How to Eat and Drink in Portland, April 24-29

This week in local food events.

Thursday, Apr. 24

Westrey Winemaker Dinner

Elephants Deli is hosting a series of dinners with local winemakers—in this case Westrey, owned in part by Amy Wesselman, the executive director of the International Pinot Noir Celebration. She'll be present along with co-owner David Autrey. They'll be serving—what else—pinot noir, in a four-course dinner full of duck, lamb and an array of spring vegetables. RSVP required.. Elephants Delicatessen, 115 NW 22nd Ave., 299-6304. 6:30-9 pm. $49.

Blind-Tasting Bingo

Eat weird things! Play Bingo! It's the perfect way to feel like an old lady and a pregnant lady at the same time. The event was first inaugurated at the Time-Based Art fest but is being brought back as a bimonthly at OMSI. You taste 12 items prepped by Bon Appetit chef Ryan Morgan with a blindfold on, then try to match them up on a goof-balled bingo board. Winners get beer. Losers still get food.. OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., 797-4000. 6 pm. $25.


Friday, Apr. 25

Oregon Garden Brewfest

Inside the idyllic 80-acre Oregon Garden in Silverton—which patrons are free to wander—65 breweries will offer 130 beers, ciders and meads. Standouts include Boring's Hot Scotch pepper beer and Fort George's fruity Divinity, but the massive fest includes many lesser-known breweries around the state such as Plank Town, Rusty Truck and Vagabond. Oregon Garden, 879 W Main St., Silverton, 874-8100, oregongarden.org. Noon-11 pm Friday and Saturday, April 25-26. Noon-5 pm Sunday, April 27. $15-$50.

Lamb Bo Ssam Dinner

In the little cooking school behind Old Salt, Foster's Craft Cooking is sponsoring a big ol' feast of banchan-adorned Korean lamb bo ssam (slow-cooked, wrapped lamb). It's served with Tesoaria wines, preceded by the oh-so-traditional Korean dish, oysters and bubbly, and followed by sweets and booze from New Deal.  Good Keuken Kitchen, 5031 NE 42nd Ave.. , 753-1655. 7-10 pm. $60.


Saturday, Apr. 26

Best of Dundee Hills

Does a sober friend owe you a huge favor? Like, a huge favor? Like, they're your spouse or grown child or something? Because for a cool $40 you get access to tastings and food pairings at 26 Dundee Hills wineries, which means you will be blotto and stuffed and groggy and kind of weird if you do it right. And if you can't make it home, the local hotels are also offering deals.  Multiple venues in Dundee. www.dundeehills.org. 10 am Saturday-6 pm Sunday. $40.


Sunday, Apr. 27

Eat Mobile

This is the street version of a small-plates menu. WW's annual food-cart festival, with samples from over 30 of our favorite carts—from hot Belizean to So Cold ice cream—included with each ticket, plus beer sold onsite. OMSI parking lot, 1945 SE Water Ave. Tickets at omsi.edu. 2:30-6 pm. $30.

Vegan Wine Pairings

For not overly much money, Pairings wine shop is again pairing up with one of its neighbors in the Ocean food barn for a multicourse wine pairing. This one's easier to swallow than the tacos, though: The Sudra vegan spot will be serving up five courses including coconut fried rice, poori and pralines—and Pairings will be matching those up with fine wines. Considering the shop sometimes recommends wine pairings like mac 'n' cheese for its whites, it's good to trust in their versatility on this front.  Pairings Portland Wine Shop, 455 NE 24th Ave.. , 541-531-7653. 5 pm. $30 advance, $35 day of event.


Tuesday, Apr. 29

Taste of The Nation

In a long tradition of complete decadence in the name of charity, and meals that fight the hunger of people not currently eating the meal, Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation will roll out for its 27th year at the (bolstered! totally safe! we think!) Crystal Ballroom. Unlike any number of perfunctory 5-percent "charity" dinners, however, this one actually goes entirely to anti-hunger charities locally and elsewhere, from the Oregon Food Bank to Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon. A ridiculous array of luxe restaurants are serving up vittles, including a remarkably good spicy crawfish dish from Boke Bowl. VIPs get extra bits that include latkes from Vitaly Paley and rillettes from the not-even-open-yet Renata. Booze flows likewise very, very freely. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. 6:30 pm, 5:30 pm VIP. $85, $150 VIP.

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