Gold Elite Event: Departure/Urban Farmer

Departure, Part Deux (almost 5 years to the day from the first one!), was a ten-​star party I feel very lucky to have been a part of. Top (literally, the rooftop) to bottom, it was class, class, class at every juncture.
Upon arrival, we were handed an amazing take on one of my favorite cocktails of all time, The Bee’s Knees, made with Bee Local honey, hives mere feet away from where we were standing. We got a one-​on-​one schooling in All Things Apiary, too, plus the amazing rooftop garden where both restaurants in the Hotel Nines get loads of their ingredients. Could not be any fresher. I jammed a spoon right into the honeycomb, no shame.
Next, we headed down to Urban Farmer on the 8^th floor where we split up into groups and got the full VIP treatment of behind-​the-​scenes kitchen tour and demos (pickling! butchering!), cheese/​charcuterie tasting, and a steak flight in the fancy library room. It was a pleasure meeting the event planners and managers circulating to make sure we were having a blast, which we certainly were. Loved the wine, loved the cheeses and house crackers, especially drizzled with more Bee Local honey and a little pollen.
A lot of thought, care, and planning went into this stellar event. I thought I knew everything I needed to about UF and Departure’s farm-​to-​table practices. Boy, was I wrong. I barely knew the tip of the iceberg. They have taken their sustainability practices to an unparalleled level. Take what you think you know about eating local (in the middle of downtown!), and make it ten times more intricate, you’ll end up with the Urban Farmer menu. By the way… they have Happy Hour! Twice a day! On top of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 24-​hr room service for the hotel guests.
As if all this spoiling were not enough, everyone got a goodie bag to take home, including the world-​famous-​big-​as-​your-​head house english muffins, candle made from tallow out of the kitchen, bee balm, sunglasses, and our fancy Unilocal Elite ’15 gift, a rad rapid charger.
To cap off the evening, we popped into Rialto down the street, truly reliving the first Departure event in 2010, except everyone was much more coherent this time around. A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible. Each specialist at every station was truly proud of the work they’re doing, and it showed. Til the next Gold Event, or Departure 3.0… whichever happens first!

It’s good to be gold sometimes, ain’t it? Especially when we get to attend an über-​swank event with amazing drinks & behind the scenes tours at a fancy joint to boot.
As told, we all (mostly) showed up right on time and were immediately greeted with a fabulous cocktail, The Bee’s Knees, made with local honey. How local? The beehives were in sight of the patio of Departure. The owners of said honey bees, Bee Local, were also on site walking around with a huge tray of fresh honey encouraging us to dip, lick and marvel in the amazingly delicious honey. While it was a damn scorch of a day, we were never without a drink on hand and fed some great food — those WINGS, my God.
After that, we went down to Urban Farmer where we were greeted with wine, charcuterie and cheeses! After milling around for a hot minute, everyone was broken into groups. First, we were treated to a steak tasting. STEAK TASTING says it all, but it was fun to taste different brands/​styles of steak — they were all amazingly good but the 21-​day aged was my fav for sure.
We then moved on to the kitchen tour. Whoa. It was impressive just seeing the cooking going on, all frantic yet well managed. We got to see where they cut & age their own meat, jar their own whatever you-​want-​to-​jar, how they re-​use just about every damn thing to make their place full of sustainable practices I didn’t even know existed. Everyone in the kitchen was extremely friendly and full of knowledge about… everything you could dream of.
As if that wasn’t enough, swag bags! Candles made from beef tallow (their own), lip balm from the honeycombs, and their $#&%^(* delicous English muffins made in house.
I can tell a LOT of thought and effort went into this amazing event so thank you SO much to Departure/​Urban Farmer + Matt for a fabulously fabooooosh event!

This event was a delight in every respect. I enjoyed seeing faces I’ve not seen in a while and meeting others whose reviews I’ve read but hadn’t yet met the reviewers. I was reminded that the Departure is a fine place to relax with good conversation and atmosphere, 15 floors above Portland’s bustling downtown. I was impressed with the intelligent and productive use of space used to produce a variety of herbs and an apiary in the center of a great city. The honey from that apiary is delicious and used in food and drink preparation. The Departure provides a comfortable and relaxed environment to enjoy conversation, either on the sunny patio or the shaded interior.
In response to my questions for visiting guests, room rates at The Nines begin at $ 249 per night, so I would say the hotel is best appreciated by deeper pockets and elevated tastes. The hotel is ideally located for business and sports events within the city, a short stroll from shopping at Pioneer Square, and very near the Courts. One obviously need not leave the building for fine dining and a relaxing libation after a stressful day.
The Urban Farmer is a very well managed, an intelligently organized and staffed operation that impresses me as a gem in a busy metropolitan setting. The artistry is in the details. I am grateful to Matt and Don for organizing this event, and to Andy and his staff for their warmth and patience while hosting us. This rises so far above mediocrity that well-​deserved superlatives seem like marketing hype. I look forward to my next opportunity to return as a customer with guests, and I enthusiastically recommend Departure and Urban Farmer to others!

Matt E has really outdone himself this time!
Departure and Urban Farmer has been my go-​to spots to bring visitors since moving to Portland. Departure offers an incredible view of the city while serving up tasty drinks and tapas Asian inspired treats while Urban Farmer keeps it classy while piling on succulent steaks and sides.
We started our amazing night with drinks on Departure’s patio, it was a listening day and they saved us with these great Bee’s Knees cocktails made from honey from their own hives. Chicken drumettes and sushi were also served to fill our tummies. While there we were treated to an introduction to why and how Urban Farmer and Departure maintain real farm to table eats when it’s so easy to go commercial. Loved it.
Downstairs at UF, we were then given a tour of the inner workings of the kitchen and even watched the executive chefs cutting up a side of beef for the night. Incredible! My mom is a trained chef and I know I’ve taken for granted the lovely steaks that are prepared and set before me but man, let me tell you, what they do in that kitchen is an art! I’ll never take it for granted, again! Charcuterie, cheese and munchie tid bits waited for us after our kitchen tour. Then my favorite part of the evening came when they led us into the library. First, as many times as I have been to UF, I’ve never known they had a library. Second, I didn’t know how rad that space was! I’m even thinking of a few birthdays and dinners I can host in that space! But, I digress… in the library, we were given a steak flight of grass fed, corn fed and grain finished meats. Who knew you could taste the difference?!? I’ve died and gone to heaven.
This night showed me a few things… first, I have SO much more respect for the work that Departure and UF are doing with their commitment to local sustained foods. Second, the level of detail in their kitchens is mind blowing. Third, the event spaces to host clients is pretty darn cool.
The staff was warm, inviting and we couldn’t have more gracious hosts. Thank you SO much to UF, Departure, Matt E and the whole Unilocal staff for putting on such a memorable night!

I normally give 5 stars to all of the Elite events. This one was worth FAR more than 5. It was probably one of my favorites to date.
The professional, informative and fun crew from Urban Farmer and Departure really rolled out the red carpet for us. It would be tough to ask for more. They were so kind and fabulous even gifting us with a generous swag bag to take home. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the English muffin. It was the best I’ve ever had! Having another soon is on my to do list.
It was a bit of a sizzling start on the roof, but who would have thought it would be so warm? We had the refreshing, cool Bees Knees cocktail to tone down the heat. It was interesting to see their hives and boxes where their growing some of their own produce.
When we moved to Urban Farmer we were treated to their fine selection of in-​house charcuterie and cheeses along with a tasty rich duck liver mousse served a variety of accoutrements. The wine was flowing to enjoy the tasty nibbles. They even had a steak tasting!
The kitchen tour was very informative, and they truly are an artisan farm to table operation. I couldn’t have been more impressed.
Thank you Matt and the staff from UF and Departure. I hadn’t been for a while, but I have a feeling I’ll be returning soon! And a huge thank you to Tamara C. for having me as her +1!

Thank you to Matt, Departure and Urban Farmer for such a great event! We started the night at the rooftop bar of Departure, one of my favorite places in Portland, sipping on Bee’s Knees cocktails and nibbling on sushi and wings. We learned about the honey they make on site, what grows in their garden and that both places use it for their ingredients. It was a little hot out, but still a beautiful evening to enjoy the view of downtown that Departure offers.
Next we moved down a few floors to take a tour of Urban Farmer, a steakhouse that I had no idea rested inside The Nines Hotel! Side note: I obviously need to get out more! We were treated to a cheese tasting, a steak tasting and a tour of the kitchen where the chefs showed us where they make all of their delicious food, showed us how to can and how they cut their meat. The steak tasting was my favorite part and the corn fed was the best of the three cuts that we tried. Probably some of the best steak I have had. I also enjoyed the different cheeses they had out, paired with homemade crackers and honey.
It was such a fun event and fun to see how both Departure and Urban Farmer operate. The staff of both places were very friendly and helpful. It is much appreciated that they took the time to show us around and teach us how they do things. A big thanks to both restaurants and to Matt for organizing this! I will definitely be going back to Urban Farmer for a meal!

What a lucky gal I am to have been a part of this fantastic event!
I just love the rooftop bar at Departure. I’ve witnessed the private party area before and have been envious of the beautiful people sipping cocktails over there. And now I was able to BE one of those people. We walked in and were greeted by a Bees Knees cocktail made with honey from the rooftop honeycombs. Wow! Impressive! As we searched for little slivers of shade on this very warm day, we were also treated to sushi rolls and fried chicken (which was delicious).
After our libations and appetizers were consumed, we were ushered down to the hotel atrium where Urban Farmer is located. This is when the real fun started. We were broken up into three groups of ten to enjoy 3 different activities: charcuterie and cheese station (don’t forget the goose liver that looked like chocolate mousse!), steak tasting in the antler room/​library (I liked the corn fed steak the best) and a behind-​the-​scenes tour of the 24-​hour kitchen (the walk-​ins and butchering stations were my favorite!).
This event was like a Food Network show come to life. I want to thank The Nines, Departure, Urban Farmer and Andy, our master host from The Nines (I really hope I remembered his name correctly). Thanks also to Matt E., our fearless CM! Great work on organizing this one! I loved it.
EDITED TO ADD: OMG OMG OMG I can’t believe I forgot to mention the swag bags we were so fortunate to receive. One of the insanely large, house-​made english muffins were included and HOLY MOLY… I’m going back soon to get the eggs benedict served on top of these fluffy, yet crispy muffins. In addition to the delicious treat, we got a candle made from cow tallow (also made in-​house by Urban Farmer), lip balm made from the aforementioned honeycombs and many other fun Unilocaley items. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Is this what it’s like to be royalty? People showing you all of their sexiest secrets and being outrageously nice, all the while making sure you never want for delicious things to see, do, drink, learn, eat?
You may ask yourself (well, at least *I* did): how did I get here?
And then you remember the amazing efforts of Mr. Matt E, the thoughtful, enthusiastic, and seamless execution of the Departure, Bee Local, and Urban Farmer teams, combined with the embarrassing number of hours/​years you’ve spent with all these lovely faces on that Unilocal site, and you *still* think: dang, man. This is lux-​u-​ry!
The previous reviewers have said it all, so I won’t repeat the details, but the highlight for me was getting some quality time with friendly folks, and gaining a new appreciation for what the crew at Urban Farmer work so hard to accomplish. When they say local and sustainable, it’s more than just lip service, and they do it with an elegance I could only ever dream of possessing. From the honey in their drinks, to the pickles on their plates, to the candles on their tables, they are masters of their crafts and have taken it all to the next level. So perfect for Portland. And luckily for us, they have the pride in and the willingness to share what they’ve wrought.
This event was a wonderfully intimate affair that brought a lavish combination of the very best people, places, things, and ideas. Rate it, you say? There aren’t enough stars in the sky.

Now this was an amazing night.
A few weeks ago my friend who is a Gold Elite Unilocal Member told me that I had plans (note: she didn’t ask — just informed me I was booked) and said that we were going to a Unilocal Event on the 19^th. I’m so glad she did.
We were treated to an amazing behind the scenes trip to Departure and Urban Farmer in Downtown Portland. Starting off to a rooftop visit to Departure and we enjoyed their Bee’s Knees cocktails, sushi and chicken wings. They told all about their local gardens and even the bees they use there on site for the honey.
The event got even better when we got a behind the scenes tour of the kitchens and got to hear directly from the chefs. So unbelievable to get to see the kitchens and inner workings of already one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. It gave me an even greater appreciation for everything they do.
They had cheese platters out, wine and all kinds of things to try. I did have my first taste of foie gras and while I wasn’t a particular fan… Shy is now the owner of a rather unfortunate video of my expressions as I took that first (large) bite. Chances are it’ll end up posted to my Facebook page soon.
Finally we got to enjoy a steak tasting that was unbelievable. The food is so amazing at Urban Farmer and tonight was no exception. My sincerest thanks to Urban Farmer and Departure for showing us such a great time. I will certainly be recommending all my friends and family to visit when they’re looking for that something extra in a restaurant in Portland.
Also, a special thanks to the Unilocal community and Matt the community manager that organized the event with Urban Farmer and Departure. Everyone was so welcoming and inclusive. It was great to get to meet so many of you. As someone that is still new-​ish to Portland this was just what I needed to meet more people out in the community. You’ve made me a Unilocaler and I’m certainly going to start posting reviews.
Thank you all again!

I’m sitting here munching away on my swag bag English muffin, all toasted and slathered in butter, just thinking about how awesome last night was.
The sushi, wings and bees as Departure had me feeling like I was living the high life. Those bees knees drinks were quite literally the bees knees and I’m wondering if I can pull one off at home Friday night. The staff kept my glass full all night while I learned all about high rise gardening and bee keeping. A little knowledge pairs nicely with food and drink and I left thinking how awesome it was to see the level of sustainability the Chef de cuisine was bringing to both these establishments.
Downstairs at Urban Farmer I was all sorts of jazzed to see some charcuterie and wine, and even more jazzed to get a little steak tasting action! The kitchen tour only confirmed what I had suspected– these chefs have a kitchen powered by sustainability and intention. I love seeing all the scratch made elements, the in house canning and making full use of all the elements of the animal (from stocks to candles). I wish more people were doing it the way they are! It’s admirable, and delicious!
Thanks always to Andy the GM, Matt and the Unilocal staff for putting on a great event for everyone. I know we will be back for a steak next time we have a birthday to celebrate.

What an amazing event. The first gold elite event that I’ve ever been to and one the best ever.
The Departure part of the evening started with the Bees Knees, a gin based drink that was light, refreshing, easily drinkable and made with the honey from the bees on the same patio I was drinking on! If you check the pictures posted, you can see the honeycombs being spun for the freshest honey that I’ve ever had (I don’t think its possible to get it faster…) Tastes of sushi and fried chicken drumsticks followed.
*** Note — I cant be thankful enough for how well all the staff of the two restaurants were so focused on guest service and made sure that we were always being taken care of. (drinks especially).
Being swept away to Urban Farmer after the heat was a cooling relief. Immediately we were set on a 3 part tour the likes of which I have never seen outside of hosted television. A charcuterie/​cheese section, a steak tasting, and a kitchen tour.
The steak tasting was in a room that I never knew existed, «the library», complete with books on the wall, a pool table, leather seats and a pool table. Apparently readily available for use by all and reserveable for private events (can you say Bachelor party.)
After all that, they gave us a gift bag with some really cool items. A very swanky night!

Five stars all the way!
The rooftop party at Departure was smothered with heat but cooled down with sweet, refreshing Bee’s Knees cocktails made with Bee Local honey. Departure served up sushi rolls and fried chicken wings so tender and juicy I almost forgot how hot out it was.
Did the party stop there? Nope. We meandered down to Urban Farmer to switch over to wine and also taste from a beautifully displayed charcuterie and cheese board. Our group of 30 split into groups of 10 to get a private tour of Urban Farmer’s kitchen. This is where all the magic happens to get that farm to plate meal. It was quite the tour. Last, but not least, we all had a fantastic steak tasting of three different New York steaks. All very tender and delicious but the Brandt New York corn-​fed steak was my favorite.
Matt definitely rolled out the red carpet for the Gold Elites! We were all lucky to have been chosen to enjoy such a fine establishment filled with delectable bites and refreshing drinks! Thanks to Matt, Departure, Urban Farmer, and Bee Local for a delightful evening.

First off… Totally though that shot glass of foie gras with a hard shell of chocolate on top was chocolate mousse. I don’t think I could have gotten a bigger spoonful. To say that my face was über confused for the 5 seconds before I professed the meaty flavor would be an under statement lol!!!
What an amazing event! I loved that it was split into three tours. A very sunny rooftop garden, honey, sushi and chicken washed down with a honey libation was lovely. Then the amazing and diverse cheese and meat selections with a crisp glass of gris. Followed by my favorite, the steak tastings with a full bodied yet smooth red. That aged painted hills steak was amazing. I wanted to take the bone and eat it but felt a little self conscious. Ending with the kitchen tour, it was pretty awesome to see the cuts of meat on the bigger pieces. Made more sense to me! I wanted to stuff one of those aging slabs into my purse and take a few pastries to go, not to mention grab a handful or two of those chocolates. Thank you to the kitchen crew, I know it must have been annoying to continue working with a herd of gold elites roaming the narrow walk ways and clogging up your amazing freezer stashes.
I’ve been to the Nines many times over the years. I even attended the grand opening party. It was really wonderful to see behind the scenes. I got more appreciation for what they do.
The grab bags were great, too!
Thanks so much to Matt and the Nines. I’m full, a little buzzed and extremely happy with tonight’s event.

You never know when beauty hides in plain sight.
The Urban Farmer and Departure restaurants are invisible to many trendy food media outlets. But they are right in there with the top artisan eateries in Portland. That is a good thing for Portland, as many people visit from around the world. When they stay at the Nines, they are getting some of the finest food, drinks and service, at Urban Farmer and Departure, on the West Coast.
We were fortunate our community manager reached out to the staff for taste opportunities, and something special, a back of house tour of the kitchen complex.
When you have to support a popular bar, a large sit down restaurant and 24 hour room service, it is easy for quality to suffer. Urban Farmer-​Departure scales up their quality to the level of any Portland boutique restaurant. Local ingredients, house-​made, fresh, continually updated menu, knowledgeable and service-​oriented staff, stellar surroundings. Yes to all!
It was lovely to see so many of friends, our solid review writers, special people who make Unilocal what it is.
And thanks to our community managers for reacquainting us with Urban Farmer and Departure. We will be back!

This Unilocal Gold Elite event is so beyond five stars. King Midas would turn green with envy. Departure and Urban Farmer treated us like royalty. Thank you.
We learned so much about how honey is harvested at the restaurant on-​site and got to taste the golden nectar. It was such a privilege and a treat. Our cocktails, the Bee’s Knees were abundantly available thanks to our awesome server. She was incredible keeping up with all of us.
Our hors d’œuvre, compliments of Departure were some lovely sushi rolls and my all time favorite, The Departure Wings. If you’ve never had them, you must!
The evening was full of surprising and wonderful treats. A visit to Urban Farmer within The Nine’s was impressive. To learn how committed this chef and his staff are to local and organic produce and meats made a distinct impression upon me. The skill, art, and love of their craft was evident.
Being allowed a tour of such an illustrious kitchen was truly a golden opportunity and I thank you. Being able to taste steaks that were grass fed, corn fed and grain finished was the highlight for me. Tender morsels that could be cut with just a fork was sheer perfection.
Indeed, this was event can now be considered the gold standard of Unilocal events. Yeah, it was that great.
Matt E., Unilocal,lovely folks at Departure and Urban Farmer, thank you for your gracious hospitality for such a golden memory.
2015 — Review # 53