Last-Minute Guide to Feast Portland

So you blinked and missed the start of Feast Portland tickets this year, and now your FOMO is coming on strong? Never fear, your last-minute guide to the 8th annual Feast Portland (Sept. 12-15, 2019) is here. For four dizzying days each fall, the food world descends on Portland from across the United States, as chefs, influencers, writers, artisans and, yes, plain-old-hungry people gather for Oregon’s largest food and drink festival. This year’s Feast includes more than 40 events at dozens of locations across the city that promise to inspire, educate and entertain as well as fill our tummies. Events will sell out, so grab your tickets as soon as possible. Here are the events with tickets still available:

Fun-size events

Feast’s innovative and approachable “fun-size” events are smaller than its marquee events but will leave you plenty satisfied. Here are those with tickets still available, as of Aug. 29, 2019:

• Late, Late Show: Noodles, Thursday Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. at The Lot at Clay Creative — The Andy Ricker and David Thompson Dinner Series event sold out in less than a minute this year. This year’s event features David Thompson (with Michelin-starred restaurants on two continents and his Bangkok restaurant ranked among the 50 Best restaurants in the world); Andy Ricker of Pok Pok; Tony Tien of Pho Kim (founding chef of legendary Portland restaurant Pho Hung, a PDX staple since 1990); Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen; Kyo Koo of Danwei Canting; and Stephanie Thornton of Blue Star Donuts. Portland surf-rock band Don and the Quixotes will play a live set while you slurp.
• Melty Fest Presented by Tillamook, Saturday Sept. 14, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at The Redd on Salmon Street — This is Feast’s first family-friendly event, designed to be the ultimate chef plus food plus daytime party for all ages. Chefs include Portland’s Peter Cho, Gabriel Rucker, Tommy Habetz, John Gorham and Maya Lovelace, plus visiting chefs Howard and Anita Hsu (Sweet Auburn Barbecue, Atlanta), Joe and Katy Kindred (Kindred, Davidson), Michael Scelfo (The Longfellow Bar, Cambridge) and more. Activities for kids and grown ups including a crazy-craft corner by Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts; a hair-style salon by Sit Still Kid’s Hair Salon (think glitter spray and crazy hair colors); face painting by the Kim Millen; outdoor games; and live music from local favorite Micah and Me. Plus bubbles, squirt guns and even some old-fashioned parachute fun. 
• Vegetables: A Love Story, Continued, Saturday Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m. -8 p.m. at Stumptown Coffee Roasters — See Oregon’s local bounty on full display as eight top-flight chefs put vegetables on a pedestal. The returning event features nationally renowned chefs Michael Solomonov of Zahav in Philadelphia; Reem Kassis, author of “The Palestinian Table”; Joshua McFadden of Ava Gene; Justin Woodward of OK Omens and Castagna; Karl Holl of Spatzle and Speck at Park Avenue Wines; Sam Smith of Tusk; Erik Van Kley of Arden Wine Bar + Kitchen; and Kasey Mills of Mediterranean Exploration Company.

• Vaguely Spanish, Sunday, Sept. 15, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Stumptown Coffee Roasters — This celebration of the diverse culinary regions of Spain features chefs who have lived and traveled there, and who have been inspired by Spain. This year’s esteemed lineup includes Jose Chesa of Ataula; Javier Canteras of Urdaneta; John Gorham of Toro Bravo; Scott Ketterman of Crown Paella; Maylin Chavez of Olympia Oyster Bar; Aaron Croder of Cervo’s in New York; and Althea Grey Potter of Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant.

Main events

Feast’s marquee events are popular for good reason. These events draw hundreds of festival-goers in a party-like atmosphere. Here’s a rundown of the main events with tickets still available as of Aug. 29, 2019: 

• East Coast vs. West Coast,  Thursday Sept. 12, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., RoseQuarter Commons — This is Feast’s kickoff event, featuring North Carolina BBQ kingpin Sam Jones cooking a whole hog; Tory McPhail of the New Orleans institution Commander’s Palace bringing rabbit and pork gumbo; and brown-butter lobster rolls by Arlin Smith from Eventide Oyster Company of Portland, Maine. Other participating chefs include Cory Schreiber of Wildwood fame; New York native Rick Gencarelli of Lardo; Don Salamone of Burger Stevens; Seattle chef Ethan Stowell preparing Dungeness crab. It will all be capped with an oyster bar from Taylor Shellfish, local wines and Kentucky bourbon.

• Night Market, Friday Sept. 13, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Zidell Yards — This annual celebration of global street food made possible by more than 20 trend-defining chefs from L.A. to Bangkok, plus winemakers, cocktailers, brewers and more who’ll serve up the exotic and the adventurous. It all happens under the stars and festive stringed lights with the Tilikum Crossing Bridge and downtown skyline as a backdrop. Notable local chefs joining national and international chefs include Patrick Fleming of Boke Bowl; Elizabeth Golay of Tiffin Asha; Han Ly Hwang of Kim Jong Grillin; Kyo Koo of Danwei Canting; Carlo Lamagna of Magna; Johnny Leach of La Neta; Troy MacLarty of Bollywood Theater; Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly of Gado Gado; Nong Poonsukwattana of Nong’s Khao Man Gai ; Brannon Riceci of Boke Bowl; Kasem Saengsawang of Farmhouse Kitchen; Jasper Shen of XLB; Johanna Ware of Smallwares; and Rachel Yang of Revelry. 

• The Big Feast Presented By New Seasons Market, Saturday, Sept. 14, and Sunday,  Sept. 15, 1pm-5pm at Tom McCall Waterfront Park — This year Feast moves this event to Waterfront Park to make it the biggest Feast event to date. See the full schedule for the lineup of events, which will include “fireside chats” with Bon Appetit food editors and brand-new chef counters — which will let you talk with the chefs themselves as they serve you a bite. Also new is the Heritage Radio Network podcast lounge, featuring chefs from Portland and across the country. Sunday’s events continue to showcase the artisans — from cheesemakers and chocolatiers to bakers and brewers, all set against the city’s Willamette River skyline.

Classes

What’s better than experiencing something with your whole body? Here are the Feast classes with tickets available as of Aug. 29, 2019:

• Shake, Shoot, Sip: Take The Best Cocktail Photo With Westward Whiskey, Saturday Sept. 14, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at Westward Whiskey Distillery — Join industry pioneers, Westward American Single Malt Whiskey and Apartment Bartender in a guide to drink-photography workshop with Elliott Clark. Dive into the story, process and technique of this art with an emphasis on creating compelling social imagery.

• History Bites Bike Tour, Saturday Sept. 14, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. at Pedal Bike Tour — Join culinary historian Heather Arndt Anderson and Pedal Bike Tours for a casual ride through the city, enjoying bites of Portland’s food history with a break for wine and snacks midway.