The Best Of Portland

April 24 & 25, 2009 - Get Your Brew On At Oregon Garden's Brewfest! - Silverton, Or

Handcrafted beer aficionados are invited to learn more about their favorite breweries while sampling new beers, enjoying local cuisine and listening to great live music. $10 admission includes entrance to The Oregon Garden, a commemorative mug and four tasting tickets.

When: Friday, 4pm-11pm and Saturday, 12 noon - 11pm

Where: The Oregon Garden 879 W Main Street, Silverton, Or 97381

The freshest of fresh dungeoness crab & fabulous NW wines are just two of the many reasons not to miss Astoria's 27th annual Seafood & Wine Festival!

    

The Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Festival will celebrate its 27th anniversary this year. The Festival is always on the last full weekend in April, the 24-26th in 2009. Enjoy a great spread of northwest cuisine, myriad arts and crafts, a selection of Oregon and Washington’s finest wineries, the beer garden and more. The Rotary Club of Astoria will be serving their traditional crab dinner all weekend long. Live music will be on the stage in the exhibit hall all weekend and new this year, will be the addition of musicians at times in the tent. Also new this year, enjoy meeting representatives from 3 local breweries and enjoy sample tastes of their products.

Hours:
Friday, April 24 4 – 9 pm $8 general admission
Saturday, April 25 10 – 8 pm $10 general admission
Sunday, April 26 11 – 4 pm $5 general admission
Children under 12 years are free all weekend. You are encouraged to take advantage of less crowded times on Saturday morning and Sunday when bringing small children to the Festival.
A weekend pass may be purchased for $18 on Friday at the Festival or at the Chamber during the month of April.

The Festival is located at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, on Hwy 202 about 4 miles from the junction with Hwy 101 in Astoria. The physical address is 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria. Parking is $5 a car and is limited at the event, especially when the weather brings rain. Because of the popularity of this event officials encourage you to take the Festival shuttle.

Our music line up this year for the main stage in the exhibit hall includes:
Friday 4-6:15 The Brownsmead Flats
Friday 6:30 – 8:45 F. O. G.
Saturday 10 – 12:30 Dave Drury Trio
Saturday 1 – 4:00 Floating Glass Balls
Saturday 4:30 – 7:45 The Brownsmead Flats
Sunday 11 – 1:00 Astoria High School Jazz Band
Sunday 1:30 – 3:45 US Air Force Mobility Band

Shuttles will be servicing many of the Astoria and Warrenton lodging properties and the park & ride stops at the Port of Astoria and at the “Lum’s” lot at 5th & Marine on Friday and Saturday. Shuttles will only run to the Port of Astoria park & ride on Sunday. Festival shuttle rides are $1 each way, and the fee is collected at the Festival.
FRIDAY – Shuttles start at 4pm and the last bus leaves the Festival at 9pm.
SATURDAY – Shuttles start at 9:30am and the last bus leaves the Festival at 8pm.
SUNDAY – LIMITED SHUTTLE SERVICE from the Port of Astoria only starting at 10:30am and the last bus leaves the Festival at 4pm.

Festival Shuttle Stops listed by Route
Dungeness Bus – West Astoria: Astoria Dunes Motel, KFC, Cannery Pier Hotel, Red Lion Inn, Port of Astoria, Best Western (at Hamburg)
Salmon Bus – Central Astoria: Liberty Theater, “Old Lum’s Lot” at 5th & Marine, State parking lot at 3rd & Marine, Columbia Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Peter Pan Market
Tuna Bus – East Astoria: Tongue Point Job Corps entrance, Crest Motel, Alderbrook Community Center, Comfort Suites, East End Mooring Basin
Halibut Bus – Warrenton: Shilo Inn, Mini Mart, 9th & South Main, Fort Stevens main gate, KOA, Corkey’s, Kamper’s West, Fred Meyer

For visitors coming from the south end of the county, please note that you can ride a shuttle from Seaside on Saturday for $6. Reserve your seat by calling Seaside’s Best Tours at (503) 738-9898.

2/20/09 - Join over 2,000 people as they gather at The Portland Showcase of Wine & Cheese. Taste over 250 varieties of wine, dozens of cheeses, hot hors d'oeuvres and specialty foods at The Oregon Convention Center

Guests receive a complimentary wine glass, and a tasting book to guide them through the wide selection of wines and provide a place for them to rate each wine they taste.

HOURS:
6:30 - 10:00 pm


PHONE:
(503) 232-0077

ADMISSION/TICKETS:
www.bgcportland.org

Surprise your Valentine with delectible "Objects of Affection" from Shari's Berries

 

Chocolate covered strawberries have become one of the nation's most popular gifts. Shari's Berries began selling hand dipped strawberries in 1989 and has since sent over 10 million dipped berries. Shari's ingredients come from one of the world's finest gourmet chocolate companies and Shari uses the most succulent strawberries available on the market. Shari's Berries are a gift that expresses incredible thoughtfulness as well as exceptional taste.

Click Here to peruse Shari's Berries online boutique.

The Best of Portland | Feb. 20, 21 & 22 - The 32nd Annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival

It wouldn't be winter on the coast without the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. It's the premier seafood & wine event of the west coast and the original Northwest seafood and wine festival.

Since 1978 the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival has attracted visitors from around the world to the central Oregon coast. The 2009 festival promises to be packed with all of the fun, food and wine you've come to know and love at the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival!

Click Here for a link to Newport's Chamber of Commerce and for more information about the event.

The Best Of Portland is proud to announce it's taking it's successful show on the road. Check-out new sister site "The Best". It's gorgeous, and what can we say? It's... THE BEST!

     

We will officially be launching our exciting new national site on February 14th, 2009. If you're curious and would like to take a sneak-peak in advance, please visit us at | www.TheBestOnTheWeb.us.com!

You are who you associate with...so why not make it TheBestOnTheWeb?

For advertising opportunities contact: NitPicky@TheBestofPortland.net for details.

The Best of Portland | With New Year's Eve toasts just around the corner it's time to round-up the best bubblies that popped the charts!

 

See who New York Guides found made the best champagne from an in-house panel of tasters, headed by Kevin Zraly of Windows on the World Wine School.  The panel blind-tested six brands in three separate “flights.”

Two different bottles were selected representing each of the three champagne categories—non-vintage, vintage, and “prestige”—all widely available at New York wine stores. Just for fun, New York Guides also called around to find the highest and lowest prices for each bottle.

Click Here for a link to the blind-test results.

David LeClaire's "Portland Uncorked" provides local wine enthusiasts with untapped access to fun local wine tasting events, classes, blogs and a Sommelier's take on the city's local wine stores & bars.

Created by Sommelier David LeClaire, Portland Uncorked is an unpretentious club made up of a wide array of enthusiasts with a diverse background in wine from beginners to those with extensive collections. Mr. LeClaire has been creating wine events in the Northwest as well as throughout the U.S. since 2001.

A one-time membership fee of $50 will be waived to those who sign up before December 31, 2008. Members will receive a membership card, frequent emails with notices of events, and occasional discounts from area stores, wine bars, wineries, and events.

Click Here for a link to Portland Uncorked!

Pumpkin Ravioli with Hazelnut Butter Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 large carrots, cooked and pureed
2 onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch ground cardamom
1 cup unsalted butter
1/3 pound grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 pounds fresh pasta sheets
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup hazelnuts
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch white pepper
salt to taste
2 cups shredded sorrel, stems removed

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute the onions, garlic, and spices in butter or margarine until the onions are soft. Stir together with the pureed vegetables. Add cheese, maple syrup, egg, salt, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning. Set the filling aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Toast the hazelnuts in a shallow pan on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown and fragrant. When they are cool enough to handle, wrap the nuts tightly in a lint-free towel, and vigorously rub nuts against the towel. Continue rubbing until the nuts are almost blond.
3. Cook the cream, garlic, cayenne, and white pepper over high heat; stir often, and adjust heat to keep the cream from boiling over. When the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add a pinch salt. Adjust seasoning. Remove sauce from heat until you're ready to use it.
4. Lay one sheet of Fresh Pasta out on a flat surface. Spray with water to prevent drying, and to make it more flexible. Place half tablespoons of filling along the bottom edge of the pasta about 1/2 inch apart. For larger ravioli, use 1 tablespoon of filling, and leave 1 inch between dollops. Fold the pasta sheet over the filling, and cut apart with a ravioli cutter. Set the finished ravioli aside, and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until filling and/or pasta is completely used.
5. Cook the ravioli in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
6. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Add the shredded sorrel to the sauce; cook just until it wilts -- about 30 seconds. Add half the hazelnuts, turn the heat off, and add the cooked ravioli. Stir gently, and serve immediately. Garnish with remaining hazelnuts.

Nov. 28, 29 & 30, 2008 - A Thanksgiving to be thankful for....in Oregon wine country. Shari Gray, Broker Coldwell Banker Barbara Sue Seal Properties

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosts a county-wide Wine Country Thanksgiving event each year. Participating wineries will be open 11am-5pm unless noted. Click here for more information.

Image Credit: brownturtlenecksweater.typepad.com