Radhika Desai Dinner at Simpatica

What: Former Top Chef competitor Radhika Desai has moved to Portland to open a Goan-inspired Indian restaurant, and in the meantime will be hosting a preview dinner at Simpatica. The menu will include gnocchi flavored with tamarind, garlic, and ginger, lamb kabobs with roasted cumin brown butter and mint, rice flour-crusted Dungeness crab with pea shoot salad, and much more.
When: Friday, May 11th at 7:30 pm
Where: Simpatica Dining Hall 828 Southeast Ash Street
How Much: $45 per person. Reserve your spot by calling Simpatica at 503-235-1600.

Breakside Brewery 2nd Anniversary party

What: A Block Party celebrating two years of great beers, featuring live music, special release beers, and guest "celebrity" chefs on the outdoor grill, with 10 beers on tap outside in addition to the goods behind the bar. Special releases include the Bourbon Barrel-Aged 1st Anniversary Wheat Wine, Gin Barrel-Aged 2nd Anniversary Sour Golden, Passionfruit Berlinerweisse, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cherry Aztec (as well as special release ‘birthday beers’ from Upright, Burnside, Widmer Bros. and The Commons). Guest chefs behind the grill will include Rodney Muirhead (Podnah’s Pit), Paul Kasten (Wildwood), Andy Arndt (Truss), Adam Robinson (The Bent Brick), and Yetta Vorobik (The Hop and Vine).
When: Saturday, May 12th from 1 to 7 pm
Where: Breakside Brewery 820 NE Dekum Street; 503-719-6475
How Much: $15 for a commemorative tasting glass and 5 drink tickets for the outside tent.

Portobello Vegan Trattoria Tapas Cocktail Party

What: A Tapas party featuring four new and original Latin-inspired cocktails from Portobello bartender Lauren Fitzgerald (featuring Novo Fogo Organic Cachaca, 123 Organic Tequila, and Piscologia Pisco) and small bites from chef Aaron Adams.
When: Monday, May 14 at 6 pm
Where: Portobello Vegan Trattoria 1125 SE Division Street
How Much: $25 per person for cocktails and snacks. Get your tickets here.

Beast Cocktail Dinner with Lydia Reissmueller

What: A special cocktail pairing dinner featuring sips from Lydia Reissmueller of NYC’s PDT and PDX’s TenderBar. The menu is set to include shrimp fritters with pickled rhubarb remoulade paired with a "First Blush" (Rhum Agricole, rhubarb, maraschino, and honey vinegar), grape-wood-grilled grass-fed buffalo ribeye with foie gras butter and asparagus paired with "Field Glasses" (Rye, herbs de Provence, demerara, and Dutch’s bitters), a caramel ice cream sundae paired with the "Sun & Moon" (layered Olorosso, Amontillado, and Fino sherries), and more.
When: Tuesday May 15th, seatings at 6 and 8:45 pm.
Where: Beast 5425 NE 30th
How Much: $100 per person including cocktail pairings. For reservations, call 503-841-6968 or head to OpenTable.

Cooking With Cocktails cooking class at Bull Run Distillery

What: A lively culinary demonstration and hands-on cooking session paired with the tips and tricks behind 5 hand-crafted cocktails. The class will also feature guided preparation of internationally-inspired small plates (think mini arepas with Oaxacan cheese and jalapeno marmalade, lettuce cups filled with minced gingered chicken with hoisin, Ahi tuna tartare in toasted won ton cups, and much more).
When: Friday, May 18th from 6 to 9 pm
Where: Bull Run Distillery 2259 NW Quimby Street
How Much: $95 per person. Reserve your spot online

Din Din Supper Club’s Italy vs France Dinner

What: A special dinner pitting the flavors of France against sips from Italy, featuring Italian wines selected by Kelley Swenson. The "audaciously French menu" is set to include foie gras dumplings with consommé and slivered ramps, escargot vol au vent with cèpes, borage, and Jurançon, meyer lemon parsley sorbet, roasted pheasant with chard and cherry in juniper marc velouté, and rum-soaked génoise with fig and crème fraîche buttercream.

When: Friday and Saturday May 18th and 19th, 7pm both evenings.
Where: The Chef Studio, 2818 SE Pine Street
How Much: $95 plus gratuity for eight courses and wine pairings. RSVP as “France” or “Italy” by contacting Courtney Sproule at 971-544-1350 or [email protected].

Know about a great event coming up that should be on our radar? Shoot me an email at [email protected] or give me a shout over on Twitter at @allisonejones. Now get out there and start eating!