PORTLAND, Ore. -- The lineage of a pig prompted a chef and a national cooking contest organizer to come to blows outside a Portland strip club early Monday morning.
Police reports uggest alcohol, and salty opinions of the quality of chefs inside and outside Oregon, were also part of an emotional recipe for the brawl.
Seven Portland police officers responded to the 2 a.m. fight outside the Magic Gardens, 417 N.W. 4th Avenue.
This 'only in Portland' story started with a prestigious culinary competition called the Cochon 555 earlier in the evening.
Five winemakers were paired with five chefs, who each prepared a whole pig. A limited number of tickets were sold to the event. They cost from $125 to $175. Included was a butchering exhibition by a San Francisco chef.
According to the competition website, Cochon 555 aims to "promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities."
The Portland Cochon 555 event was at the Governor Hotel. The website said "The after party will be held at Davis Street Tavern and will feature a handful of surprises."
What happened probably wasn't what Cochon organizers had in mind.
Witnesses said Eric R. Bechard, a rising star chef at the Thistle restaurant in McMinnville came into Old Town's Davis Street Tavern about 9:30 p.m. He appeared intoxicated.
Bechard got into an argument with a patron, then assaulted him, tavern owner Blake Smith told police. Smith said he personally knew Berchard and his behavior that night "astonished him."
Carolina Uriba of Atlanta, Ga., a co-owner of the Cochon contest, told police she saw Bechard come into the tavern and get into an argument with one of the winemakers from the competition. He reportedly head-butted the winemaker.
She left with friends, including boyfriend and Cochon 555 co-founder Brady Lowe, also of Atlanta, Ga. They were hungry, she said, and headed down the street to the Magic Gardens club.
Bechard appeared at that club and started complaining about the use of a pig from Iowa. He told Uribe he was a local chef and a restaurant owner representing Oregon chefs. Why hadn't the competition used local pigs to support the local economy, he asked?
The police report said that Bechard told an officer "people need to support Oregon farmers and local business."
Uribe said at one point, Bechard hit her in the chest, causing her to take several step back. Lowe then stepped between them.
According to several accounts, Lowe "talked (smack) about Portland" and Bechard said "food doesn't come from San Francisco. Food comes from Portland." In quick order, the punches were flying. Both men went to the ground.
The very local police showed up to break up the fight.
Lowe was hit with pepper spray and Bechard by a Taser. Both were booked on assorted misdemeanor accusations involving disorderly conduct and interfering with police. All the charges have since been dropped.
Cochon 555 issued a statement which characterized the incident as an unprovoked attack on Lowe, who suffered a head injury and broken ankle.
News of the brawl made its way up through the Portland blogosphere, with reporting by Willamette Week, then appropiately enough, by a top notch food writer for the Oregonian.
