Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

If creativity is Portland’s currency, then the coming weeks are an embarrassment of riches, with back-to-back-to-back festivals that celebrate the many expressions of Portland’s creative culture: indie music (MusicFestNW, Sept. 5-9), contemporary art (Time-Based Art Festival, Sept. 6-16) and food and drink (Feast Portland, Sept. 20-23) — not to mention art & technology (XOXO, Sept. 13-16) and all manner of DIY (Mini Maker Faire, Sept. 15-16).

The latest addition to that esteemed lineup — and, in true Portland style, flying slightly below the radar — is Design Week Portland (Oct. 9-13), a preview of which is included here. Be warned: The language careens from earthy to ethereal, rough-hewn to reflective. You know, kind of like the city itself.

Bunk takes Gotham: Tommy Habetz of Bunk Sandwiches.

The week before last was a big one for local chefs, who gathered in New York City for the May 21 launch party for Feast Portland, the much-anticipated food and drink festival that will take place Sept. 20-23 in downtown Portland.

New York media, chefs and tastemakers descended upon the party, which highlighted Oregon beer, wine and spirits, plus samplings from Olympic Provisions, Bunk Sandwiches (the oxtail sandwich was a particular favorite), Beast, Departure, Paley’s Place and others. Here’s a nice recap of the event from Bon Appetit.

Later in the week, two other culinary standard-bearers — both of whom will also be participants in Feast – led hands-on, Portland-focused events for travel writers and meeting planners. In Chicago, Jenn Louis of Lincoln (one of Food & Wine‘s Best New Chefs of 2012) led a hands-on cooking demonstration. And in DC, Mark Bitterman (owner of The Meadow and author of the James Beard Award-winning Salted) piqued attendees’ taste buds with samplings of artisan-made finishing salts.

Behind the scenes: Douglas Derrick (Nostrana) mixes a Manhattan for Mike Thelin (Feast Portland) and my colleague Barbara Steinfeld.

Working with our friend Mike Thelin — co-founder of the much-anticipated food and drink festival, Feast Portland (Sept. 20-23, 2012) — we recently wrapped up some fun video shoots at three leading restaurants, which shared their recipes for chocolate hazelnut toffee (Country Cat), butternut squash soup (Metrovino) and a seasonal Manhattan (Nostrana).

Visit the “Flavors of Portland” tab on our Facebook page to download and share the recipes, watch the videos and enter to win two tickets to Feast. (Must enter by Jan. 6, 2012.)