Chef's Week PDX

I had the super awesome privilege of attending the Chef's Week PDX kickoff event at the Nines Hotel in Downtown Portland this afternoon. It was hosted in the Urban Farmer lobby.

We braved the snowstorm to get the opportunity to meet with some of the minds behind Chef's Week and enjoy a few tasty appetizers put together by Chef Matt Christianson, executive chef of Urban Farmer. It was an added treat to get our very own Urban Farmer soap, made from beef tallow - this chef lets nothing go to waste!

My husband doesn't normally get to attend things like this with me, but with all the snow and accidents on I-5, his work was cancelled and he came with. We were a little early, but loved the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of the Nines.

If you hadn't heard of Chef's Week before, it's an awesome opportunity to try food from some AMAZING chefs from up and down the west coast. This is the first year for the event, and I feel confident saying it won't be the last. Each night, there is a dinner hosted at a different venue - each an amazing restaurant in its own right - and each night has its own theme. The themes for this year are Hearth and Turf, Present Culture, West Coast Modern, and West Coast 2014. The meals are a collaboration between various chefs that wouldn't ordinarily get to work together.

The events are all but sold out, so you should act fast if you want to get in on this amazing dining experience! Events run through the 9th. The chefs, restaurants and vendors taking part definitely care about their crafts, and it comes through in the taste, texture, and atmosphere.

I'm not fortunate enough to attend any of the dinners myself, but I would love if you could go, unabashedly take some pictures, and then share with me like crazy so I can live vicariously through you! I had the thom kha from Departure chef (and Chef's Week PDX co-founder) Gregory Gourdet last fall, and I still dream about it. If you're not able to go either, be sure to follow #chefsweekpdx on Instagram and Twitter to see all the tasty pictures I'll be drooling over!

the view as we were leaving the Nines

What is your favorite restaurant these days? Any places on your "must try" list? My husband says my list is about 1,000 places long now! I think that just means we need to get out more.