How to Eat and Drink in Portland, Dec. 5-10

Events for the crunk-minded and culinary-obsessed

HOT ROD: (Clockwise from foreground) Queso fundido with roasted green chilies, jicama salad and the Zanahorita cocktail at Rodney Muirhead's new Tex-Mex bar.

[Image from this week's review of La Taq, viewable here.]

Thursday, Dec. 5

Holiday Ale Fest

A quarter past noon, the Grinch paused and put his hand to his ear. And through the streets of Portland, a sound he did hear. It started in low, then it started to grow. WOOOOOOOO! BEER! WOOOOO! Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave., holidayale.com. 11 am-10 pm Wednesday-Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday, Dec. 4-8. $30. 21kknd.


Saturday, Dec. 7

Champagne and Caviar

Woodstock Wine & Deli rings in its anniversaries the old-fashioned way: by treating its customers like a beautiful 23-year-old ballet dancer it's attempting to seduce. Specifically, with a pair of 9-liter Salmanazars of old-country Champagne plus caviar and oysters. Who could resist their charms, even as they approach a hoary 28 years of age? Also on offer: a tasting of local wines and microbrews and barbecue-smoked pig sliders. Woodstock Wine & Deli, 4030 SE Woodstock Ave., 777-2208. 2-6 pm. $15, includes tasting glass. 21kknd.


Sunday, Dec. 8

Cookbook Social

We'll admit it, we love these things. All the chefs come out of the kitchen to hawk their recipes, from Andy Ricker to John Gorham to the host, Vitaly Paley. The snacks are free, the event is free, there's cocktails available from Brandon Wise. And heck, if you're totally into it, featured author Anya Von Bremzen (Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking) will be sitting in for a four-course Russian-themed dinner at Imperial starting at 5 pm for $65 (reservations at 228-7222). Otherwise, just walk out at 3 pm, drunk with food in your mouth and money still in your pocket. Hotel Lucia, 400 SW Broadway, 225-1717. 1-3 pm. Free.


Tuesday, Dec. 10

Portland Food Adventures

Chef Kat LeSueur of French spot Cocotte serves up a six-course meal with cocktail and wine pairings and desserts and such, plus talks about her favorite places in town—in this case, Canteen, Expatriate and the Cardinal Club—with gift certificates for each. Cocotte, 2930 NE Killingsworth St., 227-2669. 6:30 pm. $125.


A Seat at the Table

So it's a charity auction for Project Lemonade—sort of a school shopping spree for foster youth. But it's also a four-course meal of genteelly Southern fare from chef Sarah Schaefer as well as a big congratulatory round for the successful businesswomen in town from Green Zebra founder Lisa Sedlar (who might coincidentally be promoting the new opening of her stores) and Laika production company president Lourri Hammack, who'll be letting y'all know just how they got so successful. Irving Street Kitchen, 701 NW 13th Ave., 343-9440. 5:30-9:30 pm. $75.

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