Did you see the brilliantly written review of several new foodie books by B.R. Myers in the most recent Atlantic?  I learned about the story and the thread of electronic havoc it’s causing from food politics writer Hannah Wallace, in her weekly round-up for Faster Times.

Where do I begin? His basic thesis is that foodies have formed a tribe whose value system is focused on creating an exclusive community, brutal moments of violence (killing their dinner, for instance), and elitist experiences only affordable if you have trustifarian rootstock.

Many of Myer’s  comments and observations contain grains of truth but he seems to be expanding those little grains into fully developed absolutes, which they’re not. I’d like him to stop and consider the simple quest for flavor and those who seek it.  I know that most of his attacks are directed at what he calls “fringe foodies,” and perhaps I’m talking about more mainstream foodies, but it seems ill-informed and unhelpful to lump all degrees of “gourmets,” “foodies,” or “flavor seekers” into one  scorn-deserving pot.

The f-word has long been banned  from my vocabulary because it doesn’t describe me, my company or how we think about the food system and why good food matters (though we still have we call “Foodie Fridays” at which we learn new craft food and drink techniques as a continuing education practice — the name just sounds too good to change!). So, perhaps the big idea Myers meant to convey was not that Gabrielle Hamilton’s poetic appreciation of raw flesh is pornographic, inappropriate and the emblem of what’s wrong in the national food conversation but that the club of those who relish cooking, sourcing, writing about food is one whose door was shut on him for some reason — not sure why — and he wants membership.

And, it’s probably good news for him that there are a lot of recipes  available for bitters on most cocktail websites, because as Robert Sietsma says (speaking for so many of us, thank you) in his rebuttal in the Village Voice, “Myers’ real problem is dyspepsia. He really, really doesn’t enjoy eating. And resents those of us who do. ”

Enjoy, and let me know what you think after you read both Myers and  Sietsma.  Both are worth the read.

For those who care:  Gabrielle Hamilton is doing a book dinner for her new book Blood, Bones and Butter, at Nostrana in Portland on March 13th.

Each time I walk into Nostrana, something great happens. It may be a memorable conversation over the Nostrana salad and funghi pizza, or a ‘mmm‘ silence after a forkful of something so delicate and fresh that it makes me wish the bite lasted for hours.  There’s just something about this restaurant that makes me feel at home and I know I’m not the only one.  Locals and visitors alike adore it, and this year this Portland institution turns five.

Restaurants like Nostrana don’t come around often, and the same can be said about chefs like Cathy Whims.  She’s fun and creative, and serious in the kitchen.  She’s humble too, but let’s face it, those bangs deserve a shout out of their own. The thing that’s so great about Cathy is her ferocious curiosity and genuine hunger to bring the most authentic and regional Italian cuisine to Portland that she can.  Coming off her second James Beard Best Chef Pacific Northwest nomination, Cathy and her talented staff are in the groove and we’re happily along for the ride.

Cathy and Lisa have worked together since the restaurant launched five years ago and we are extremely proud to be celebrating this wonderful weekend!

What to expect: Cathy has invited one of her culinary heros, Cesare Casella of Salumeria Rosi in New York City, to join her in the kitchen this weekend.  Together these two regional Italian chefs will share the menu and prepare a prix-fixe meal aptly titled “Eat Like A Tuscan.”  Trust me, you’ll do just that.  This $85 meal for two is served with…

St. Helens 1 kilo rib steak (bistecca alla fiorentina)

or

Laughing Stock pork porterhouse/loin chops (equal in size to bistecca)

and

Ayers Creek purgatorio beans

Your Kitchen Garden radicchio pancetta salsa

47th Avenue mustard greens al pomodoro

Fresh porcini or other wild mushrooms

Dessert is a choice of:

Espresso walnut torte, panna cotta, melon marmalade, apple blackberry crisp, torta della nonna, torrone semifreddo, vanilla gelato and Hotel Cipriani chocolate gelato.

Plus, there’s Italian birthday cake each night with bubbles for all and farmers will be hanging out in the restaurant both nights!  Make a reservation quick and be sure to say hi to Cesare and Cathy.  They’ll be beaming in the kitchen.

Yes, it’s true.  In addition to running Watershed, Lisa also runs the coolest wine event in town.  Lisa founded the festival in 2004 to celebrate Oregon’s incredible independent craft winemakers – many of these guys do not have tasting rooms and all make fewer than 2500 cases of wine per year.  The Indie Wine Festival is modeled after the Sundance Film Festival (it’s the only juried wine festival out there) and is set up like a farmer’s market (you can buy direct from the winemakers while you have your fill of bites from PDX’s top chefs).  This is one ticket you won’t regret buying, so if you haven’t already, get to it!  The festival is THIS Saturday at the Bison Building.  Buy tickets here.

Last Friday, The Oregonian’s Sara Perry caught up with Lisa to chat Indie wine.  Check it out here and see below.