In February 2024 we went to ilani Brewfest at ilani Resort in La Center, Washington, about 30 minutes north of Portland. The day combined a Grand Tasting full of food and beer with live cooking demos from two celebrity chefs, Antonia Lofaso and Gregory Gourdet.
The Grand Tasting
The Grand Tasting filled one of ilani’s ballrooms. Chefs served small plates at stations around the room, alongside the beer the festival is named for.
What we ate
The standout was Antonia Lofaso’s crab cake with jammy quail eggs and a frisée lardon salad. We also had a plate of thick-cut bacon, roast beef and cured salmon, and gnocchi in a cream sauce with braised beef.
Celebrity chef demos
The best part of the day was the kitchen stage. Antonia Lofaso, known from Top Chef and her Los Angeles restaurants, cooked live and talked the crowd through each step. Later, Portland chef Gregory Gourdet took the stage with his cookbook Everyone’s Table on the counter.
Tips for ilani Brewfest
- Buy tickets early. The chef demos are the main draw and fill up fast.
- Go to the demos early to get a seat near the stage.
- Pace yourself at the Grand Tasting, since there are a lot of stations.
- ilani has free parking and is easy to reach from Portland or Vancouver, WA.
We’ve been to ilani for food events before. See our post on the ilani BBQ festival.