If the same held true for cities as it does for humans, that “you are what you eat,” Portland would be considered healthy, haute and spirited.
Groups convening here should tap into the area’s well-rounded and nationally recognized cuisine scene via its craft brews, farmers market and local fine dining establishments.
These and several other ways for attendees to break bread, including checking out the food cart craze, are outlined here.
Bon appetit!
Forktown Food Tours
Forktown Food Tours facilitates delicious outings to discover the exciting foodie scene in Portland, including expansive tastings of handcrafted food and drink, according to Heidi Burnette, co-owner of the tour operator.
“We only visit food purveyors owned by local people serving creative food made with seasonal ingredients grown right here in the Pacific Northwest,” she says. “We take the guesswork out of choosing where to eat and drink, and remove the hassle of booking reservations or organizing for a large group. It would take days to eat at all the restaurants we sample on our three-hour tour.”
Depending on the tour, stops include tastes of pastrami reubens paired with a local microbrew, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir paired with a delicious pizza, tiny artisan cookies and ice cream sandwiches.
“Forktown Food Tours are not meant to be just tasting tours, rather they’re designed to be the equivalent to a very full meal,” she says, suggesting a tour is a great alternative to a sit-down lunch gathering.
Portland’s Culinary Workshop
Portland’s Culinary Workshop provides hands-on private cooking classes and team-building events that include instruction and a shared meal at the end of class.
“We provide excellent customer service and a fun yet very professional experience during class,” says Susana Holloway, owner, teacher and knife wielder at Portland’s Culinary Workshop.
She adds that everything from technique-based classes to international cuisine classes is offered.
“We also have popular Northwest cuisine classes that change seasonally to show off the amazing abundance of the Willamette Valley and beyond with dishes like stuffed pork tenderloin or pesto encrusted rack of lamb, to pecan Salmon, seasonal salads and Hood River apple and pear crisps,” Holloway says.
At the end of the event, participants take home a recipe packet of all the menu items they created together. PageBreak
Food Cart Tour
Portland’s streets are lined with oodles of food carts. In one lot, according to Brett Burmeister, managing editor of FoodCartsPortland.com and master food cart tour guide, there are more than 60 mobile vendors offering everything from Indian to Thai to Polish to Portuguese dishes.
“Portland is known for its vibrant and diverse street food scene,” he says. “Some of the most unique and satisfying dishes in the city come from Portland’s food carts.”
On the 90-minute tour with Burmeister, groups will learn about the history of mobile vending in Portland and the stories of various vendors.
“Every meal has a history,” he says, explaining that along the way groups will taste Chinese dumplings, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, Belgian waffles, smoked salmon sliders and more.
Adds Cris Schulz, president of Portland Events & Logistics, whose favorite carts include Retrolicious, Saucy’s BBQ and KOi Fusion: “Food trucks have personality, excellent food, great prices and are always open, even in the rain. They have completely changed the way Portlanders do lunch.”
BridgePort Brewing Company
Portland is home to more craft breweries than any other city in the world, according to Travel Portland, and BridgePort Brewing Company’s BridgePort IPA is the most popular craft beer in the city.
“As Portland’s oldest craft brewery, groups that want to experience award-winning ales that launched the brewing scene here need to look no further,” says Dave Pendleton, general manager at the BridgePort BrewPub.
The pub has several gathering options for group functions, he says, including the Old Knucklehead Room, a small conference space, and the larger Heritage Room, which overlooks the brewery operation and is well-suited for seated meal functions.
“The Pearl District has become Portland’s destination neighborhood and BridgePort provides a unique, casual way for groups to experience it,” Pendleton says, adding that tours and tastings are also available, and the on-site menu focuses on Northwest ingredients including Pacific Coast seafood. PageBreak
Portland Farmers Market
Portland Farmers Market, a gem of the Pacific Northwest, according to spokeswoman Deborah Pleva, is located close to the Willamette Valley, which is considered one of the most productive and fertile areas in the country.
“This area is home to a huge assortment of family and large-scale farms, orchards and vineyards,” she says, explaining that these dedicated local farmers deliver their farm-fresh produce to Portland Farmers Market locations 48 weeks of the year.
In addition to produce, the market offers meats, farm eggs, artisan cheeses, breads, sweet treats, local wines and the seasonal Chef in the Market series, which showcases Portland’s most celebrated chefs.
“They shop the market and then transform the just-harvested seasonal produce into dishes that are simple to prepare and guaranteed to delight,” Pleva says. “Food entrepreneurs relocate to Portland just to source from these farms and launch their businesses and products at Portland Farmers Market.”
Ox Restaurant
Ox, one of Portland’s newest restaurants and situated close to the Oregon Convention Center, features Argentine-inspired cuisine mainly cooked over an open flame.
“Ox is a very special place to hold an event because of the professional, kind and family-style service that large groups enjoy,” says Greg Denton, chef/owner at Ox. “The smell, the primal feel and the flavors of our large wood-fired Argentine-style grill provide our guests with a tantalizing array of meats and seasonal seafood and vegetables.”
Menu items include fresh clam chowder, beef rib eye and for dessert, warm hazelnut brown butter torte with honey-chamomile ice cream.
Private events at Ox, which require a custom menu arranged in advance, are held in the Greenroom, an enclosed patio, or the Whey Bar, which features a communal table.
Southeast Wine Collective
Groups can stay within city limits and experience the Oregon wine scene at an urban winery such as Southeast Wine Collective.
Home to four wine labels, the collective invites visiting groups to taste as well as witness the whole wine-making process, from grape to bottle, according to Kate Monroe, founder and general manager at the venue.
“The SE Wine Collective is a great space for holding an event, and we have hosted a vast array, from large fundraisers to intimate private dinners,” she says. “We work with a number of Portland caterers and private chefs to allow each group a customized experience.”PageBreak
Ponzi Vineyards
Portland is located a short drive from the Willamette Valley, the fourth-largest winegrowing region in the U.S. If a meeting itinerary allows time for a day trip, groups might check out the wineries of Washington County, where pinot noir and pinot gris, specialties of the area, can be tasted at wineries along the 60-mile Vineyard & Valley Scenic Tour Route. The route makes for a memorable afternoon, as it mixes wine-tasting and farm stops with wildlife sightings and great views of Mount Hood, among other scenic gems.
One of Washington County’s top choices for groups is Ponzi Vineyards.
Ponzi’s Beaverton operation, located about 20 minutes from Portland, specializes in pinot noir, chardonnay and other varietals, and currently offers wine tastings. Meanwhile, this summer Ponzi will unveil its new hospitality facility and tasting room in Sherwood, Ore., which is only 30 minutes from downtown Portland.
“The building’s westward-facing orientation takes full advantage of sunsets over the Chehalem Mountains,” says Kati Focareto, director of hospitality and events. “The museum-like foyer welcomes visitors and shares the story of the Ponzi’s, one of Oregon’s founding wine families.”
The hospitality spaces at Ponzi Vineyards, she adds, offer intimate indoor venues for wine-paired dinners, receptions or wine-tasting seminars, while the outdoor venues offer opportunities for more elaborate al fresco-style celebrations and events.
Patanegra Catering
Planners wishing to hold events at area vineyards and other venues can work with standout local chefs such as Ricardo Segura, who is from Spain’s Caceres region of Extremadura, land of the famous Iberico ham, or pata negra.
Segura’s Patanegra restaurant has been a Portland hot spot for nearly nine years, and his catering operation adds an exotic Spanish touch to gatherings.
Segura enjoys catering events at Willamette Valley wineries, including WillaKenzie Estate in Yamhill. For an 800-person private event at the winery last year, Segura matched WillaKenzie wines with Spanish creations such as albondigas, pimientos de Padron and Manchego with homemade quince paste.
“Thier wines go well with my food,” Segura says. “Their pinots are strong and kind of spicy with pimenton and other flavors of Spain. I’ve done a rabbit paella with WillaKenzie pinot. Also, WillaKenzie’s location is beautiful for events. It reminds me of Burgundy.”
Contributing writer Carolyn Blackburn will dine at one of Portland’s great eateries before Fleetwood Mac’s show at the Rose Garden this June.
