A few weekends ago I attended an event called the Bite of Bend. It’s a weekend long festival in which the main draw would appear to be the opportunity to sample the cuisine of local restaurants. I’ve attended this event before and continue to attend because it’s free and I enjoy it. However, I’ve quickly discovered that my vision of cruising down the alley of food vendors sampling bite-sized, dollar priced tasters is not happening. Instead, a few food vendors offer small bites for a few bucks while the rest serve full-on meals. I am not there for a full-on meal from one restaurant. I am there to taste bite-sized portions from a variety of restaurants and to discover new places to eat around town. Yes, the free music, Top Chef cooking competition, and various other vendors are nice, but I am there for the food! Or rather was. Next year I will be there for something entirely different–the Northwest Spirits and Mixology Show.
I’d been deterred in previous years because of the $15 per person admission. This year I decided to investigate what I would get for $15. Turns out you get 1 free drink of your choice mixed by one of the professional mixologists (a cocktail alone can cost $15!) flown in for the event, and unlimited tastings of your choice from a selection of 140 vendors. Plus, unlimited re-entry throughout the Festival. So, I went for it and had a blast! Instead of a Bite of Bend,I gulped sampled libations from a variety of western distilleries. I did an afternoon run through the tent and then went home for a nap. My head was swimming from all the drinks knowledge bestowed upon me by the generous vendors. We returned to the tent a few hours later for another go and to meet-up with friends. Good times had by all!
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