashtag for tomorrow night's event is #portlandtaste. Be sure to tweet what you eat. All of the restaurants and beverage companies that have Twitter accounts should be wearing name tags that indicate their account name. Give these fine folks some love - they are donating food, time and labor (as well as great items for the auction, GCs for restaurant roulette and wall of wine) to be a part of this event to help end childhood hunger.

I hope to see you all tomorrow night!

[boy_asunder]

We'll be there tonight as well. We got VIP tix, but now that I've read this, y'all are making me wonder if I should've gone all the way!

[sacman]

Just got back from TOTN 2012 and thought I'd share a few highlights. I'll do a followup with more pix a little later - I'm bushed at the moment.


Boke Bowl's steam buns


Gruner's foie torchon with rhubarb


New Seasons's morels (as big as I've ever seen)


Oven and Shaker's tiny meatball sandwiches


Feastworks' sausage bite with arugula aioli


Genoa's duck breast on risotto cake


Joel Palmer House's candy cap mushroom dessert soup


Hot Dogs, Nachos, Soda, Pretzels, etc. Just kidding.


Wildwood's panna cotta


Saint Cupcake's sea salted caramel brownies


Ruth Chris' carving station


Bamboo Sushi's albacore carpaccio with red jalapeno and caviar


Clyde Common's spring onion soup - and this one was the winner for me. I tried almost everything (except the desserts - too many for one man, sorry). And I came across the Clyde Common table toward the end of the evening. It was a shot of pure deliciousness. Never mind that I'm a sucker for anything onion. This was awesome, with an assertive flavor, great texture, and perfect seasoning.

More to come.

-sacman

[jennifer]

What a night! Am completely overwhelmed, Portland restaurants brought it tonight. I love this town! Last year I think I said it was the year of charcuterie for Taste of the Nation. This year I'm declaring it the year of rhubarb. It showed up everywhere and in everything sweet, savory and in between. I'm a fan.

Some quick preview shots below, and much more tomorrow. It's late, and I've had much too much wine to post responsibly.

The Venue:
Jeld-Wen Field. Taste of the Nation occupied the entrance to the stadium and the inner hallway. It was packed. REALLY packed.








The GEM restaurants:

Aviary: Fried Pig Snout with Pickled Fennel, Hard Boiled Egg & Mustard Creme Fraiche


Bamboo Sushi: Amberjack Carpaccio with Red Jalapeno, Cilantro, Black Flying Fish Caviar and a Miso vinaigrette



Boke Bowl: Asian Steam Buns and Edamame Rice Cakes with Housemade Kimchi




Gruner: Foie Gras Torchon, Toasted Brioche, Reisling Pickled Rhubarb (my #1 favorite bite of the night!)


Ned Ludd: Rabbit Confit with Peas and Carrots and Rich Sauce


Olympic Provisions: Meat here!

[jennifer]

My Top 5 bites of the night were:

1. Gruner: Fois Gras Torchon (above)

2. Genoa: Seared Duck Breast on an Herb Risotto Cake with Rhubarb Mostarda. We tried this bite early in the evening and the duck was freshly seared and crisp on the outside. Great balance of flavors and textures.


3. Crown Paella: Spanish octopus a la Gallega. Most tender octopus I’ve ever had.


4. Wildwood: Bay leaf panna cotta with rhubarb and lemon curd. Best palette cleanser of the night.



5. Joel Palmer House: Candy Cap mushroom dessert soup. They could bottle and sell this stuff! I had 3 of them.



Speaking of Joel Palmer House, I was blown away by the flavors they were able to create in these soups:




And their palette cleanser:



Chop’s Charcuterie board was killer. Obligatory action shot below of Eric torching some lardo. Nice touch! They served this simply over some fig jam on crostini. Duck prosciutto, duck rillette, bresaola wrapped around dressed arugula and more.

[jennifer]

Those outside the stadium waiting to get in weren’t suffering. Oregon Ice Works, Violetta, Tastebud and Feastworks were fine distractions from the long line.

Oregon Ice Works: Strawberry-rhubarb, and coconut. Both outstanding!



Feastworks had a grill going outside with a Basque style chorizo and pinwheels of pork sausage with parsley and cheese. These went on foccacia and were topped with a bright and acidic salsa verde.



Feastworks was also keeping Bunk’s brisket smoky and warm for them:


Tastebud brought the oven:




Inside madness:

House Spirits mixing, weighing, muddling, zesting and more, in fine Portlandia style.


Accanto: Pillowy beignet-style freshly fried doughnuts dredged in meyer lemon curd, oh my. And tripe alla Romagna on polenta crostini.



Andina:

[jennifer]

Circa 33: Mushroom Forest


Ruby Jewel: Salted caramel & chocolate cook ice cream sandwich



Departure: Gregory Gourdet and crew steaming up some fine tasting honey chicken buns with dried chili, ginger and scallion.




Ruth’s Chris: tenderloin carving station with 2 horseradish sauces.



Charlie’s Produce (I also saw a sign that said Lamb’s Thriftway on this gorgeous display):



New Seasons:




Beaker & Flask: Pork Cheek Pastrami, Pea Puree & Pickles


Brasserie Montmarte: Poached Local Salmon Rillette with butter, shallot, crème fraiche, lemon & chives

[jennifer]

Bunk: Chef Tommy Habetz professing his love for Country music and brisket.



Cocotte: Smoked Fish Salad with Savory Beignet & Preserved Lemon


Clyde Common: Spring Onion Soup


Davis Street Tavern: BBQ Glazed Pork Riblets & Spicy Slaw, Buttercotch pudding with Lemon Cream



Double Dragon: Pulled Pork Banh Mi Canapes



Fratelli: Chilled Asparagus Soup


Xocolatl de David: David Briggs working on his Chocolate Rhubarb soda, and a fine plate of Brown Butter Chocolate.

[jennifer]

June:



Jamison: photo of the old barn door that will be broken down and used as décor in the new space.



Irving Street Kitchen: Potato Latke with Salmon Gravlax, Apple Butter & Herbed Crème Fraiche


Oven & Shaker: Meatball Sandwich


Otto: Chicken Tartine, and Egg Cake



Pine State Biscuits: Mini Reggies



Smokehouse 21:


St Honore


The Painted Lady: Smoked Salmon Mouse on Parmesan Shortbread, and Irish Chocolate Stout Cake


Ate oh Ate: Ben Dyer with a killer Kalua Pig Lunch Plate

[jennifer]

Celilo: Cured Salmon Roe, Pickled Vegetables, Lavash Crackers



Miss Zumstein: Meringue Berry Bites


Urban Farmer: Steakhouse Jerkey, Beef Tartare, Fired Caperberries


Oregon Food Bank: Highlighting education programs


Some of the Silent Auction prizes:







Restaurant Roulette: $25/spin, guaranteed to win at least a $25 gift cert to one of the restaurants at the event. The people in front of me took 2 spins, and won $100 gift cert to Ringside Fish house, and a $50 gift cert to Beaker & Flask.


MIX Magazine was at the entry for wine glass pickup, and magazine pickup when leaving.


Pit stop before heading home:


And in case anyone isn't sure why this is called the Sunset Highway:

[friedalighthouse]

Great roundup, Jennifer! Thanks!

[Jill-O]

Awesome Jennifer! Thanks!!

There's not much I think I can add, but I'll go through my pics and see if there's something worth adding to your wonderful group of pics!

It was a night of excess, to be sure. The Gems (both the restaurants and the wines) available only to those who bought the VIP and Luxe Tickets, IMO, were worth it. The pig snout from Aviary, foie gras torchon from Gruner and Aalbacore carpaccio from Bamboo were particularly delicious and a very generous donation from those restaurants. Sineann, Owen Roe, and Bergstrom were pouring for the Gems and, IMO, those wines were very nice.

It was a great event, but as proven by years past at the Convention Center, a hallway is not a great space to have tables on either side with people stopping to eat/drink/chat. And after around 6/6:30, it was really crowded. A Luxe and/or VIP ticket was almost necessary to truly enjoy the event. I urge the organizers to try and find large open rooms to hold this event in - I was not a huge fan of the venue. What it did have going for it, though, was that it was mostly open to the outside so it never got too hot or felt completely claustrophobic...just crowded.

And Jennifer, I cannot believe you went for ice cream afterward...wow. ;o)

[Angelhair]

My favorite bite of the night was Gruner's foie torchon with rhubarb. All tolled by the end of the night I had eaten four of them!

I also like Pine State's mini Reggie skewers and Clyde's soup.