This was quite the curbside jerky delivery from The Country Cat!

Anyone want a piece?  I just may be willing to share.

OK, here’s our moment. After months of preparation and anticipation, the food world has arrived at our doorstep: The IACP Conference! Hundreds of culinary professionals from around the world are eating and drinking their way through our fair city, name badges around their necks, Kikkoman-sponsored tote bags in hand. Watch out for sharp elbows at the food carts, and allow an extra 10 minutes to get your perfectly pulled shot of locally roasted espresso – it’s time for us to share our yummy bounty!

As PR chair for the IACP conference, we feel an extra obligation to show off our city and to make our visitors’ experience mind-blowingly fun and delicious…which is always easier to do when you’re throwing just a touch of frugality into the mix. To that end, we’ve put together a list of only-in-Portland places that offer wonderful food and drink at a great value.

Here’s our list of 10:

Bailey’s Tap Room: On April 21, 22 and 23, a hoard of Oregon brewers will invade Bailey’s Tap Room – well, two or three at a time – to talk beer, and umm drink beer. Brewers will be coming and going throughout the evening, so this is your chance to meet the men and women who make your favorite Oregon brews!

Burgerville: This is not your parents’ fast food joint.  Burgerville is an amazing northwest-based company that makes all the fast food classics using locally sourced ingredients.  Even our junk food is local and sustainable. Oh, Portland! Locals wait for each new seasonal specialty to come on the menu– Think Oregon marionberry milkshakes and Walla Walla, onion rings in the summer.  Don’t check this off your list because it is a drive-up, you might be back for quick seconds!

Café Nell: The “4-6 Prix-Fixe” is an awesome phenomenon at Café Nell, located in NW Portland.  From 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm each night, Café Nell serves a special prix-fixe menu that includes three courses for $14.  And the food’s great. This is a steal!

Clyde Common: Looking for somewhere to grab a late-night dinner? It’s not that easy, cuz Portland does wrap things up a bit earlier than some cities. Fortunately there’s Clyde Common to the rescue. Order off Clyde’s dinner menu until 11:00 pm and their late night menu until 2:00 am.

Nostrana: The James Beard Awards are just around the corner, and you’re in luck… Four James Beard nominated chefs live right here in Portland!  Nostrana Chef Cathy Whims cooks up a late night happy hour seven days a week in her Southeast Portland restaurant, where Whims’ soulful Italian regional cooking makes you feel like you’re in Piedmont, not Portland. Come in and enjoy food and drink specials from 9:00 pm until close.

Tabla Mediterranean Bistro: Tabla has won the hearts of Portlanders with its warm, Northeast neighborhood charm, esoteric wine list and $24 dinner prix-fixe (that includes appetizer, pasta dish and entrée).  One of the best dinner deals in town, hands down!

Ten 01: Wednesday is On-The-Spot at Ten 01 in the Pearl District.  Sommelier Jeff Groh opens up select bottles from the cellar giving all who come in a chance to taste some great wine for a great price.  Find out what’s on the spot by following Ten 01 on Twitter.

The Country Cat: If you like pork, you’ve come to the right city.  Now you just need to head over to The Country Cat for chef/owner Adam Sappington’s Whole Hog Plate, a true ode to pork (rolled belly, brined chop, & smoked shoulder on South Carolina grits with cider glazed Moyer plums).  You should also probably check out the CCat’s weekly dining deals.  Our favorite is Fish Fry Thursday – it’s $11 for a southern fish fry and a draft beer.

Wildwood: Get a taste of the Northwest at one of the originals on the culinary scene — Wildwood Restaurant & Bar –  during its late night happy hour from 9:00 p.m. until close seven days a week. Enjoy small bites like grated radish bruschetta, fried pork rillettes, Oregon bay shrimp hush puppies and Sweet Briar Farms pork pastrami sandwich. Prices range from $2 to $7.

Special beer and dessert pairing Wednesday night only: Have dessert and sample some of the Northwest’s best microbrews at the same time–and it’s FREE. Join Hopworks, Double Mountain, Ninkasi for a special pairing at The Cleaners, the groovy event space near The Ace Hotel. The sweets will come from Pix, Clyde Common, Ten 01, Wildwood, and Steve Jones’ new Cheese Bar (we reckon he’ll bring some cheese…) Just show your IACP badge for free entry. Did we say it’s free? And an excellent way to end your night tonight.

–from Martha Holmberg

My favorite sound in early spring isn’t the cheerful chatter of birds, tho that’s nice, but rather the clack-clack of wooden Portland Farmers Market tokens being counted into a ziplock bag for me at the info booth. I never have cash so I always start my market morning with a handy swipe of my debit card—the tokens make me feel like I’m getting all that wonderful stuff for free, except, um, I’m not.

My first market shop was this past Saturday, and while I felt bad about missing opening day, I felt righteous as I huddled against the highly unpleasantly driving rain and did my shopping.

Yet all was not dreary, the food is fantastic and makes me so happy. And the market has expanded, too! I’m curious to see how the extra space plays out once the crowds return – I will love being able to stroll rather than rugby-scrum the aisles in June.

My lettuce, though not really from the farmers market--for illustrative purposes only!

My score? I start with my ritual breakfast of a crab cocktail from Linda Brand Crab (hey, where’s the friendly guy with the good blond highlights? Hope he’s back later this season). Then I bought:

-       Coppa roast from Tails n Trotters, (plus a couple small pieces of pork butt that are in the freezer awaiting my command. I swear that the fat does taste like hazelnuts, which is the main food source for the hogs).

-       Nettles from the Osmogaia guy, which turned into a shockingly delicious soup with some spinach and a potato.

-       Young and lovely lettuce from him too, that I dolloped with the following pretty green dressing (I didn’t measure, so use your improv skills):

In a mortar and pestle or food processor, mash an anchovy or two, about a half a small clove of garlic, some grated lemon zest, lots of salt. Add some lemon juice, then start mashing in some ripe avocado – I used a half a medium one to make dressing for 4. Once you get a thickish puree, start working in a bit of buttermilk. When you have a nice ranch-dressing consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and lemon and a shake or two of hot sauce. If you have nice tender herbs such as parsley, chervil, chives, or dill, you could throw in a sprinkling of them, too.

What a glorious beginning to April! Today Watershed celebrated Martha Holmberg’s first day on the job as Editorial Director with a delicious lunch at Clyde Common.  Chef Chris DiMinno rocked it!  Martha and I split the broccoli rabe salad with a creamy lemon vinaigrette, pistachio, herbs and a poached egg, and the wild nettle pesto grilled cheese with fontina, walnuts and pub mustard.  Other highlights: fried chicken sandwich with braised collards and russian dresssing and the grilled shrimp sandwich with cabbage and calabrian chilli slaw and avocado.

We finished our meal with a trio of desserts prepared by Clyde’s pastry chef Danielle Pruette.  Wow, is all I have to say.  Photo should speak for itself…

Warm gooey chocolate cake with coffee-stewed dates and coconut cream, lemon merraigne, pineapple upside-down cake with Lindemans cheery beer ice cream and oat-nut streusel