Feast Portland, The Sophomore Year

[trip style = foodie + urban]

Fall is packed with a ton of food festivals. Feast Portland is one of them. In case you don't get Bon Appetit on your doorstep or iPad monthly, Portland's food scene is a REALLY big deal, winning more awards than it knows what to do with. Though, in true Portland form, you'd never see said awards displayed---that would be too showy for PDX's earthy tastes.

I went to Feast last September for its inaugural year, and loved it like a just-baked chocolate chip cookie, so when I was invited back for the sophomore showing this past weekend, I grabbed my apron and hightailed it south. Truth be told, you don't actually have to bring an apron, but it does add to your street cred.

For those of you unfamiliar with food festivals, the gastrono-weekend dishes out ingredients from down the road and chefs from across the US---many of whom are PDX based. The schedule runs from Thursday to Sunday and is packed with casual galas, dinner and brunch collaborations between top chefs, tasting panels, speaker series, plus a few free events.

Talking to my fellow Feast-ers, I learned they devoured as much or as little of the weekend’s festivities as their palates could handle. Some chose to take in two or three events, while others packed the weekend tighter than a roast beef. My Feast tendencies fell somewhere in between. After all, to fully understand Feast, you have to stick your fingers into Portland's honeypot {aka the cafes and restaurants around town}.

Trip Styler Tip :: With so many foodies in town, eating out during Feast can get busy, so go to restaurants at off times---think early lunch or late dinner---to avoid waits.

My last night in Portland, I went to one of the marquee events, High Comfort at the Nines, an evening of cocktail dresses and canapés. While daintily nibbling my way through each station at the stand-up affair, I met Jason French, the chef of local restaurant Ned Ludd. Beside the terrarium and driftwood vignette he'd placed on his table, topped with plates of creamed smoked salmon over brioche soldiers, I learned he moved to Portland from the East Coast because it matched his value system. He wanted fresh, he wanted local, he wanted authentic. True to the move, his restaurant's menu changes weekly.

That's the Portland I know. Officially it Feasts in the third weekend of September, unofficially it's all the time.

Know This - Feast takes place the third weekend of September. Dates for 2014 will likely be Sept 18 - 21. - Tickets for the gourmet line-up start as low as $10, and can be purchased in singles or as a package. - Once the 2014 schedule is set, book early to get your prime picks, as many events sell out. - The weekend also has some free events, which are noted in the schedule. - Feel good about feasting; net proceeds go to two Oregon charities. - My top-pick events: the Sandwich Invitational, the Night Market, the dinner and brunch collaborations, the speaker series and the tasting panels.

A Taste of Feast The Thursday evening kick-off event: the Sandwich Invitational.

The scene at the Sandwich Invitational.

Food at the Sandwich Invitational: Portland's Roman Candle Baking Co. served up brioche sliders with peanut ice cream.

Food at the Sandwich Invitational: Duff Goldman of Baltimore's Charm City Cakes offered PB, jelly and bacon.

Food at the Sandwich Invitational: Portland's Lardo created a porchetta sandwich topped with shaved truffles.

Thursday night: Feast dinner collaboration between Aaron Barnett of St. Jack in Portland and Thomas McMaughton of Flour + Water in San Francisco. This salmon crudo is the first course in a six-course meal.

Friday morning: quick stop at Portland's See See Motor Coffee Co.

Friday late morning: early lunch at Luce, a recent Portland dining institution named as one of the 10 best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit in 2012.

Food at Luce: crostinis with fig and goat cheese mousse.

Food at Luce: garganelli with cherry tomato and chili.

Friday's Night Market.

Night Market bites: rabbit three ways by Portland's Boke Bowl.

Night Market bites: tomato churumuri by Portland's Bollywood Theater.

Saturday: Whole Foods Market Best Butcher Competition and Fishmonger Face-Off.

Saturday Night: High Comfort at the Nines. Food: Oregon berry and sweet corn pavlova garnished in Jacobsen sea salt and honey popcorn candy by Portland's Maurice.

Late Saturday night: Dinner at Ava Gene's, named one of the 2013 top 10 new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit.

Sunday morning: Feast brunch collaboration between Portland's Bar Avignon and Seattle's The Whale Wins.

Sunday brunch: oyster shucking station.

[Photos by @TripStyler, except ava gene's]

Digging Into Vancouver

[trip style = foodie + staycation]

I recently wrote an article for the Expedia Viewfinder about the cafes and restaurants I repeatedly visit when I'm not on the road, noting: "When I'm not afar, Vancouver is my nearest and dearest; in other words it’s my hometown, and my chow-town where fresh is always in season. ...Here, the noshing norm is as high as the peaks towering over the city. Don't take it from me, when renowned chef Jean Georges Vongerichten visited, he said it best, “Everyone is a foodie here. I love it."

A decade ago, Vancity's dining scene only went after one differentiator: fresh. Fast forward to 2013 and we've realized we can offer a lot more than fresh-to-fork---evidenced by the weekly new restaurant openings I can barely keep straight.

I've included my repeat visit list below and paraphrased the copy for brevity {read the whole article here}. There are SO many more foodspots I could write about, so feel free to comment with your faves.

To Start Medina Cafe, "a Vancouver breakfast institution sprouting a queue of eager eaters every morning. I think it has something to do with the chic and compact waffles..." {instagram photo}

Nelson the Seagull "this minimalist bread and coffee cafe focuses on homemade everything, down to the in-season jams" {instagram photo}

Honorable mention: Le Marché St George + Cafe Bica

To Stop Meat & Bread "another line-up worthy feast sporting a simple lunch menu stacked in hearty staples like overnight-roasted porchetta and the best grilled cheese you’ve ever tasted (trust me!)..." {instagram photo}

Beaucoup Bakery "I love it as much as the Eiffel Tower is tall! The peanut butter sandwich cookie is my personal favorite, as well as the subject of much foodie blog love." {instagram photo}

Granville Island "one of the city’s top tourist stops, it’s a trap worth wandering way into. Locals do it every day for the just-brewed beer, just-caught fish, just-husked corn, just-made cheese, and so on. My parents started me young at Granville Island; I would munch on Lee’s Donuts, they would sip cappuccinos" {instagram photo}

Honorable mention: Bella Gelateria {owner James Coleridge won best gelato in Florence, Italy}

To Finish Farina "pocket-sized pizzeria---there's only 19 seats---in an up-and-coming part of town where the thin-crust, melt-in-your-mouth pizzas are the talk of the town" {instagram photo}

Burdock & Co "it’s not full of gastro-frou-frou, dishes are rich in taste and color" {instagram photo}

Toshi Sushi "sushi bars are more plentiful than Starbucks in Vancouver, thus, suggesting just one is near impossible. If I must, Toshi is one of the best, balancing fresh and inventive plates" {instagram photo}

Honorable Mention: La Mezcaleria + YEW restaurant {instagram photo}

[photos by @tripstyler]

Honolulu Hints

[trip style = beach + sun + foodie + urban]

When you need a dose of sun, Oahu delivers. As one of the destinations to welcome early jetsetters in the golden age of travel, Hawaii's hottest city knows a little something about aloha-infused hospitality. Locals have been perfecting the art since mai tai mavens started flocking to its shores post WWII.

Over the past week, I've been buzzing around town on a treasure hunt for trip styled spots all over the island. Sadly, I did not find Dog The Bounty Hunter, but I did glean these Honolulu hints---both vintage and mod---beyond Waikiki's packed and palm tree-lined beach. Stay tuned for my outer island picks {coming soon}.

Stay: The Modern Honolulu. The most au courant address on the shore. See my full write-up here.

Stay: Vive Hotel Waikiki. A new boutique hotel, opened summer 2013, featuring complimentary WiFi and continental breakfast. I stayed for three nights and every staff member I encountered was standout, and the location is bang-on, sitting pretty between Waikiki Beach and the Ala Wai canal.

Do: Join the locals walking their dogs or jogging along Ala Wai canal {a few blocks inland from Waikiki Beach}. For me, it's become a tradition to run the near two-mile promenade every time I'm in town.

Do: Go to the beach {obviously, you're in HI} for sunning, splashing and swimming at Ala Moana Beach Park. PS. I love the swimming lane that's been dredged along the shore for suuuuuuuuuper long lengths. BYO goggles.

Do: Stroll along the historic South King Street to study structures from Hawaii's yesteryear like the King Kamehameha I statue, Iolani Palace and other landmarks in the Capitol District.

Do: Stop and savor the sunset; it's a Hawaiian tradition.

Eat: Morning Glass Coffee + Cafe. Run by Stumptown Coffee-brewing hipsters who serve simple breakfast selections al fresco, like scones with earl grey-soaked raisins.

Eat: Leonard's Bakery. A Honolulu institution since it opened in 1952. Bite into one of their famed malasadas---a Hawaiian take on the Portuguese doughnut---and you'll be hooked for life {or your entire trip}.

Eat: Rainbow Drive-In . Another Honolulu institution that's been dishing up plate lunches since 1961. Back then, a BBQ steak plate was $1. Today, a similar dish is $7.50---still a steal---and includes two scoops of rice and a macaroni salad.

Eat: Lucky Belly. A corner eatery in Honolulu's Chinatown serving punch bowl-sized ramen for $8 in a spartan space wrapped in wood and lit with Edison bulbs.

Eat: Chef Mavro. If he wanted to, I'm sure Chef Mavro could have his own show on the Food Network. His kitchen know-how is that good, and every dish from his flexible prix-fixe menu is a piece of Picasso-worthy art. Literally, I took photos of every one of my nine plates like I was the paparazzi snapping a star. Expect a traditional restaurant physique and modern dishes.

Trip Styler Tip :: Check out more of my aloha aces from my trip to Honolulu in early 2012. I still dig the selections.

Do you have any Honolulu faves?

[photos by @tripstyler taken while as partial guest of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau]

Vancouver Summer Sizzlers

[trip style =  sightseeing + spa + staycation] I don't want to jinx it, BUT, we've had a dreamy summer in Vancouver: warm and sunny seasoned with sea breeze. While Sun-couver is hot to trot, I spend a lot of time at home. I mean, who would want to leave one of the world's most gorgeous cities when it's like California outside?!?

Aside from "Vancouvering" by way of hiking the Grouse Grind, riding the Aquabus or lounging at the beach, here are a few more reasons to give the City of Glass a big hug while school's out:

Pop-Up Pianos Coined the keys to the streets, four pop-up pianos are gracing the streets of Vancouver from July 1 - Aug 24. Painted in polka dots and rainbows {literally}, these music makers are giving dabblers and concert pianists a casual, alfresco stage for their craft. There are two installations near my running/walking route, and somebody is tickling the ivories every single time I pass by. Aside from the occasional heart and soul medley, I've witnessed some serious tunes about town, many times with an audience that grows by the note. Visit; it's worth it for the photo opp alone. Beethoven-level music is a bonus.

Food Cart Fest Hanging out in an uber-urban, concrete lot near The {Olympic} Village, Food Cart Fest is making its second annual summer appearance from June 23 - Sept 22. Forming a circle of cuisine around a concrete box, aka the DJ's digs, 20 trucks set up camp from noon - 5pm every Sunday. It's a tasty way to sample Van's street food without roaming the city in search of each truck, like Holy Perogy, The Juice Truck, Mom's Grilled Cheese, Yolk's or Roaming Dragon. There's also a flea market for browsing between bites, and a bouncy castle for kids {bounce first, eat second}. Cost of admission is $2 {VanCity members and children under 13 are free}.

The Spa CHI, Shangri-La's spa has just launched an uber-Vancouver spa package, perfect for recharging your sun-drenched batteries for fall. To date, it is the most exquisite spa I've visited in Vancouver, from the cashmere robes and sheets {so luxurious you want to rip them off the bed and wear them as a scarf} to the spa suites sporting infinity soaker tubs with embedded light therapy. The discreet service is also on another level. The four-hour West Coast Lifestyles package starts with a private yoga class {so Vancouver!}, and is followed by sea kelp soak, body wrap with mud flown in from China and a seaweed facial {or massage}. From $355 for the 'lite' version and $485 for the full version. Bonus, this runs into Spring 2014. {See my Instagram snaps for recent photos of the experience.}

Vancouver Chinatown Night Market Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm - 11pm, Chinatown's Keefer street shuts down to perform a quick-change into a standing room-only market. Vancouver has the largest Chinatown in Canada, so it's only fitting! Think of it like a summer vacation to the Far East, plus, most of Vancouver's hottest restaurants are a stone's throw away {if you're still hungry, which is unlikely}. You've got until Sept 8th to pick up dumplings, deep-fried snakes {ok, they're just sugar-topped pieces of dough shaped like a snake}, orchids or cellphone cases.

Trip Styler Tip :: If you want to venture just beyond Vancouver's borders, check the Richmond Night Market, open every weekend and holiday night until Oct 14. Admission is $2.

Grand Hotel I wrote about Grand Hotel at the Vancouver Art Gallery in the Spring, but it's worth mentioning again since it's only on until Sept 15, and the exhibition was nearly SEVEN years in the making. To say I liked GH is an epic understatement, in fact, it left me on a hotel high—higher than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Chronicling game-changers like the 1887-built Raffles hotel to the 2010-built Marina Bay Sands {where people book a room for the sole purpose of perching atop the surfboard-shaped SkyPark’s 150-meter infinity pool}, the multimedia show acts as a lab into hotel life. An adult ticket is $21, but admission is by donation every Tuesday after 5pm.

[photos by @tripstyler, except for CHI where I was a guest of the spa]

Spotlight :: San Diego

[trip style = weekend away + beach + urban]

San Diego's sea breeze and surf life has been calling my name since high school, the last time I visited. I remember very few details from the trip other than one vivid moment: seeing A.C. Slater {of Saved by the Bell fame} walking down the street. I was so embarrassed---for who I'm not sure---I looked the other way.

MORE PHOTOS BELOW.

Prior to my brush with Mr. Mullet, my only interaction with this Southern Cali city was a quintessential kid-trip to Sea World. My sister and I sat in the splash zone for Shamu's show. We left with soggy bums and ice creams to forget the wet.

Mr. Trip Styler and I have been talking about strutting down to Ron Burgundy's stomping grounds forever, so this June we finally flew to the coastal cosmo and tried the adult version on for size. It fit just right. Because people surf before work. Because there's 100+ kms of coastline. Because everyone rides cruiser bikes. Because the temperature is just right---not too hot, not too cold. Because there's a brood of restaurants and shops and neighborhoods outside of tourist areas with a laser-focus on their food, their craft, their brew, their goods, and differentiating from the crowd.

Trip Styler Tip :: Find more San Diego deets in two articles I wrote for Expedia in the Expedia Viewfinder Blog: 48 Hours in San Diego and Beach 101.

Like modern explorers we sailed {read: drove} around town in search of a motley crew of cool; this makeshift map documents our tried, tested and trip styled recommendations. If I take the winter off, you'll know where to find me.

{To make things clear as ice, I've loaded each hotel, restaurant and lounge mentioned above into Google Maps, as well as tagged my San Diego snaps on Instagram as #TSsanDiego so you can search them easily.}

Photos {Tower 23 Hotel. San Diego's it shore-front sleepover.}

{Pacific Beach.}

{Sessions Public. Pictured here: part of our happy hour feast!}

{Lifeguard station. I had to.}

{Coronado Beach.}

{Monello Italian restaurant. Cool trivia: they serve Cicchetti at happy hour, aka you order a drink and the chef prepares you a petite appy.}

{Pigment. A shop. My muse avec air plants, beach wood furniture, handmade leather goods, etc... }

{Great Maple, a gorgeous diner-turned-restau dishing out chic comfort food.}

Related Roam+Board :: The Pearl Hotel {Where to stay in San Diego}

[photos by @tripstyler]