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I was wonder why this had not happened yet....well its in the works.
Local impresarios Mike Thelin (one of the masterminds behind the 2010 IACP Portland conference and the 2010 Eater Awards) and Carrie Welch (who co-created, among other things, the New York City Wine and Food Festival) are the project's founders. According to Thelin and Welch (codename: Thelch), the festival will "tell the story of Oregon bounty" in a SXSW-like atmosphere that will focus the national culinary spotlight (chefs! media! industry peeps!) in on Portland. Early plans are to bring in national and international culinary talent — from Northern Spain, Copenhagen, Brooklyn, and Austin, among other places — in order to "showcase local talent in their rightful spot alongside their international peers," Thelin says. "We would only bring in chefs that highlight local chefs," Welch adds, "and hopefully create opportunities [for them] to create lasting relationships."
Though most food and wine festivals are luxury-focused, the goal for the PDX-based event — official festival name still pending — is to remain inclusive, embracing all of Oregon's culinary history, from Portland food trucks to James Beard's influence to highlighting winemakers and distilleries across the state. "The program will be tailored to the full range of eaters," Thelin says.
The festival's projected debut is scheduled for the fall of 2012, and in the meantime, Thelin and Welch are forming a local programming committee with both PDX- and nationally based advisers, securing sponsors, and seeking a charitable organization as a beneficiary.
Portland trivia buffs love to offer up the cool fact that we consume more ice cream per capita than any other American city, but our home-town scoop choices have been pretty limited. Kimberly Malek hopes to change that this summer with her new Northeast Alberta ice cream shop, Salt & Straw. The name is an homage to traditional methods of ice cream preparation, featuring pots of cream in a tin pail surrounded by hay and rock salt. While Malek’s team is taking advantage of modern technology that doesn’t require a barn, Salt & Straw will be a “farm-to-cone shop” using home-grown ingredients like Olympic Provisions charcuterie, Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese, and the best of Oregon’s fruits and vegetables. Yes, you read that list correctly.
Featuring creative flavors like Honey Balsamic Strawberry With Cracked Black Pepper, Brown Ale With Bacon, Pear With Blue Cheese, and Mimosa Sorbet, along with pumped-up versions of traditional favorites,