by Hannah Baade |
In Portland, when the new “thing” has arrived – whether it’s the chic new flannel, a food cart, a cool new district or weird mode of transportation, you can feel it. It’s the new pulsating thing, just waiting to be discovered but confident that it’s the new top dog of Portland subculture. Sometimes you try out the food cart or the flannel and realize it's just hype built on flannelled-and-bearded hype. But other times? You can feel deep inside your Birks that this will be the new thing.
On Saturday, October 3, I got that feeling at The Wedge; a street festival in celebration of artisan cheese. It married so many wonderful aspects of Portland that I love: producer to consumer connection, a niche interest, a fresh new location and great people who care about food as much as I do.
Eighteen creameries were represented in understated tents, each selling out of artisan-crafted cheese faster than the next. I could have never imagined I would share a few words with a stranger about how beautiful cranberry cheese is. But I did. And it was wonderful.
Of these creameries represented, no two were alike. At least five creameries were solely goat milk-based. Another was Mexican cojita and string cheese. I tried raw, unpasteurized cheese curds from Oregon State University’s creamery. There was even a “cheesorizo” tent.
Not crazy about cheese? Fine. Because there were just as many non-cheese related spots for wine, cider and beer tasting. Sprinkled among these were nut and fruit specialty vendors. The Wedge provided a forum for a delightful fig vendor to feel just as special as Rogue Creamery’s constantly bustling line. At an artisan cheese festival, I would have almost expected some sense of artisan douchebaggery – how artisan is your “artisan”? But this was completely absent. Vendors recommended other cheeses based on reactions to their cheeses. “Oh, you liked the habanero-spiced chevre? Have you tried River’s Edge Marionberry Jalapeño Swiss?” It was a foodie dream.
It was remarkable. The cheese industry is a labor-intensive branch and vital chunk of the local food scene, with often little reward or recognition of their innovative work. The Wedge celebrates their contributions and encourages the community to be more involved to support local creameries and great food.
For a 20-dollar ticket, I experienced a beautiful afternoon of cheese, and came home with new ideas and a quarter wedge of Portland’s finest. The Wedge is going to sell out fast next year. Watch out.
