I flew to Portland to attend the International Food Bloggers Conference, and I returned with plenty to share.
This was my first time traveling alone, so I admit I was nervous — especially about flying. The tiny plane with propellers looked almost comical, but the trip turned out fine. Sitting close to other passengers made the flight feel friendlier than I expected, and the experience left me braver for future solo travel.
The conference opened with a brief welcome followed by a fast-paced food tasting and live-blogging session featuring several outstanding Oregon food vendors. Each vendor had about five minutes to introduce their product, let us taste it, photograph it, and share the experience on social media or our blogs before the next vendor arrived. It was like speed dating for food. We sampled everything from local beers and artisan chocolate to canned tuna, sushi, jams, and salted caramel.
The smiling man in the photo above is John from Fishes Sushi. He asked, “Does anyone like Sriracha?” — and the answer at our table was obvious.
Day one wrapped up with more food: a wine reception hosted by Washington County, Oregon, followed by the Taste of Oregon and Gourmet Fair. Everywhere you turned there was something delicious to try. There was also an extensive gift suite overflowing with sponsored products and swag.
One standout demonstration was a live butchering demo sponsored by the National Pork Board. The butcher’s technique and knife skills were impressive and educational for anyone interested in whole-animal cooking.
On day two I attended sessions focused on technology and writing led by well-known bloggers including Tori Avey, Gabi Moskowitz, Kelly Senyei, and Keren Brown. The presentations were engaging and full of practical tips — so much so that I didn’t even reach for my camera. Their insights about blogging, content strategy, and audience engagement were inspiring and immediately useful.
After a full day of sessions we gathered for a Farm to Table dinner hosted by Wildwood Restaurant and Oregon Wine. The four-course menu celebrated local ingredients and thoughtful pairings: a tuna pâté crostini to start, followed by a three-bean salad with basil purée; the main course featured jerk-spiced Draper Valley chicken with black quinoa, balsamic-roasted strawberries, and grilled pineapple; dessert was a shortbread tart with Oregon blackberries. Each course highlighted the freshness and care of farm-sourced produce and local winemaking.
The third and final day featured the photography workshop and live cooking demo I’d been most excited about. New York Times photographer Andrew Scrivani and Chef John from Food Wishes delivered a lively, entertaining session demonstrating white gazpacho, ultra-crispy onion rings, and shrimp scampi. Their dynamic rapport kept the room laughing while sharing valuable techniques. I even had a moment to hand my camera to Andrew and ask a few questions — hoping that some of his photographic magic might rub off on me.
Although most of my time was consumed by conference activities, I did manage a short visit around Portland and enjoyed time with my sister Linda and her husband Bill, who moved there after retiring. I’ll be sharing a recipe from Linda’s kitchen soon.
Overall, the trip was lively, memorable, and full of great food, new contacts, and useful knowledge. I’m grateful to the sponsors and organizers who made the event special, and I’m already looking forward to returning to the Pacific Northwest.
Next year’s venue has been announced as Seattle, and there will be a discounted blogger rate available for attendees.