Mezcal Celebrations, James Beard ROOTS Dinners, and More Fall Food Events
Departure chef Gregory Gourdet
Image: Benjamin Tepler
2nd Annual Agave on Fire at Xico and Xica
Sat and Sun, October 12 and 13, at Xica, Xico, and Guero, $15 for cocktail party, $20 for tasting
Mezcal lovers: this weekend is for you. Division street’s upscale Mexican eatery (now with a location in NW Portland) kicks it off on Saturday with seven mezcal-based cocktails. On Sunday, a Grand Tasting brings in 14 mezcal distilleries to sample, with a class on the changing agave spirits industry from top producers in Xico’s upstairs space. An afterparty at Guero promises tacos al pastor, special cocktails, and a sneak peek at the NE 28th restaurant’s mezcal lounge.
Cambodian Dinner at Irving Street Kitchen
5-8 p.m., Mon, October 14, at Irving Street Kitchen
Now operating party as a gathering space and incubator for other chefs, Irving Street Kitchen is bringing in Diane Lam, chef at SE Portland’s Revelry, to cook an ancestral Cambodian menu. Expect dishes like Trey Kaw Phnom, with caramel braised cod with Thai Bird chile pickles and Machou Kreung, a tamarind soup with pork riblets, Thai eggplant and jasmine rice.
Michiko Tateno’s “Japanese Pickled Vegetables” at Powell’s Books
2 p.m., Sun, October 20, at Powell’s City of Books
Japanese fermentation phenom Michiko Tateno comes to Pickletown U.S.A. to dish on her 130-recipe tome on the traditional art of tsukemono, which digs deep into everything from pickled wasabi leaves to fermented garlic miso.
Harvest Dinner at Son of Man
6-10 p.m., Sat, November 9, at Son of Man in Cascade Locks, $40 per person
The Gorge’s relatively new Basque-style cidery is throwing a fall harvest party with fresh oysters, wood-fired lamb leg, and plenty of fresh, local vegetables. The star attraction, of course, is the cider, which uses native yeasts and Oregon apples for a bright, tart, slightly funky brew.
Roots James Beard Dinner at The Nines
5:30 p.m., Sat, November 23, at The Nine’s hotel, from $295
For one night only, Portland’s contingent of James Beard award winners, finalists, and semifinalists will come together for 10 courses to benefit James Beard Foundation Impact Programs and Urban Gleaners, a local non-profit focused on food insecurity in Portland. Hosted by Departure chef and James Beard semi-finalist Gregory Gourdet, notable names include Vitaly Paley (Paley’s Place et al.), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Katy Millard (Coquine), and seven other local bigwigs.
