Head's Up: Plate & Pitchfork Dinners Hit the Market Thurs.

Image courtesy Champoeg Farm

Contrary to popular belief, this summer's hottest ticket isn't Lady Gaga at the Rose Garden — the annual slate of Plate & Pitchfork dinners, which relocates some of Portland's best chefs from out of their kitchens and onto local farms, is expected (as usual) to be a sold-out affair. Each dinner invites urbanites to road-trip it to a nearby farm for an evening, where they'll receive a walking tour and nosh (including a four- or five-course meal with wine pairings) from a duo of participating chefs. Particularly drool-worthy? Dayton's Viridian Farms hosts Vitaly Paley (of Paley's Place) and Metrovino's Gregory Denton on August 14, then follows it up with Simpatica's Scott Ketterman and Beaker & Flask's Benjamin Bettinger on August 15. St. Paul's Champoeg Farm welcomes Nostrana's Cathy Whims and Lincoln's Jenn Louis on August 22. Tickets go on sale this Thursday; join P&P's mailing list to get notification as soon as they hit the market and the all-important head start. Then, when everyone else is out of luck, re-sell on Craigslist for a mega-profit. (Kidding!)
· Plate & Pitchfork [Official site]