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TIKI BRUNCH — Hale Pele tiki bar's brunch is back, and Hawaiin-born chef Dekin Hom brought the Spam. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, you can chow on Hawaiian-inspired dishes like loco moco (beef patty with gravy served over a bun or rice), Asian Omelet with katsu sauce, Spam and egg sandwich on Hawaiian bread, Spam fried rice with an egg, and Hawaiian Bread French Toast with Fruit Ambrosia and Passion Fruit syrup. Of course, you can't go to Hale Pele and not have a drink, especially when the brunch cocktail menu includes Kimchi Bloody Marys and Luau Mimosas.
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Courtesy of Jacobsen Salt
ROMESCO FEST — One of the most sensory-rich experiences in Spain has got to be the annual Calçotada, a spring tradition from Catalonia that celebrates a special kind of pungent spring onion called calçot. People gather to grill heaps of them until blackened, and then they dredge them in romesco sauce and eat them with their hands. It's quite literally a feast for all your senses, and you can get a taste this weekend at Jacobsen Salt's HQ. Viridian Farms grew the calçots, Foster's Craft Cooking is grilling them up along with asparagus, and making a big batch of romesco sauce, plus clam, chorizo and white bean stew. For dessert, Maurice chef-owner Kristen Murray is providing Basque almond cake. There will also be live music, a photo booth, and local beer and wine for purchase. Cost is $55 per person. Seatings are at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Click here for tickets.
URBAN WINE PARTY — A dozen of Portland's urban wineries are gathering together Sunday May 3 for the PDX Urban Wine Experience at Union/Pine from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can taste offerings from producers like Fausse Piste, Clay Pigeon, Helioterra, Jan-Marc, Enso, Jackalope, Hip Chicks, Division, and Seven Bridges all in one place. Mix-and-match cases or half-cases and get discounts on bottle purchases. To eat, there will be bites from SE Wine Collective chef Althea Potter. Admission is $40. Click here for tickets or buy at the door.
KARGI GOGO FEAST — The duo behind the Kargi GoGo Eastern European food cart wants to show you the breadth of Georgian wines and cuisine with a "supra" (a traditional Georgian feast) on Monday May 18 at 7 p.m. They're taking over the Holdfast Dining space to cook up a 7-course dinner of dishes they don't make at the cart. The menu is still TBD, but expect lamb, veal, fresh vegetables and traditional Georgian breads and sauces. "We want to create an immersive experience, complete with Georgian toasts, drinking horns, music, etc." says co-owner Sean Fredericks. Cost is $90. Only 20 seats available. Get information and make a reservation here.
STAMMTISCH'S 1ST BDAY — Stammtisch German beer bar is celebrating its anniversary, as well as its 1st annual Maifest, on Saturday, May 2. It's an all-day celebration packed with German music, food specials, and special beers, including four German Maibocks (lagers brewed for spring) on draft from Ayinger, Einbecker, and Hacker-Pschorr. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.
STRAY DOGS — Chefs Peter Cho and Johnny Leach, who have been bringing their chef-y Stray Dogs hot dog pop-ups to bars around town, are switching gears this month with Stray Birds. They'll settle in at Beast every Monday in May from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 pm and offer a 3-course meal of Korean home cooking, including Korean fried chicken, a cold noodle dish called Bibim guksu, and Korean shaved ice. Cost is $35. Email straydogspdx@gmail.com to make a reservation.
GUEST CHEFS AT FOTM — Fire on the Mountain, known for its fiery chicken wings, has paired with three local chefs who specialize in very different culinary regions to create special sauces for its three locations. Ben Gonzalez of Nuestra Cocina has created a chile de arbol sauce for the Burnside outpost. Han Hwang of Kim Jong Grillin' has created a gochujang-based sauce for Fremont, and Michael Miho of Miho Izakaya has made a Ichimi-pepper based sauce. The sauces are only available during May.