7 Portland Chefs Not To Miss At Feast Portland
It's no secret that Portland, Ore., has its share of amazing restaurants and chefs (three Portland eateries made The Daily Meal's list of 101 Best Restaurants). Now, the foodie-friendly city has added a new level of food mania: the Feast Portland, hosted by Bon Appétit.
The weekend-long flagship event (tickets on sale now) in September features some big names on the scene — April Bloomfield, Mark Bittman, Duff Goldman, Eddie Huang, and more. But we're particularly excited for the smorgasbord of West Coast chefs, based in Portland, making big waves. The chefs we're dying to see this September:
Vitaly Paley: The namesake of beloved Paley's Place, Paley is a winner on Iron Chef America, successful restaurateur, and the winner of the James Beard Best Chef Northwest in 2005.
Ben Bettinger: The chef first opened Beaker & Flask in 2009 and is now on the cusp of opening a Vitaly Paley-partnered joint in downtown Portland, called Imperial. He's also best known as the guy who defeated Jose Garces on Iron Chef America 2011.
Philippe Boulot: Boulot is recognized for his contributions to the Portland culinary scene, as the executive chef of the Multnomah Athletic Club and culinary director of The Heathman Restaurant; but he's also recognized nationally — Boulot won the 2001 Best Chef Northwest James Beard Award.
Gregory Gourdet: Named the hottest chef by Eater in 2012, Gourdet is a NYC veteran and Portland newbie taking on the scene. Gourdet is in charge of the Porland hot spot Departure, after his stint as the former chef de cuisine for Jean-George Vongerichten.
Naomi Pomeroy: Top Chef Masters contestant, James Beard nominee, and Food & Wine's Best New Chef are just some of her accolades; Pomeroy opened Beast in 2007 to much fanfare.
Jenn Louis: She was named Best Chef by Food & Wine this year, and keeps on trucking at her two restaurants, Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Restaurant, plus her catering business.
Andy Ricker: Ricker's Pok Pok fast eatery has taken Portland and NYC by storm; he was also the James Beard Best Chef Northwest in 2011.