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Tag: Washington

  • ilani Brewfest 2024: Antonia Lofaso, Gregory Gourdet and the Grand Tasting

    ilani Brewfest 2024: Antonia Lofaso, Gregory Gourdet and the Grand Tasting

    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.

    Grand Tasting entrance with a lit-up FEST sign and balloons at ilani Brewfest
    Crowd in the ballroom at the ilani Brewfest Grand Tasting

    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.

    Sign for chef Antonia Lofaso's crab cake with jammy quail eggs and frisee lardon salad
    Antonia Lofaso's crab cake with a jammy quail egg and frisee lardon salad
    Plate of thick-cut bacon, sliced roast beef, cured salmon and red onion at ilani Brewfest
    Gnocchi in cream sauce with braised beef and shaved cheese

    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.

    Audience watching a cooking demo on the kitchen stage at ilani Brewfest
    Chef Antonia Lofaso cooking on stage at ilani Brewfest
    Chef Gregory Gourdet on the demo stage with his cookbook Everyone's Table

    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.

    #ilani #ilaniBrewfest #AntoniaLofaso #GregoryGourdet #FoodFestival #CrabCake #PNWEats #PortlandFood #LaCenter

  • ilani BBQ Fest 2023: Brisket, Burnt Ends and Demos from Jet Tila and Aaron May

    ilani BBQ Fest 2023: Brisket, Burnt Ends and Demos from Jet Tila and Aaron May

    ilani BBQ Fest in June 2023: a day of smoked meats at ilani Casino Resort in southwest Washington, with cooking demos from Jet Tila and Aaron May on the main stage.

    The festival grounds

    The festival took over the parking lot next to the casino, with a big tent, vendor booths and a covered stage. From the walkway above you could see the whole layout and the lines at the barbecue stands.

    Festival grounds and vendor tents at ilani BBQ Fest, seen from above

    The barbecue

    We worked our way through brisket with pickled red onions and hot sauce, a glazed pork belly burnt end, ribs, coleslaw and a tray of pulled pork with a few barbecue sauces on the side.

    Sliced smoked brisket with pickled red onions and hot sauce at ilani BBQ Fest
    Glazed pork belly burnt end at ilani BBQ Fest
    Smoked ribs, coleslaw and pulled pork with barbecue sauces at ilani BBQ Fest
    Smoked ribs and a tray of pulled pork at ilani BBQ Fest

    Aaron May on the main stage

    Aaron May ran a demo on the main stage and signed autographs afterwards.

    Aaron May on the main stage at ilani BBQ Fest 2023
    Aaron May signing autographs at ilani BBQ Fest

    Jet Tila’s cooking demo

    Jet Tila took the stage in an apron and worked the crowd, walking the edge of the stage and talking to people in the front rows.

    Jet Tila during his cooking demo on the ilani BBQ Fest stage
    Jet Tila talking to the crowd at ilani BBQ Fest
    Jet Tila on the ilani BBQ Fest stage

    Tips for ilani food festivals

    • Get there early. Lines at the most popular barbecue stands get long by mid-afternoon.
    • Find out the stage schedule when you arrive, so you can get a good spot for the demo you want.
    • ilani is right off I-5, about 30 minutes north of Portland.

    Originally posted on Instagram.

    We went back in February 2024 for ilani Brewfest, with cooking demos from Antonia Lofaso and Gregory Gourdet.

    #ilani #ilaniBBQFest #BBQ #Barbecue #Brisket #JetTila #AaronMay #CelebrityChef #PNW #FoodFestival