Who doesn’t absolutely adore the iconic American comfort food – macaroni and cheese?? As a kid, my Mom would cook it up for us, with fish sticks, almost every Friday. We’d gorge ourselves on it, then go out and play. You could do that when you’re a kid and not throw up.
I also consider myself a foodie. So when I caught wind that there was actually a Mac & Cheese FESTIVAL in my hometown, of course, I jumped on it. But…
…I was short on cash. Boo.
So what did I do? I got on the Portland Mac & Cheese Fest website and clicked on ‘volunteer.’ Now I’m no stranger to volunteering – I’ve done my share of it with Habitat for Humanity and volunteering at my local hospital. But I’ve never volunteered for an event – certainly not one like this.
I filled out the form and gave them my preferred time slot during the festival. And when I was not on a shift? I could go around and eat all of the Mac & Cheese I wanted…for FREE! Yippeeee!!!
The day quickly approached and I was given the assignment of ticket taker, along with a couple of other volunteers. My partner scanned people into the event, while I put a wrist band on them and gave them drink tickets and a token for voting on their favorite Mac & Cheese. It was a little haphazard and awkward at first, but we soon got the hang of it and developed a system.
It was FUN.
The comradery was great and it was cool feeding off the excited vibes of all those attending. And then when all of the patrons had been admitted and our job was done, it came time for me to roam the grounds and sample all of the great carbohydrate and cheesy goodness!
Chefs and restaurants from all over town were invited to take part in the fest and bring forth their own delectable versions of the all-American dish. Also, there were drink vendors serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. And there was also a DJ to entertain the masses!
I was systematic about it. I went from line to line, picking up my Mac & Cheese sample, then heading to the back of the next line as I ate my current sample. Yes, there was a method to my madness. Some of the offerings were good, some were great, but there were a couple that blew my mind! (Thank you, Le Bistro Montage and Lizzie Lou’s. And Migration Brewing, you get an honorable mention in my book! Keep up the great work, y’all!)
Le Bistro Montage was the clear winner, with a super-creamy mac topped with pico de gayo, some crumbles and a couple of tortilla chips for that satisfying crunch.
The festival was divided into three sessions, each lasting two hours. The first session was the Vegan Mac & Cheese, and then sessions 2 and 3 were for regular, dairy-ridden Mac & Cheese lovers.
The winner for the best Mac & Cheese got a huge wrestling-type belt. Turns out my instincts were correct – it went to Le Bistro Montage. I thought the prize was a little cheesy (yes, BAD pun!)
Be sure to check out the next Mac & Cheese event.
All tickets were sold online prior to the event, and two of the sessions sold out weeks before the event happened. It just goes to show the huge foodie movement that Portland has. Either that or people just really love their Mac & Cheese.
I think it’s both.
