It is almost here - Feast Portland!

I said it once and I will say it again...I am not missing this fabulous event.

Feast Portland is less than two weeks away and tickets are selling out quickly! This is Portland's premier event for food and beverage with participating Chefs and culinary experts from all around the city. Take a look at the event list for more details.

This year, you will find me at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting on Friday, but don't be surprised if you see me bouncing around other parts of the city for other events.

via Feast 

The brunch series look incredible so I might have to pull the trigger and purchase a ticket. Like I said, I will go broke before I miss out on all this goodness. I mean a brunch bike ride? Can you get any more Portland than that? A few of the Portland restaurant participants are Ned Ludd and Clyde Common, but you can check out the whole line-up when you buy your tickets.

Stay tuned for more updates on Feast. Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below!

*sponsored post.

Holiday Ale Fest 2010

I was not the only one who enjoyed some great beer this holiday season Portland's Holiday Ale Fest. Hundreds of people gathered at Pioneer Square for the five day seasonal ale fest and sampled local brewer's latest creations. There were so many different holiday flavors and a ton of new beers featured at this year's festival.

beautiful city lights of Portland 

When you enter the festival, you are greeted with holiday scents like cinnamon, nutmeg and peppermint. It was so cozy and all the scents were captured under the big white tents covering Pioneer Square. It was definitely a great way to kick of December. Next time, I vow to try some of the food I was smelling, it all looked pretty incredible. It reminded me of an adult version of a Christmas bazaar...knocks the socks of the usual elementary school craft bazaar.

So a quick recap on the way beer fests work - usually you pay an admission and get a mug, beer tickets and a guide. Then when you get in, there are tables set up with volunteers pouring all the beers. You have the option of using your tickets for a 4oz taste or you can pay extra tickets for a full mug. This festival was just that - $25 for a mug and 10 beer tickets. 

Here were some of the favorites of the night:

Laht Neppur Brewing Co. - Waitsbur, Washington: Toe Tingler Stout  (I LOVED this one....it was so festive and had flavors of maple syrup....yum!)
Vertigo Brewery - Hillsboro, Oregon: La Nina Coffee Porter
Stoning Brewing Co. - Escondido, California: Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Beans


Ones we missed:

Block 15 Brewery - Corvallis, Oregon: Figgy Pudding, Olde Stock
Buckman Village Brewery - Portland, Oregon: Ginger Beer

signs indicating the beers

Overall, a huge success and we had a great time, as usual. Take a look at the full list of the beers featured at this year's festival here.

Endless Eats meets Seattle!

It was time for a vacation, which meant it was time for some new restaurants! Our destination cities were Seattle and San Francisco with a side of Sausalito. As you read the next series of posts, just remember Endless Eats is on a little field trip to Washington and Northern California.

The first stop in Seattle was the famous Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Let me start by saying it was torture walking by all the fresh vegetables, seafood and beautiful floral arrangements because I could not buy any to take back with me. But, for anyone visiting Seattle for the first time, I highly recommend walking through the market - rain or shine (most of it is covered.). We did stop for some tasty fish and chips during a happy hour at one of the local pubs. The pub even had a Dunkel beer from Leavenworth, Washington. The best find of the trip!
Next, we decided to burn the calories off by walking about 100 feet to the market's local brewery to get some more beer at The Pike Brewery Company. I cannot believe this was my first time trying their beer. I must say I was pretty impressed. We ordered a sampler so we could try six of their beers.

Here were the beers included:

Pike Naughty Nellie - Golden Ale (One of Dylan's favorites - a light beer with nice flavor and little bitterness)

Pike Pale Ale - Heirloom Amber

Pike IPA - Indian Pale Ale

Pike Kilt Lifter - Scotch Ale

Pike Tandem - Double Ale (This one was my favorite with flavors of coriander and sugar cane. So good!)

Pike XXXXX - Double Ale (If you like hops and stout beers, you will love this one - a little too bitter for me, but many love it)

We had a great time and I was excited to find out there are plenty of places in Portland to buy these beers.

Next time you are in Seattle, check out the brewery for yourself (they also have a happy hour!)

The Pike Brewing Company

1415 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98105-2017

(206) 622-6044

Open from 11am to Midnight / Daily

Anyone recommend any other breweries in the Seattle area?

Stayed tuned for another post on Seattle eats...next is pizza!

Forkfly Event at Henry's Tavern

So tonight is a quick post - I had so much fun at dinner tonight sitting on the patio at Henry's Tavern on 12th in NW. It was nice weather again so we had to take advantage of it because Autumn is approaching quickly!

We went for happy hour, but sadly found out happy hour prices are not offered on the patio! Such a bummer. But, we also found out that Forkfly was putting on an event right next to Henry's patio for First Thursday. They were playing great music, giving away prizes and conducting this awesome scavenger hunt. We were just spectating, but we should have done it - people were winning ipads and hotel staysat The Benson!

Forkfly is this awesome app and social media tool that offers great discounts at Portland merchants. We used one for Henry's tonight - buy one appetizer, get one free! Follow them on Twitter for great deals.

I love my Thursday dinner club with my girlfriends and Henry's is always a staple place to go.

PROS: Fantastic beers on tap (good fruity ones too), extensive menu with lots of variety, great happy hour prices, large patio

CONS: No happy hour on the patio :(

Henry's Tavern

10 NW 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

Sun-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am

Happy Hour: 4 - 6pm

503.227.5320

A night in The Pearl - Everett Street Bistro

Another night out with the ladies, but this time we enjoyed some fantastic fresh cafe cuisine at Everett Street Bistro. I have eaten lunch here before and I really enjoyed it so I decided to bring my girlfriends back for an evening out. My favorite part of this restaurant are the light colors and the french cafe ambiance. When you walk in, you are greeting by a cold case with delicious desserts, pastries and fresh baguettes. The place is a small, but the bar is open and the ceilings are high so it is spacious but cozy.

Since the weather was nice, we took advantage of the outdoor seating around the building. I figured I would just order water until I saw the cocktail menu! There was no way I was going to pass up a mojito or mango martini. I was not expecting such an extensive cocktail list at a bistro, but was pleasantly surprised. With our cocktails, we also ordered the Pomme Frites.

You can just read the description and see there is no need to stay more..."thinly sliced fried potatoes & garlic cloves tossed with rosemary & thyme served with lemon aioli." YUM! They are made in truffle oil so that makes them healthy right?

So, after we indulged in our fries, we somehow still had room for our entrees. I ordered the Carbonara Pasta, Kelsey ordered the Mac n' Cheese and Aly had the Pulled Pork Sandwich. We all wanted to try different things so we could compare of course.

The pork sandwich was fantastic. It was not your traditional pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and barbecue sauce. This sandwich had avocado, a black bean spread and melted provolone on it. Oh yes, and did I mention it was huge and came with a side green salad too?!

Kelsey's mac n' cheese was made with smoked gouda, caramelized onions and house pancetta (she got it without the pancetta though). It also came with a side of garlic toast...just what we needed, as if the garlic fries weren't enough.

I had the carbonara pasta, but was not overly impressed. It had great flavor, but it was my least favorite out of the three. So, I would recommend the mac n' cheese if you want pasta. The menu seems to change as well and it looks like they have some other speciality pastas depending on the night you go.

I will return for a third time to Everett Street Bistro I am sure...even if it is just for those darn french fries!

1140 NW Everett Street
Portland, Oregon 97209
503.467.4990

Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner! Take a look at the menus too.

Drink up! - Portland International Beerfest

I love summer for two reasons - the beautiful weather and the plethora of beer festivals in Oregon! So, two weekends ago, my friends and I made it out to the PIB (Portland International Beerfest) in the Pearl District. I especially like this beerfest because there are usually a decent amount of dunkel beers (my favorite). AND...it just so happened to be my friend's birthday, so there was a large group of us attending.

It was out on the lawn in the North Park Blocks on NW Davis and NW Park Ave. This festival is smaller than the Oregon Brewer's Festival on the waterfront, but still just as fun and has shorter lines.

So, how it works - you get an official PIB glass, a beer guide and tickets that can be used for 4oz pours or pints of beer. Personally, I like to use all my tickets for 4oz tasters because I love trying new kinds of beer. Plus, if you don't like it, it is only 4oz!



Next you have to tackle the guide - I like to look through it to find the beers I want to taste. The guide tells you a little bit about the beer (type, brewery, alcohol content etc...), number of tickets for a taste and its location at the beer fest. It is all a little overwhelming at first, but once you get going, it is awesome! I always track down the fruit beers first because I am a chick and I like chick beers. But, of course, I tried others too! See below.

Fruit Beers

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat from 21st Amendment Brewery - I have tried this before - pretty good for a watermelon beer, but not my favorite fruit beer.

Raspberry Wheat from Cascade Brewery - this was the female favorite and it was not even on the guide! It was a replacement beer because they ran out of another one. Boy were we lucky!

*Anthem Cherry Cider from Wandering Aengus Ciderworks - there is an asterisk by this one because technically it is not a beer, but we did try it anyway! Very cherry flavored and had mixed reviews from everyone. Go figure the guys did not like it but some of the ladies thought it was refreshing and like a melted otter pop popsicle!

Other beers

Spaten Munich Dunkel from Spaten West - always delicious! A dark wheat beer with flavors of raisins - it is like a dark hefe.

Ayinger Brau Weisse from Merchant du Vin - a tasty unfiltered Hef Weizen, always good for summer days.

De la Senne Equinox from Shelton Brothers - a nice belgium beer but with very strong flavors, I was disappointed I did not try more from this brewery because there were quite a few.

Beers I missed...but have to try!

John John Juniper Ale from Rogue Brewery

Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse from Spaten West

Of course we tried a lot more beers, but I lost track. I tried to be official and circle them on my guide, but I only got about half way through before I got too distracted. Overall, a success and I wish I could say I went to the Oregon Brewer's Fest, but unfortunately I did not make it. You better believe I will be next year though!

Check out http://www.beernw.com/events for more beer events in the Northwest!

Cafe Nell - Nob Hill Happy Hour

I figure it has been way to long since I have written about a good happy hour in town. Last Friday I had a date with two of my best friends and we wanted to try a new place for happy hour. After flipping through my Portland Happy Hour Guidebook (which I do not use nearly enough), I came across Cafe Nell in NW Portland.

What a cute place! The bar area is not very big, only about five or six tables and a bar top. We were seated right away because we were there early in the evening, but I can see this place filling up quickly!

The drink menu was wonderful with a wide selection of different cocktails. The berry lemonade cocktail sounded incredible, but of course I went with a Belgium beer on tap. I could not pass up a refreshing Hoegaarden. I am regretting not trying that cocktail though. Looks like I have to go back...too bad. :) So yes, a few beers on tap and some by the bottle as well. I peaked at the wine list and it was extensive with a selection of Oregon wines as well as others from the Pacific Northwest.

As for the food menu - prices ranged from $1 (bread service) to $12 (steak and fries), but the average was about $4. We ordered the cheese plate to start which came with a smoked bleu cheese, Tillamook sharp white cheddar, apple slices, baguette slices and almonds. Yum! Next we ordered the chicken skewers with a black bean/corn salsa and sliders (BBQ Bacon and Cheddar). The sliders are small (go figure) but are tasty. The bacon was cooked to perfection! Each order of chicken skewers comes with two skewers on a bed of salsa...I only had a bite, but the chicken had nice flavor. Last, we had a craving for one more thing...fries. It was not on the menu but we had to ask. To our surprise, they do serve fries for $2 at happy hour, but it is not on the restaurant menu. So, if you are in the mood for some salty goodness...ask for the fries.

We spent over two hours at this happy hour and had a wonderful time. It was rainy and gloomy outside, but we were warm and cozy inside. Our service was fantastic and the waiters were very friendly. They took great care of us and we never had empty glasses. We were not disappointed...the perfect place for a date or just a girls night out.

Cafe Nell on NW 20th and Kearney

Happy Hours:

3 – 6 Tuesday – Friday

4 – Close Saturday

Click here for their happy hour menu (please note that this is slightly different than the one in the restaurant and their menu is subject to change). But do ask about their $2 drafts...it is on the drink menu in the restaurant but not online.

Day Two of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting (Part 2)

Alright...so on to Anne Amie Winery! I was looking forward to this stop because I loved the wine I sampled at the Educate Your Palate event. When we finally arrived, the view from the entrance was incredible. The tasting room and winery looked so whimsically from down below, I loved it. I could not wait to get up to the top. I got funny looks as I hung out of the sunroof for a photo op.


When we got to the top of the winery, the view was just stunning. You could see all the vineyards, the coast range and the beautiful Chehalem Mountains. There were tables outside on the patio for picnics and the staff highly encourages using them. You can bring your own food or you can enjoy one of their small cheese plates.



We went inside to do some wine tasting and Ksandek, the Director of Hospitality was more than accommodating. We tasted the '08 Cuvée A Amrita, '08 Pinot Gris, '08 Pinot Blanc, '09 Riesling and a couple '07 Pinot Noirs. Also to break up the tasting, since there were so many wines to sample, Annie Davis was kind enough to give us a tour of the property. We learned there are 40 acres of vineyards and it used to be the Chateau Benoit Winery, but in 1999 was purchased and later changed to Anne Amie.

We spent a lot of time here and overall just a fun place to be - I will return for sure.

After we left Anne Amie and got some food in our bellies, we headed on to Domaine Serene, which is in the heart of the Dundee Hills. Talk about a grand entrance! This place is more than a winery, it is an entire estate! We drove up a long driveway until we reached the parking lot and then followed the signs around the building until we reached the tasting room.

The tasting room was very nice with a lot of space for guests and private parties. They also had outdoor seating on a patio that extending off the tasting room. This was our last stop, so we only tasted a few wines.



We tried a few different Pinot Noirs, a Rosé and a Syrah. These Pinots were a bit heavier tasting to me and it was my first time trying a Syrah. I was not crazy about it, but of course, I am still impartial to some red wines and trying to develop a palate for them. Would it surprise you if I said I liked the Rosé? Well I did like it and was ready to go back for seconds. Overall, a beautiful venue and a fun place to visit.

That wraps up my second day of wine tasting and I plan on visiting more as soon as the weather starts to get nice. I am hoping soon since we are approaching June! Next on my agenda are The Four Graces, Adelsheim and Archery Summit. Let me know if you have any suggestions for my next day of tasting!

Day Two of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting (Part 1)

Ever since my first day of wine tasting, I have been anxious to get back out there and do some more! This time, I recruited my boyfriend to come along with me. Our stops this time were - Bergstrom, Laurel Ridge, Anne Amie and Domaine Serene. (This post I will just write about Bergstrom and Laurel Ridge, I have too much to say!). Fortunately for us, it was a beautiful day so we were able to spend plenty of time at each of the wineries.


We stopped by the front desk at The Allison Inn and Spa for a winery map and some tasting cards and we were on our way!

I have been told to visit Bergstrom many times because it has a beautiful view, great Pinot Noirs and an even better Chardonnay. We drove up there and were in good company with a lot of other people. I think the nice weather brought a lot of people out wine tasting. The tasting room is not very big, but they have a patio with table and chairs for enjoying your wine. The view is quite spectaculor and you can see 33 acres of the Bergstrom and De Lancellotti Vineyards from the tasting room. I also learned that their winery is biodynamic which is becoming more common among wineries in the Willamette Valley.

We tasted the '07 Bergstrom Pinot Noir, '07 Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir, '07 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir (Pommard Block) and the 2008 Sigrid Chardonnay. I think we might have tasted another, but I can't seem to remember. Surprisingly, I loved the Chardonnay and I say this because the first wine I ever tried was a Chardonnay and I hated it. But, Bergstrom's Sigrid was fantastic! Dylan liked all the Pinots, I don't think he had a favorite at this winery. Overall, we loved it up there!


Next stop was Laurel Ridge Winery and we just sort of stumbled upon this winery on our way to Anne Amie. We recognized the winery name because we tried their dessert wine at the Educate Your Palate event. We pulled up and the property was very flat, unlike Bergstrom, which was up on the hilltop. Their were vineyards in the distant, but also wheat fields on property (at least I think that is what it was). The tasting room was very spacious and they had lots of other items for sale besides wine.

After looking around for a bit, Dylan decided he wanted to try the 2004 Laurel Ridge Port again. Did you know that Port originally came from Portugal, just like Champagne came from France? Well after the 2007 vintage, Portugal asked wineries to stop calling their dessert wine Port unless it is actually from Portugal. Interesting fact we learned.We tried the Port again with some fantastic dark chocolate and then I got to try the 2007 Riesling, which is not out for tasting yet! I lucked out, so tasty! But, remember...I love white wines, so everything might be tasty to me. :) It was well worth the stop and I am glad we saw their sign!

We then headed over to Anne Amie Winery...check out my next post to read about the rest of the day!

Day One of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

Last Wednesday I had a day off and it was a gorgeous day, so I thought I would go check out the Willamette Valley and do some wine tasting. I work in the heart of wine country and I am constantly sending people to these incredible estates and vineyards and I have never been to any of them. I figure if wine tasting will help my career, then I must have it pretty good. :)



My first stop was Beaux Frères and I am so lucky I had the opportunity to visit this winery. Beaux Frères translates to brother-in-law in French (not beautiful brothers, as some might think). Michael Etzel is the winemaker and proprietor and started this winery with his brother-in-law Robert Parker. Both are incredible men. Michael Etzel took time out of his busy schedule to give us a tour of his beautiful property and explain his wine making process. His knowledge, love for growing the fruit and passion for his trade is amazing. I could have listened to him speak for hours. We tasted three different wines after our tour, all Pinot Noirs from different grapes and different vintages. The tasting room is small, but very quaint and just enough space to taste some delicious wine. This is only the second time I have been wine tasting and I truly appreciated every minute of it.

Next we went on to visit Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. What an incredible tasting room they have!



I wish I would have taken pictures of the special events space and the gorgeous view. When you walk in, there are open windows so you can see all the wine vats and barrels and then the tasting bar is directly to your right. We tasted about five different wines and I tried the 2009 Roseo wine, which was a first for me. It has a lot lighter body than their Pinot Noirs and is a lot more refreshing, but it still comes from a variety of Pinot Noir grapes. Perfect for a warm summer afternoon!

Next, we ventured on down the hill back into Dundee and decided to check out the Argyle tasting room. We just stumbled upon it because it is literally right off the 99W Highway. I like the convenience of it, but it did not have the view like Penner Ash. I would recommend this winery to finish the day because it is such a quick stop. They have a gift shop area too, so if you are looking for wine souvenirs, this is your place. I was excited to try their sparkling wine because we deliver bottles of the Argyle Brut to guest rooms as part of one of our packages. I tasted the 2006 Argyle Brut and the 2007 Argyle Brut Rosé. Yummy! I love bubbly wine...makes me feel like I am celebrating something.

That was the end to my day of wine tasting, but I would call it a success. I visited three great places but all of them had their unique qualities and atmospheres. I think I have about 300 more wineries to go...and the fun begins!

Eat, Drink and Bid – Supporting the Newberg Education Foundation

This weekend I got to do two of my favorite things, eat and drink. Usually when I am drinking, it is not fine food and wines, but thanks to the annual Eat, Drink and Bid event at August Cellars, I was able to do both. This annual event is a fundraiser to support The Newberg Education Foundation featuring 22 wineries and 15 restaurants.



I must say I am very new to the wine world, so I went with the hopes to try all different types of wines and I certainly was not let down. At August Cellars, there are three levels of the winery and on each level there were different wineries and restaurants represented.

Our first two stops were Trisaetum and Dobbes Family Estate. I have sent guests to both of these wineries, so it was nice to finally taste the wine and put a name to a face. I then ventured over to Bon Appétit Catering and tried the seared ahi tuna with fresh orange on a won ton crisp. How was it? Well, let’s just say I went back for seconds. But, the second time around I took it in one bite instead going through the embarrassment of trying to be polite and take two bites.



Next, my boyfriend pointed out the sign for Sweetest Thing Cupcakes because he has heard me rant and rave about their tasty treats. Obviously, I insisted on him trying all three flavors – Peachy King, Strawberry Kiss (made special for this occasion) and Cowboy. I loved the Strawberry Kiss cupcake; it was filled with a chocolate ganache and topped with a sweet strawberry frosting. I request this become a permanent flavor at the bakery.

Of course I can go on and on about all the wineries and restaurants that were featured at the event, but there are just a few I tables I spent more time at than others. One was Anne Amie Winery. There were four wines featured – 2008 Cuvee A Amrita, 2008 Pinot Gris, 2006 Winemakers Selection Pinot Noir ( I learned that ’06 was a good year) and a pinot blanc. I am for sure a white wine kind of girl and I loved the pinot blanc! My boyfriend is more of a wine guy and likes reds, but even he liked their featured white wines. Their 2008 Pinot Gris was recently named the best pinot gris in Oregon by The New York Times.

Here are a few of our other favorites:

SubTerra - Try their version of mac n’ cheese! It was cavatappi pasta with candied bacon, oven-dried tomatoes and four different cheeses topped with sautéed arugula. Fantastic!



Honest Chocolates – A dark chocolate truffle with a caramel filling and topped with sea salt. The best truffle I have every tasted…honest. I stole my boyfriend’s sample because I needed seconds.

Fanucchi Oils – I think we were sampling savory olive oils and spreads for a good twenty minutes. These extra virgin olive oils are imported from Greece, Italy and the Mediterranean. We liked the basil garlic infused dipping oil and the Traditional Organic with a pepper finish the best.

Laurel Ridge Winery – The 2003 Pinot Noir Port was wonderful and went well with my raspberry dark chocolate from Honest Chocolates.

Golden Valley Brewery – So happy to see something familiar, a microbrew! Beer tasting is a little more normal to me, so I was happy to sample a refreshing blonde ale.

We had a blast and it was a great introduction to the Willamette Valley’s wine and cuisine. I highly recommend attending next year’s Educate Your Palate – Eat, Drink and Bid event!