Food & Drink❯Tea

Portland Japanese Garden’s Tea Ceremony Workshop offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the traditional practice of Chanoyu, or the Way of Tea. Experience the art of tranquility, mindfulness, and omotenashi, whole-hearted hospitality.

It is not an exaggeration to say that through tea, one can understand much of Japanese culture. Tea’s influence can be found in many of the nation’s most beloved artforms, including arranging flowers, calligraphy, incense, ceramics and lacquerware. Japanese gardens are also deeply intertwined with tea ceremony. The four principles of tea, wa (harmony), kei (respect), sei (purity), and jaku (tranquility), are explored by the gardeners of Portland Japanese Garden in their work every day.

Guided by skilled instructor Jan Waldmann, Sosui, the focus of this workshop is to learn to be a guest in the tea ceremony, an important aspect to this historic tradition. Participants will learn the proper etiquette for attending a tea ceremony, including how to receive and consume sweets and matcha, and most importantly, the reasons behind each of the steps. Additionally, you will gain insight into what it entails to be a host— understanding the occasion and seasonality, attention to aesthetics, careful preparation, and the thoughtful gestures made toward the guests.

Participants will first attend a presentation of tea ceremony in our Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner alongside visitors to the Garden before they are taken into their exclusive workshop in the Yanai Classroom.

Participants will first attend a presentation of tea ceremony in our Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner alongside visitors to the Garden (2:00-2:30pm) before they are taken into their exclusive workshop in the Yanai Family Classroom (2:45-4:15pm).

No previous experience is needed. Students will sit in a chair at a table, not kneeling on a tatami mat.

Urasenke Konnichian of Kyoto is one of the major establishments within Japan that has preserved the tradition of Chado or the Way of Tea.  From the first Urasenke generation, Sen no Rikyu (1522-91) to the current headmaster Zabosai Genmoku Soshitsu XVI (b.1956 -), the Sen family lineage has devoted great effort to fostering the philosophy of Tea through the simple words of Wa – Harmony, Kei -Repect, Sei – Purity & Jaku – Tranquility. Over the years Urasenke has established connections in over 21 cities worldwide.

Looking for the best brunch in Portland? Treat yourself and your loved ones to a 2-hour Willamette River cruise featuring a delicious buffet of breakfast and lunch favorites. Sip on mimosas (included) while enjoying live piano music and stunning river views.

• 2-hour cruise on the Willamette River
• Views of the Historic Milwaukie Waterfront and downtown Portland
• Freshly prepared Northwest brunch buffet
• Mimosas, house sparkling wine & sparkling cider
• Coffee and tea
• Assorted miniature desserts
• Reserved table
• Live piano player
• Historical narration available on outer decks or bring headphones for your cell phone to listen via an app (instructions provided; not available on Willamette Star or Crystal Dolphin cruises)

Lidong marks the beginning of winter on the traditional Chinese solar calendar. Before the cold settles in, give yourself one slow morning: warming teas brewed gongfu style, the garden turning gold outside the window, and 80 minutes that belong entirely to you.

Hosted in a private, hand-built teahouse in SE Portland, this small-group gathering (16 guests maximum) is led by Fengxia, a landscape architect who designed and built the teahouse and its Japanese-style garden herself. You will taste several seasonal teas, learn the basics of gongfu brewing, and leave with a quieter mind.

Advance booking required.

Participants will begin with self-reflective prompts before embarking on a slow, guided walk, where they will be invited to observe and capture with a camera (or cell phone) how the late autumn garden mirrors the landscapes of transformation, grief and transition.

The seasonal landscape itself becomes a teacher: the architectural presence of conifers standing among bare deciduous trees, the rich layers of fallen leaves returning to the soil, beavers preparing for winter, eagles tending their nests, seed pods, mosses, textures, changing light, and the quiet beauty that emerges when life appears stripped down to its essence.

Through mindful photographs, participants will gather visual "fragments" before coming together in a circle for creative reflection, gentle conversation, and complementary herbal teas. The intention is to cultivate presence, symbolism, and a compassionate way of witnessing both nature and ourselves.

Bring comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate layers, drinking water, optional snack, camera or cell phone. If using a cell phone camera, be sure that the sound is off.

About the Guest Facilitator

Clara-Julia Peru is an artist, poet and nature advocate. She is a grief informed art and nature guide with an abundance of specialized training in grief support and expression. Learn more about Clara-Julia’s work here.

Sliding Scale Equity Pricing

In an effort to create an inviting and inclusive community for all we have sliding scale equity pricing based on personal financial experience and financial privilege.

Give the gift of a healing balm and a soothing tea this holiday season with Saundra Kamman of Bloom and Grow Nutrition! Discuss herbs and their traditional uses and make a balm to heal and soften dry skin. Create a delicious tea to calm frazzled holiday nerves, too! Everyone will go home with gifts and recipes to make more.

Introduction to the 5 major tea types and ceremonial tea.
Join us for an introduction to the five major types of tea; green, white, oolong, black, and dark tea. Together we will explore the origins of Camellia sinensis, trace its history and cultural roots, and experience the art of gongfu ceremonial tea service. This class is an invitation to step into the magic, wonder, and devotion that tea inspires, while learning how its many expressions continue to connect us to the natural world and our human nature.

This gathering is offered with a suggested contribution of $35. In the spirit of inclusivity and balance, you are welcome to offer what feels right for you, whether that is $35, $25, or more if you have the means. Contributions above the suggested amount help make this experience accessible to those with financial need and sustain the ongoing care and energy poured into holding spaces like this. Every offering, whether financial or energetic, affirms the value of community supported education.

We also acknowledge the systemic barriers that have long limited access for BIPOC communities. To honor this, a $15 option is available for BIPOC participants who would benefit from it. This is one way we commit to equity, ensuring that diversity is not only welcomed but integral to the richness of the experience.

If the listed prices are still a barrier, please reach out directly. I am more than willing to work with you to ensure that tea remains within reach for all who feel called to share in it.

All are welcome here. You are invited to arrive exactly as you are and take part in a space rooted in openness, care, and community, a living space where each presence is honored and where we grow together through the deep, transformative beauty of tea.

To help us hold a mindful and welcoming space, we ask participants to be considerate of sensory sensitivities by avoiding strong fragrances. This is a space of gentle awareness, where we honor our own needs as well as those of others. By showing up with openness, care, and respect for each other’s boundaries, we create a collective meditative atmosphere where, tea, and community belonging can flourish.

In the spirit of reciprocity and uplifting community together, five dollars from each participant will be donated to Q Center, a nonprofit that supports LGBTQ2SIA+ communities through advocacy, resources, and safe spaces, embodying tea’s spirit of connection, reflection, healing, and belonging.

This class is led by D’Guar (they/them), a trans person of color, tea guide, and community builder based in Portland, Oregon. D’Guar has devoted their path to exploring the spirit of Camellia sinensis through mindful practice, storytelling, and connection. Through their project Water Fairy Tea, they create spaces where tea becomes a bridge between nature, presence, and belonging. Their offerings weave education with devotion, inviting participants to meet tea not only as a beverage, but as a living companion in self discovery and community care with nature and the world around.

We acknowledge that this work takes place on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Clackamas, Chinook, Kathlamet, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other Indigenous ancestors and communities. We honor their enduring presence, care, and wisdom, and offer gratitude to the land and to the people who have tended it since time immemorial.

Unlock the art of tea blending during this hands-on workshop. Learn how to create a balanced loose-leaf tea blend while exploring how flavor, aroma, additional ingredients, and visual appearance work together. Each participant will create their own personal blend(s) to take home, enough to make approximately 3–4 pots or 24–32 cups of tea.

Vampire Unicorns will host a Tea Blending Workshop from 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 14. Steep yourself in magic and learn the art of crafting bespoke tea blends to nourish body and spirit. Explore which teas pair with fragrant flowers, herbs and spices to create various tea blends. Students will make their own blend to take home. The cost is $35 and includes all ingredients. Register at vampireunicorns.xyz.

Enjoy an intimate, small-group exploration of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese teas in one of Lan Su’s garden pavilions. Led by the Tea Masters of Yun Shui Teahouse, each tasting features a seasonal selection of three teas and introduces their origins, processing, brewing methods, and cultural significance. The experience offers a relaxing way for tea enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike to explore a beloved cultural tradition amid the beauty of Lan Su.

Join the shop for a Tea Salon. Choose from a variety of delicious teas to sip on while practicing tasseomancy (tea leaf reading) with longtime tea leaf reader and herbalist Ciaran Keast. In this hour-long gathering, dive into the realm of magic, tea leaf reading and self-care with like-minded babes in a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Get to know other witchy babes and learn the basics of tea leaf reading. There will be time to practice your reading skills with your own and other people's cups.

Light guidance and tea divination readings from Ciaran will also happen throughout the session.

Make sure to bring:

• Pen and paper or a journal
• Your intuition
• Please bring a mask with you. You will be asked to wear your mask throughout class. If you're experiencing any COVID symptoms prior to the gathering, please do not attend.

Why Attend?

• Learn the basics of tea leaf reading and how it can be a great addition to your magical practice.
• Connect with fellow witchy babes and make new friends
• Gain different insights and recommendations for witch tools and practices from the Seagrape Witches.
• Nurture your spiritual journey and self-care practices in a supportive environment.

Portland Japanese Garden will offer free public demonstrations of Chadō, the Way of Tea, at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

The Way of Tea is intrinsically linked to Japanese gardens and understanding the kokoro (heart) of Japanese gardening.

The traditional Japanese tea ceremony is a manner of preparing and drinking a bowl of tea. More than just making tea, it reflects the Japanese sense of omotenashi, or wholehearted hospitality. It involves choreographed movements where both the host and guest escape the fast pace of life and experience calm.

Discover the art of the perfect brew! Join us to learn fundamental tea terminology and how to select, prepare, and steep a variety of unique blends.

Authors Priyanka Mattoo (How to Be Less Useful) and Emily Nemens (Clutch) sit down to discuss their latest books that explore the pleasures and challenges of midlife. Whether in the fictional world of Clutch, or the personal stories in How to Be Less Useful, both authors question our professional prioritiesand the joy that really matters most. Moderated by author Maris Kreizman.

A delightful book about reclaiming pleasure in mid-life—a potent mix of self-help and memoir, from one of today’s wittiest, wisest voices.

“I have done everything right, and I have missed everything.”

When did our lives become entirely about efficiency and optimization? Especially as office workers, as parents, as consumers, as exercisers and healthy eaters. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all be less useful?

With self-deprecating humor, devastating insight, and bracing honesty, Priyanka Mattoo shares her own journey toward being a less useful human, to investigate why pleasure gets back-burnered in American culture.

Think about what we choose to systematically cut out or overlook as we mature: Solo travel. Dessert. Sweaty dancing. “Pointless” hangs with friends. And then there are the activities that used to be fun and have somehow lost their luster, usually in the decade between 30 and 40: Cooking (ruined by exhaustion). Bad tv (the algorithm). Other humans (bandwidth). Eating at restaurants (Instagram).

Mattoo takes on the zeitgeist, delivering invaluable, laugh-out-loud entertaining life lessons without an ounce of preachiness or pressure. She looks at where pleasure begins, what it serves, how we learn to repress it—in families, in friendships and romantic relationships, in jobs. And she shows us a way back: to identify and accept the things that give us pleasure, then to welcome them into our lives. What if, instead of being useful, we could all learn how to be happier, lighter, more present, more engaged? How to Be Less Useful is refreshing, funny, sparklingly astute, unignorable–a book for the current moment.

A close-knit group of women navigate mid-life’s biggest challenges—marriage, career, addiction—in what Lynn Steger Strong calls a “sharp, funny, utterly engrossing” novel.

“White Lotus with more sincerity and heart.” —Los Angeles Times

Named a Best Book by The New York Times Book Review, People, Los Angeles Times, Alta Journal, Bustle, and more

Explore green tea as a pathway to clarity in a guided tasting class centered on presence, flavor, and mindful attention. Participants will engage with the leaf’s story through taste, reflection, and conversation, discovering how each infusion can foster serenity and a felt connection to nature’s wisdom. A sliding scale contribution supports access and sustainability, with $35 suggested and the option to offer $25, $35, or more as means allow. A $15 option is available for BIPOC participants to honor equity and reduce barriers. If pricing remains a concern, arrangements can be made to keep this experience within reach. All are welcome in a space grounded in care, openness, and community, where every person is valued. To support those with sensory sensitivities, participants are asked to avoid strong fragrances. Respect for personal boundaries helps nurture a setting where meditation, tea, and queer belonging can flourish. Five dollars from each participant will be donated to Q Center, supporting LGBTQ2SIA+ communities through advocacy, resources, and safe spaces. The gathering is guided by D’Guar (They/Them), a trans person of color, tea guide, and community weaver rooted in Portland, Oregon, whose practice with Camellia sinensis blends learning with reverence through ritual and story. Through Water Fairy Tea, they cultivate spaces where tea becomes a companion in personal discovery, collective care, and relationship with the natural world. This work honors the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Clackamas, Chinook, Kathlamet, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other Indigenous peoples, with gratitude for their enduring presence, care, and wisdom.

Explore the art of brewing tea with a gaiwan, the classic lidded bowl whose simplicity reveals rich nuance. This hands-on class covers how to hold, pour, and brew with ease, examines the vessel’s anatomy, and builds confidence in finding your own rhythm for steeping. Small, meaningful choices that shape each cup are highlighted so you leave with practical methods to use at home and a refreshed relationship with tea. Rooted in technique yet guided by the senses, the session fosters presence and intuition. Brewing is approached as an ongoing dialogue between you and the leaf, with the gaiwan as the place where that conversation begins. This offering uses a sliding scale. The suggested contribution is $45. Options such as $35 or amounts above the suggested figure are welcome, and higher contributions help keep the experience accessible for those with financial need. BIPOC participants who would benefit from it may contribute $15. If price remains a hurdle, the organizer is committed to working with participants so tea education stays within reach. Everyone is welcome in a space shaped by openness, care, and community. To support those with sensory sensitivities, please avoid strong fragrances. Participants are encouraged to honor personal needs and boundaries, creating a calm, shared atmosphere where tea and belonging can thrive. The class is led by D'Guar (they/them), a trans person of color, tea guide, and community builder based in Portland. Through Water Fairy Tea, they hold spaces where education and devotion meet, inviting people to meet Camellia sinensis as a companion in reflection, connection, and community care with the natural world. This work honors the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Clackamas, Chinook, Kathlamet, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and other Indigenous peoples, with gratitude for their enduring presence, wisdom, and stewardship.

Inspired by Crater Lake National Park, Michael Gordon’s Natural History weaves Native and symphonic music in this paean to the natural landscape. Plus, hear works by two of classical music’s most intrepid pioneers: Stravinsky’s experimental musical essay on wind and brass sounds, Symphonies of Wind Instruments,and Beethoven’s vivacious and dramatic Symphony No. 1. Oregonian Grace Miedziak enhances the program with a new work that celebrates the Pacific Northwest.

• Norman Huynh Conductor
• Steiger Butte Drum and Singers Native American ensemble
• Members of Portland State University Chamber Choir Ethan Sperry, Conductor
• Oregon Symphony

• STRAVINSKY Symphonies of Wind Instruments
• Michael GORDON Natural History
• Grace MIEDZIAK Cascadence (Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow at the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Symphony commission)
• BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21

This concert is part of Classical Series A, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only). Concert length is approximately 1 hour 33 minutes, with one intermission.

This pre-concert talk takes place one hour before the Sunday matinee performance.

SUN, NOV 1, 1PM: Conductor Norman Huynh and Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow Grace Miedziak with All Classical Radio host Warren Black.

Climate change, especially in recent years, has escalated not only into a global environmental crisis but also into a highly intensified challenge in a time of political divides—often leaving one feeling overwhelmed and powerless. How can better conversations help move individuals, communities, and the planet toward collective solutions?

Called “one of the nation’s most effective communicators on climate change” by The New York Times, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, has an uncanny ability to navigate all sides of the conversation on climate. With a singular balance of scientific rigor and storytelling, patience and empathy, and an abiding adherence to her faith, Hayhoe is often able to reach audiences that other climate scientists have not been able to reach — demonstrating that by finding shared values, we can better connect our unique identities to collective action.

WorldOregon welcomes Katharine Hayhoe back to Portland for this rich conversation exploring how to incorporate climate change into both our public decisions and private conversations at a moment of urgency when climate action and environmental policy are at a crossroads.

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose work bridges climate science, risks, and resilience. As Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), she directs the organization’s global scientific strategy and leads a global community of more than 1,000 TNC scientists and science staff whose work underpins every aspect of TNC’s mission: from conserving lands and waters to developing scalable, science-based solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises.

Featuring special guest Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson) in person!

Joins us for the complete Twin Peaks series on the big screen for the first time in history! We continue our year-long celebration of the greatest TV show of all time The Missing Pieces. Rarely shown in theaters, this feature film presents deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me assembled together as an untold portion of the story’s prequel. Following a Q&A, we’ll then begin The Return with episodes “My Log Has a Message for You” and “The Stars Turn and a Time Presents Itself.”

Gary Hershberger will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans for an additional fee at the event.

• Thursday, November 5
• The Heathman Lodge | 7801 NE Greenwood Dr., Vancouver
• Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. | Program Begins: 6:30 p.m.

Lewis & Clark College Department of Music and Portland State University’s School of Music and Theater present an afternoon with Grammy Award-winning soprano Audrey Luna on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 from 3pm to 6pm in Evans Auditorium.

Church of Art's collaborative neurographics is a mindfulness-based creative activity that provides therapeutic relaxation through intuitive mark-making on a grand scale. For this mindfulness-based collaborative art activity, Church of Art will cover a long row of tables with a roll of paper and acrylic paint pens in a variety of sizes and colors. Participants will move freely around the table, filling the paper with sweeping, colorful doodles to the sounds of calming music. The giant scale allows for whole-arm movements, which signal brains to move out of fight-or-flight mode and into a state of mental relaxation and improved focus. The collaborative aspect of this workshop teaches one to let go of perfection and expectation through shared creative exploration, while working large encourages greater freedom of expression.

Neurographic art is a relatively new form of focused, intentional mark-making that uses curved, bold lines, vibrant colors and calming patterns. Physician and neurographics practitioner Ruben Halperin, M.D., will be the guide, co-facilitating this workshop with artist and Church of Art founder, Erika Halperin.

Immerse yourself in this beneficial form of meditative doodling and experience the mood-boosting effect of creativity coupled with community gathering.

Using paper and acrylic markers. All materials and supplies are provided by the studio.

Tickets Include:

• 2 hours of guided creative exploration in a supportive, friendly environment with all supplies included.
• Light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are included.
• That wonderful feeling of joy and connectedness that comes from a few hours of in-person artistic play with other adults.

In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history. Interviewed by OPB’s Dave Miller. Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.’s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.

A star of two of the most beloved movies of the ‘80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke’s rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn’t until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke’s Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.

In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke’s extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.

Discover the clear, focused character of green tea through a facilitated tasting that centers mindfulness and flavor. Participants tune their senses with attentive sipping and dialogue, noticing how each expression carries its own narrative. The experience blends tasting, introspection, and dialogue to heighten perception and foster a closer relationship with the leaf. It offers a calm pathway into nature’s wisdom, encouraging serenity and insight throughout the session.

Explore teas from the collection in a gathering where the selections themselves guide the learning. Each session may feature unusual cultivars, experimental processing, aged or stored teas, or other expressions of Camellia sinensis beyond the familiar. Led by D’Guar, a tea guide and community builder, the class brings together tea, mindful practice, storytelling, and community connection. All are welcome, and participants are asked to avoid strong fragrances to help support sensory sensitivities. The suggested contribution is $40, with a $15 option available for BIPOC participants who would benefit from it. If cost remains a barrier, flexible contributions may be discussed.

Celebrate Samhain and the Day of the Dead with a transformative, grounding evening hosted by Celine Redfield of Two Wings Balanced Healing. Aligned with the deeply intuitive water energy of Scorpio season, this sacred gathering combines community connection with deep personal restoration.

• The Experience: The evening begins with an ancestral invocation and a warm botanical tea ceremony—guests are welcome to bring a memento, photo, or candle to place on a collective altar. You will then ease into a guided hypnotic meditation before relaxing into a restorative, one-hour water-element sound bath.
• The Instruments: Healing frequencies are created using a carefully curated selection of "watery" and crystalline instruments. You will experience crystal singing bowls for all seven chakras, a cosmic light chalice, ocean drums, rain sticks, aqua Koshi chimes, crystal pyramids, tongue drums, and pangi seed shakers.
• Who It’s For: This event is for anyone looking to honor their ancestors, connect deeply with their intuition, or find a peaceful space for internal reflection and fresh personal transformation.
• The Benefits: Attendees will experience deep, receptive relaxation, reduced stress, emotional release, and a renewed sense of internal safety and security.

Join an intimate evening featuring a pre-show discussion and Q&A with Soccer Mommy and special Guest Interviewer, followed by a local opener and solo performance by Soccer Mommy. This event is hosted by Papertrees Creative, in partnership with Literary Arts and the Portland Book Festival 2026.

Sophie Allison has always written candidly about her life, making Soccer Mommy one of indie rock’s most interesting and beloved artists of the last decade. Allison has used Soccer Mommy’s songs as a vehicle to sort through the thoughts and encounters that inevitably come with the reality of growing up. After all, Soccer Mommy began as a bedroom-to-Bandcamp exercise with teenage Allison posting her plaintive songs as demos. Over the years, though, she has often enhanced that sound, using the endless production possibilities, newly at her fingertips, to outstrip singer-songwriter stereotypes. The records would start with songwriting’s kernels of truth, and she would then imagine all the unexpected shapes they could take. Every Soccer Mommy record has felt like a surprise.

On Soccer Mommy’s fourth album, the tender but resolute Evergreen, Allison is again writing about her life. But that life’s different these days: Since making her previous album, 2022’s Sometimes, Forever, Allison experienced a profound and also very personal loss. New songs emerged from that change, unflinching and sometimes even funny reflections on what she was feeling. (Speaking of funny, this is a Soccer Mommy album, so there’s an ode to Allison’s purple-haired wife in the game Stardew Valley, too.) These songs were, once again, Allison’s way to sort through life, to ground herself. She wanted them to sound that way, too, to feel as true to the demos—raw and relatable, unvarnished and honest—as possible. The songwriting would again lead where the production would follow. Nothing overindulgent, everything real.

Broadway Books is thrilled to welcome Anthea Kreston with her debut memoir Crescendo: Chronicles of an Adventurous Violinist (Paul Dry Books, 2026). She will be joined in conversation with Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception.

When American violinist Anthea Kreston, called “An Indomitable Spirit” by Yo-Yo Ma, is selected as the fourth member of Germany’s Artemis Quartet, it is the culmination of decades of dedication. In Crescendo, her enchanting and deeply personal memoir, Kreston writes about growing up in a well-to-do but difficult family in Chicago, leaving home at age sixteen, studying at the ultracompetitive Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (Hilary Hahn was a classmate), then burning out and leaving it all behind for a commune in Oregon.

Portland Book Festival welcomes Molly and Meherwan Irani, the husband-and-wife team behind Asheville’s nationally celebrated Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Their flagship restaurant, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022.

This year, Molly and Meherwan each bring a new book to the table. Meherwan has written No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India. Molly’s Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality was published earlier this year. Together, the books offer two very different—and deeply connected—perspectives on food, restaurants, and hospitality.

In celebration of Diwali—the Hindu festival of lights, marked by food, gathering, and celebration—Molly and Meherwan will join their longtime friend Chef Troy MacLarty at Bollywood Theater on Alberta Street for a collaboration. Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan’s book alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.

Both books will be featured at Portland Book Festival, and Molly and Meherwan will be on hand at Bollywood to meet guests and sign copies.

Embark on a spooky voyage aboard the Explorer Jetboat to the famous Spirit of Halloweentown in St. Helens. Skip the hassle of driving, with the dock less than a block from the festivities. Along the way, a guide will share chilling tales of St. Helens and Portland's seedy past. Once ashore, you'll have about 4 hours to explore, including access to the paid attractions. Whether you're a fan of the iconic Disney movie “Halloweentown" or seeking Halloween family fun, this cruise has something for everyone.

Would you like to experience the finest expression of Scotch whisky produced today? Would you like to expand your knowledge of Scotch and the many styles and flavours that make up quality whisky? Do you love smoky whisky?!

Join The Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a rare single malt Scotch whisky tasting experience at The Scotch Lodge! Attendees will be among the first to taste six (6) unique single malts from our upcoming November Peated Outturn in a seated, guided tasting format designed to expand your knowledge and appreciation for Scotch whisky.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the world’s largest whisky club of whisky lovers. More than just a club, the Society is known for offering the finest expression of Scotch whisky produced today. It acquires exceptional whisky casks from distilleries across Scotland and beyond. Each cask is then bottled and offered exclusively to its community of members through the Society’s online shop smwsa.com.

While Society whisky is available for purchase by members only, this event is open to anyone eager to taste and learn in the company of fellow whisky lovers. Members enjoy a reduced price for admission and all attendees who order tickets before 2pm PT on October 15th will get the early bird special pricing.

Slàinte Mhath!

Alexis Nikole Nelson, best known to millions of fans as Black Forager, invites you on an adventure to discover the delicious and wild foods hiding in plain sight. Alexis captivates people with her joyful enthusiasm and deep knowledge of foraging and inspires them to explore the bounty of their own backyards, parks, and trails, and now she does the same in her eagerly awaited first book.

Happy Snacking, Don’t Die! is a one-of-a-kind collection of recipes and foraging wisdom that teaches you how to turn common plants, flowers, and fungi into yummy, plant-based meals. This unique work is almost like two books in one—foraging plant guide and vegan cookbook—organized by season to guide you through a year of appetizing discoveries. In spring, you’ll learn to pickle Magnolia flowers and turn Japanese Knotweed into a refreshing granita. Summer is for frying up Milkweed Buds, making Juneberry Hand Pies, and crafting Rosewater Baklava. When fall arrives, you’ll be making savory mushroom dishes (a.k.a. chicken of the woods) like Maitake steak and bacon. And in winter, cozy up with Pine Shortbread Cookies and Oyster Mushroom Chowdah.

Parallel Worlds Bookshop and the Hollywood Theatre present a special author conversation with Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu, celebrating the release of Jane’s debut novel, Public Access Afterworld, followed by a screening of Schoenbrun’s acclaimed film I Saw the TV Glow.

When: November 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Where: Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Tickets: $18 sold via Hollywood Theatre
Ticket price does not include a copy of the book. Preorder Here!

A mysterious realm waits on the other side of our screens. A dark force draws victims into its static. An unlikely hero must save them, and herself, from an electric hell.

Spanning decades and realities, Public Access Afterworld follows an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and obsessive television viewers whose lives become entangled with a surreal pirate network. At the center is Bethany Peters, a trans content moderator working the night shift at a sprawling tech corporation. When a young streamer begins appearing in her feed and calling out to Public Access Afterworld, Bethany is pulled into a conspiracy stretching across screens, timelines, and realities.

A mesmerizing collision of speculative fiction, horror, conspiracy, and queer transformation, Public Access Afterworld marks the literary debut of the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.

Jane Schoenbrun is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Their films include I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Their newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, releases in 2026. Public Access Afterworld is their first novel.

Tickets for the screening and conversation are sold through the Hollywood Theatre. Copies of Public Access Afterworld will be available for purchase onsite from Parallel Worlds Bookshop.

Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu will not be signing books. Pre-ordered books or books purchased at event will be pre-signed.

Still photography is permitted. Audio and video recording are not permitted unless approved in advance.

1. Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun - Signed Edition
   (Pub Date: October 27, 2026)
   A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

2. Alchemised by Senlinyu Signed Edition (Out Now)

3. Alchemised by Senlinyu 3 Volume Deluxe Boxset(Pub Date: October 13)
   In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

Learn how to create a balanced loose leaf tea blend while exploring how flavor, aroma, additional ingredients, and visual appearance work together. Each participant will create their own personal blend(s) to take home, enough to make approximately 3–4 pots or 24–32 cups of tea.

Portland Art Museum invites the community to join a Free First Thursday event, offering free admission to the museum for all, plus a Live Wire event as part of the Literary Arts Portland Book Festival. Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both!

4:30 – 6 p.m. — Free, pre-show, pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle.

Free First Thursday tickets can be reserved online one week in advance and are also available at the door.

7 p.m. — Enjoy a fully seated, ticketed Live Wire taping hosted by Luke Burbank with announcer Elena Passarello, featuring a blend of interviews, comedy, and music performed live for the audience, then edited into an episode for broadcast to over 200 public radio stations nationwide. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle. Doors will open at 6:30pm.

GA Tickets are $15. Preferred Seating is $40. Discounts available to Portland Book Festival passholders.

Dessa is a singer, rapper, and writer who fell in love with language as a toddler—and just never got over it. Now, she works in fields that traffic in words: she’s recorded rap bangers as part of the fiercely independent Doomtree collective, released a live album with the Grammy-winning Minnesota Orchestra; contributed to The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler; delivered a TED Talk on the intersection of romance and neuroscience that’s notched more than 4 million views; hosted 2 seasons of behavioral science podcast Deeply Human (BBC/American Public Media); and published a memoir recounting most of the above called My Own Devices (Penguin Random House).

Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times bestselling author of stories for children. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, three E. B. White Read Aloud Awards and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, as well as several international prizes. He lives in Oakland, California. His latest book, illustrated by X. Fang, is Tom Nancy: The Sheep Who Swapped Brains with a Boy. From two of the most exciting picture book makers today comes a hilarious trickster tale and Freaky Friday switcheroo story: a sneaky, cheeky sheep named Tom Nancy has a brain swap proposal for an innocent farm boy named Felix that will change both of their lives forever. Laugh-out-loud, subversive, and totally unexpected.

Ed Park is the author of the novels Personal Days and Same Bed Different Dreams. He is a founding editor of The Believer, and has worked in newspapers, book publishing, and academia. His writing appears in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Profound, wily, and beautifully wrought, his new book Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties is a meeting of memory and myth, confession and obfuscation, coalescing to offer a singular picture of creativity in action.

The princess of Portland comedy, best known for her breakout performance on the popular Netflix special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, Mx. Dahlia Belle has been compared to a Swiss Army knife—different tools to extract sharpness, softness, vulnerability, hope, and wicked wit. She’s been declared one of “11 Trans Comedians… Funnier Than Dave Chappelle” by Out Magazine, repeatedly featured on NPR, and has written for Cosmopolitan Magazine, The Guardian, The Stranger, and Portland Mercury. Her live performances have included NW Black Comedy Festival, Upper Left Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and an awkward conversation with John Waters and Piers Morgan. In the upcoming live taping of her comedy special Affirmed at Polaris Hall on November 22nd, Mx. Dahlia Belle delivers 60 new minutes of stand-up to celebrate and affirm being human in the modern world through a combination of the wholesome and mundane, anecdotes about house cats, liscivious foibles of the LGBT community, and an unapologetic account of her personal journey with gender-affirming care, all delivered with her trademark free form wit.

Free First Thursdays at the Museum and PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater aligns with the revitalization of the long-standing Portland art galleries’ tradition of opening their doors for openings, receptions, and events on the first Thursday of each month. In recent months art and culture organizations have joined to bring back this popular activity, including the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in the North Park Blocks.

Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Join an essential lecture by the acclaimed Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath. Jared Cooney Horvath (PhD, MEd) is a neuroscientist, educator, best-selling author and expert in the field of human learning. His new book, The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kid's Learning - And How to Help Them Thrive Again, pulls back the EdTech curtain and explains the research showing how digital tools in the classroom consistently undermine learning. It also explains how parents, teachers and schools can push back with purpose.

As a leading expert in learning and technology, Jared testified before the US Senate on EdTech and is an internationally sought-after speaker.

Sponsored by the Institute for Families and Technology and OR Unplugged.

Join Erath and The Malarkey for a special evening that brings together two Oregon Originals. Hosted at chef Brian Malarkey’s downtown Portland restaurant, this winemaker dinner pairs seasonal cuisine with Erath wines for a one-night-only experience celebrating Oregon's flavors and spirit.

Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy a multi-course menu created by The Malarkey culinary team, thoughtfully paired with Erath wines selected to highlight the flavors, stories, and sense of place that define Oregon. Along the way, you’ll hear from Erath’s Head Winemaker Leah Adint and discover how a shared passion for hospitality, craftsmanship, and creativity continues to inspire both brands.

With limited seating, this is a rare opportunity to gather around the table for an unforgettable evening of food, wine, and Oregon tradition.

Sign up for the poster session here!

The 2026 Pauling Medal will be presented to Professor Wooley at the 2026 Pauling Medal Symposium on November 7, 2026, at Portland State University in Portland, OR, in recognition of her pioneering studies.

Information about the symposium is posted at the Pauling Medal web page. The symposium includes lectures by eminent scientists and the awardee, a student poster session, a reception, and an evening banquet with presentation of the Pauling Medal to Professor Wooley.

The symposium is free and open to the public. The Awards Dinner is open to the public but requires advance purchase of a banquet ticket. Please visit the Pauling Medal web page for event details and banquet tickets.

Schedule:

• 11:00am - 1:00pm: Poster Set-up Time
• 1:00 - 5:30pm: Symposium in Hoffman Hall
  Symposium speakers
  • Prof. Geoff Coates, Cornell University
  • Prof. Craig Hawker, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Prof. Doug Keszler (emeritus), Oregon State University
  • Pauling Awardee, Prof. Karen Wooley, Texas A&M University
• 5:30 - 7:00pm: Reception and poster session in SRTC lobby
• 7:00 - 10:00pm: Banquet and award lecture in Hoffman Hall

Young adult authors, Maggie Stiefvater (The Dream Thieves) and Isabel Cañas (The House of Gardenias) come together for a conversation on the hauntingly enchanted worlds in their latest releases. In the newest installment of the graphic novel iteration of The Raven Cycle, Stiefvater and adapter Sas Milledge bring the original text to life with rich illustrations and suspenseful panels. Like Stiefvater, Cañas expertly constructs a gothic world threatened by an unimaginable ancient power. Moderated by Alicia Tate, these authors discuss the mythical worlds they built and the characters that try to understand them.

The second book in Maggie Stiefvater‘s #1 NYT bestselling series The Raven Cycle, now gorgeously illustrated as a graphic novel!

Ronan Lynch is made of secrets. His longest kept one? He can pull impossible things out of dreams. It’s a secret that’s nearly killed him more than once. Waking the corpse road should have led Blue and the Raven Boys straight to Glendower, the Whelsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of Henrietta. But instead, the forest of Cabeswater has disappeared, energy hums and sputters beneath the town, and the Raven Boys’ search is at a dead end.

Ronan’s dreams may be the key to finding Glendower, but none of the Raven Boys are prepared for what will be unleashed in Ronan’s desperate attempt to finally control his power. Reimagined as a stunning full-color graphic novel adapted and illustrated by Sas Milledge, Dream Thieves blurs the line between reality and nightmare until they are one and the same.

A debut gothic YA from the USA Today bestselling author of The Hacienda and The Possession of Alba Díaz Sixteen-year-old Minerva has endured hunger, violence, and unrest in a capital city inspired by colonial Mexico.

Determined to escape her father’s cruelty, she reinvents herself in a wealthy loyalist enclave, becoming lady’s maid to the formidable widow Encarnación del Valle.

For the first time, Minerva knows stability with regular meals, warm light powered by magical chispa, and a measure of protection. When a ruthless regime rises to power, the household withdraws to the del Valle family’s secluded estate, Casa de las Gardenias. There, amid resentful heirs and rigid social hierarchies, something far older than the nation’s turmoil waits in the shadows.

It’s a haunting, timely gothic novel that weaves Mexican history, class tension, and supernatural dread.

The Portland Grief House invites you to join The Lost Table, a welcoming space to gather in community, remember those we’ve lost, and share in the traditions that help us keep them close. Bring a dish, pull up a chair, and make a place at the table for the dead. Grief can be hard to understand, and sometimes what we need most is community, ritual, conversation, and food.

Together, we’ll explore how different cultures and traditions call to, honor, and make offerings to those who have died. In the spirit of Día de Muertos, we’ll create a shared space where the living and the dead can gather around the same table.

We’ll begin with a creative activity led by Mario Mesquita, inviting us to reflect on memory, food, and our relationships with those we’ve lost. Participants will be introduced to the ritual elements that will carry us through the evening.

Laura Green will lead a community conversation about intercultural traditions of Día de Muertos and other ways communities call to and remember their dead. Participants will have an opportunity to share stories, traditions, and memories, and to dedicate an offering to someone they have lost.

Bea Yeh will introduce the tradition of Hungry Ghost and lead us in making an offering to the dead. We’ll set places at our table for those who are no longer with us and share food as an act of remembrance and connection.

Our community offerings and tributes will be gathered at Ximena Morales’s altar, creating a shared space of remembrance that connects the different traditions and offerings brought into the room.

Throughout the evening, we’ll create something together through words, offerings, and remembrance. We’ll dedicate a community poem to the dead and close our gathering with a collective ritual of words, sound, and stillness.

Please bring:

• A dish to share, plus any serving utensils it needs. Consider bringing something that reminds you of a loved one or connects you to a family or cultural tradition.
• Please label your food with a card identifying any allergens or dietary considerations.
• Your own dinnerware (plate, bowl, utensils, napkin).
• A beverage for yourself, if you’d like something other than water.
• A photograph, name, or other small tribute to a loved one for the community altar, if you’d like.
• Please do not bring chips, salsa, or guacamole—Milagro will provide these.

The Portland Grief House is honored to continue this tradition, originally started by Side Yard Farm. El Centro Milagro is excited to partner with Portland Grief House to create a space for English- and Spanish-speaking community members to gather, remember, share traditions, and honor the dead together.

Schedule
4:00–4:30 PM — Opening Ritual & Activity
4:30–5:45 PM — Community Conversation & Offerings
5:45 PM — Dedication & Closing

Estimated Running Time: 3 hours
Age Recommendation: Ages 10+

Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less, showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills. Interviewed by Lucy Feldman (TIME).

An aspiring archivist determined to begin a “serious” life after an undistinguished undergraduate career takes up residence in the Italian countryside. Here, he becomes the all-purpose assistant to the Baronessa, known to her friends as Coco, a defiantly youthful and naturally flamboyant woman of ninety-two. Amid a chaotic and colorful milieu of gin-swilling princesses, incomprehensible handymen, roaming boarhunters, nuns, and other local wildlife, our young man does his best to catalog the villa’s extensive collection of art and antiques—although he notices that things seem to go missing from right under his nose.

Despite himself, he tumbles into an affair with a married man, complicating his future plans considerably. And when the Baronessa loses someone close to her, he becomes an unwitting accomplice in the acceleration of Coco’s great and final plan: to locate the love of her life and be reunited before it’s too late. Told with the signature wit, charm, and humanity that made Less an international phenomenon, Villa Coco is a dazzling, sun-soaked ode to life itself, a meditation on how seriously we ought to take ourselves, and a bawdy Mediterranean ballad about becoming who we’ve always wanted to be.

Make life a little easier on our Oregon winter birds with some crafty edible artistry for all ages.

Choreographer Lai Hung-Chung makes dances of striking beauty and intention. “Birdy,” his captivating signature work for Hung Dance, moves between suspense and explosive energy, between the weight of tradition and the pull toward something new. Hung Dance blends traditional Chinese arts, including tai chi, Peking Opera, and classical Chinese music, with contemporary dance technique and driving electronic music, creating work that is poetic and rhythmic at once. What audiences see on stage is a world in constant transformation, where bodies bend and resist, images linger, and the tension between holding on and letting go becomes the dance itself.

TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN

Birdy

“…a dreamy sensibility with astonishing athleticism in culturally sensitive modern dance performance.” —Charlie Smith, Pancouver

Sponsored by George & Nancy Thorn. White Bird’s Uncaged Series Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

The Friday and Saturday performances will have pre-show talks. Come early to hear from the dancers from 6:15–6:45 PM. No ticket needed.

Join us November 3rd for the Hung Dance Lecture Demonstration, FREE with RSVP here .

Join an afternoon with Grammy Award-winning soprano Audrey Luna. Audrey will give a masterclass with L&C and PSU students and present a lecture titled "The Business of Singing."

Join Israeli-American storyteller and public historian Yuval Malchi for a look at the lesser-known Americans who helped shape and defend the State of Israel. Through personal stories of nurses, social workers, intelligence operatives, and military leaders, Malchi explores the contributions of figures such as Rose Kaplan, David “Mickey” Marcus, Al Schwimmer, and Hank Greenspun, and their lasting impact on the relationship between the United States and Israel. In partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

*The talk is geared toward adults, but welcoming participants ages 13 and up. *

MUST RSVP.

Join Dr. Mas Subramanian, the inventor of YInMn Blue—the first new blue pigment discovered in more than 200 years—for a fascinating lecture on the science, history, and future of color. Dr. Subramanian will share the story behind this accidental discovery and explore the role of pigments in art, design, technology, and everyday life, offering a unique perspective at the intersection of scientific innovation and creative practice.

This lecture is now a virutal event.

This program is offered as part of the programming for Anish Kapoor: Dissolving Margins, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. This exhibition will be on view at the JSMA at PSU through December 5, 2026.

Authors and acclaimed chefs Molly Irani(Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality) and Meherwan Irani(No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World) sit down with renowned chefs and coauthors Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico (Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig) to discuss their recent publications and experiences building community through food. Joined by moderator and fellow chef, Farideh Sadeghin (The Hot Dog Cookbook and Cheesy), both pairs move beyond their recipes to share the cultures, upbringings, and people that inspired their successful businesses.

Molly Irani, the visionary cofounder of the James Beard Award–winning restaurant Chai Pani, shares her passion for hospitality and story of building a thriving business that puts people first.

Growing up with parents who owned a restaurant, Molly understood the power of service but also had a keen understanding of the industry’s challenges. When her husband Meherwan wanted to open a restaurant that would serve the Indian street food of his childhood, Molly thought he was nuts. And yet, the couple turned this unlikely dream into a vibrant reality. Chai Pani would eventually win the James Beard Award for Most Outstanding Restaurant in America, and be named one of 50 Favorite Restaurants in America by The New York Times, and one of Southern Living’s 20 Friendliest Places in the South.

In Service Ready, Molly takes readers on their inspiring journey to the heights of culinary and professional success. While she and her husband learned their way into running a restaurant, Molly created a groundbreaking work culture with industry-leading retention rates. They have fostered a loyal team and legions of fans, and have since launched multiple Chai Pani locations, the fast-growing spin-off, Botiwalla, and the popular spice business, Spicewalla.

Molly shares the ten core principles that have shaped their path, offering essential lessons for any industry. She opens up about the challenges and rewards of being business partners with your life partner and shares how she and Meherwan learned to merge their strengths in order to thrive. Her story celebrates the power of female leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field and is a testament to the essential impact these strengths bring to businesses. As she reflects on navigating a recession, a global pandemic, and the devastating floods in Asheville, she explores resilience, innovation, and how to create a strong culture in any workplace.

People of the earth! James Beard Award–winning chef Meherwan Irani is here to tell you that Indian street food is the best food on the planet—and that with more than 100 of his recipes you can have it at home any time you want.

“If you love Indian food, Irani decodes the entire canon for the home cook without oversimplifying or diluting the most delicious of global cuisines.”—Andrew Zimmern

Entering Meherwan Irani’s restaurants feels like walking into a party—and opening his cookbook is no different. With warmth, affection, and a bit of swagger, Irani makes a compelling, delicious case for adding Indian food to your weekly rotation, providing you with clear instruction on how to build layers of flavor and texture, putting beloved favorites like bhel puri, vada pav, kathi rolls, and more within your grasp.

In the No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World, Irani takes you through the depths of this (liberally defined) subgenre of Indian cuisine that’s filled with delicious snacks, flavorful sandwiches, and curries and chutneys galore. He covers classics like pakoras and chaats as well as stews from roadside cantinas and Chinese-Indian stir fries. Through more than 100 recipes, Irani shares his tips for making street food with minimal time and effort, like sweet, bright, and crunchy Corn Bhel and a Mumbai Toastie, which provides one of the best uses you’ll get out of white sandwich bread. From Dhansak, the triple lentil stew his mom used to make, to the golden-crisp Dosa that’s now found itself in the lexicon of street food, these recipes are rooted in childhood memories, travels through India, and deeply conducted research on the cultures that have contributed to Indian cuisine. Essays throughout dig into areas of Indian cuisine that Irani loves to talk about, like why naan isn’t eaten with every single Indian dish and why chai should be made with substandard tea leaves.

With more than 100 recipes for sandwiches, chaats, fried goodies, and more, you’ll quickly see why this is the No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World.

“The future of American food is found at Nixta, where Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi combine Mexican, Persian, and American flavors to create one of the country’s most essential restaurants.”—Brian McGinn, director and executive producer of Chef’s Table

Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico are proud hyphenated Americans: Iranian and Mexican, respectively. It’s their superpower and what they’ve built their award-winning restaurant Nixta Taqueria on. Pulling from their rich culinary heritages, they’ve done what first-genners do best—created delightful twists on Mexican, Iranian, and American classics. In Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig, they sling tacos and tostadas, alongside platters of golden, fluffy rice; rich stewed meats; and so, so, so many herbs.

Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig takes you through recipes from Edgar’s childhood in Visalia, California, with family dishes like Tortas de Milanesa de Pollo and Chicharrones en Salsa Verde. Then it’s Sara’s turn, sharing recipes from the Ozarks in Arkansas and family trips to Iran for Maman’s Fish with Kuku Sabzi and Ash Reshteh. Lastly, they bring it all together, showing the full-force beauty and surprising connection between the two cuisines with recipes like Smashburgers Al Pastor and Saffron Tres Leches.

More recipes include:

• Nixta Taqueria’s legendary Duck Carnitas Tacos
• Barbacoa Empanadas
• Fesenjoon
• Beet “Tartare” Tostada
• And their famous cross-cultural recipe for rice pudding, Sholeh Zard

With over 100 recipes and stunning photography, Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig is a celebration of where Edgar and Sara have come from and where they are now. Come along for the ride!

Join a special evening with trailblazing drag artist, activist, and political candidate Marti Cummings and Portland-based constitutional law professor and author Robin Maril. Before the film, Marti and Robin will sit down for a live conversation about queer representation, civic engagement, and the power of showing up for your community. The conversation will be moderated by Kyndall Mason of Basic Rights Oregon.

Following the conversation, stick around for Queen of New York, the acclaimed documentary following Marti Cummings’ groundbreaking 2020 campaign to become one of the first openly nonbinary members of the New York City Council. This evening also celebrates the launch of Robin Maril’s new book, A Queer Guide to Saving American Democracy. Copies will be available for purchase on site.

ON SCREEN: Queen of New York

2023. Directed by Emma Fidel. Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Welcome to a different kind of drag race. As NYC emerges from the chaos of 2020, Marti Cummings (they/them), an audacious and big-hearted drag queen, goes all out in a historic bid to become a City Councilperson. It’s one of the most hotly contested Council races in years, and Marti’s strongest competitor is Shaun Abreu, a tenants’ lawyer with deep roots in the district’s Latinx community. As these first-timers race to do the most good for their Upper Manhattan neighbors, they offer very different visions for Democratic politics — one in a suit and tie, the other in combat boots and floral print. As this immersive documentary reveals, Marti’s passion inspires queer activists and allies to change the political system. Their campaign becomes a community of its own, especially for Marti’s non-binary peers who have never before seen themselves represented.