Gastronomes and media folk descended upon Palace Ballroom Monday evening for Foodportunity, the network-and-nosh event put on by Keren Brown (aka Frantic Foodie).

Brown has organized Foodportunity for several years now, both here and in Portland. The idea behind these events is to come and converse with fellow food obsessives while sampling bites from top-notch restaurateurs and local purveyors. The chefs talk attendees through the dish they chose to prepare, which is a neat opportunity to get inside their heads. Name tags facilitate the networking side of things, as does the cash bar (it’s amply stocked). So convivial is the atmosphere even foodportunists flying solo will find someone with whom to chat.

Many of the people at Foodportunity are repeat attenders and will eagerly share lessons learned from past events. For example, they’ll tell you it’s best to arrive when doors open at 6, when few others are there. That way you can go nuts with the food and avoid the awkwardness of trying to converse while doing so. (Or worse, getting grub stuck between your teeth during a gab session—definitely a networking no-no.) Also: it’s easy to miss the booths hidden in the back right corner of the foyer, but they’re some of the best of the bunch.

Check out the slideshow for more from the event and a sampling of the food on offer.

All photos by Seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.