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#408 Meg Cotner - Bridgetown Bites14 Feb 202501:24:12
Meg Cotner is a freelance writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon via various other places including California to New York..  Meg publishes Bridgetown Bites, which covers restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks, events, and includes opinion pieces, all centering on the Portland food world.. The site focuses on  openings and closings news, while dabbling in reviews and other editorial content.     We talk about what it requires in time and effort to keep up the site, as well as Meg's personal and business objectives and her writing and eating background that led her to Portland and starting her website.   Meg also provides a great list of her favorite places to eat and sip, some off the radar, some on.  It's worth a listen just go be clued into what someone who's out there enjoying and thinking about the food world thinks are places you should go!   www.bridgetownbites.com

 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #391 ​Alexa Numkena-Anderson - @JavelinaPDX07 Feb 202501:13:48

We look back to our conversation with Alexa Numkena-Anderson from July of 2024:

 

Alexa Numkena-Anderson @cheflex_pdx is enrolled Hopi and is Yakama, Skokomish, Cree and Mexican descent. She was born in Yakima, Washington and grew up in the greater Washington area (Toppenish, Tri-Cites and Fairchild Air Force Base).  After high school Alexa moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue a culinary career and attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary school while also working as a line cook. 

She has worked in many kitchens across the Portland, such as @kingtidepdx (formally Three Degrees) @twr.pdx @sammichportland @imperialportland @headwaterspdx and @bullardtavernpdx as well as working for acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs such as @dougiepdx @vit0bike @lesbianmeatmaker & @lauroromero to name a few. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, her indigenous heritage . Her grandma Stella of the Yakama Tribe with memories of fry bread, roast beef, and soups as well as her Hopi heritage With the motivations of being a new mother, she is ready to share and continuously learn about her culture's food. Inspired by other Indigenous chefs she feels it is her responsibility to share and learn about these ancient foods and techniques.

Javelina's main feature is fry bread and even though this food came from necessity, our people were able to make a comfort food that is still found at pow wows and family gatherings to this day. On her culinary journey she discovered the amazing bounty of native ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Using what the surrounding land has already given them and combining it with Alexa's culture, skill and vision they hope to create a truly unique story.  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#401 Carlo LaMagna - Magna Kusina & Magna Kaina (Denver)29 Nov 202401:22:40
We catch up with Carlo Lamagna, chef and owner of his Magna restaurants in both Portland and Denver.  Carlo is creating communities and success in promoting Filipino cuisine, so much so that he's garnered recognition from the James Beard Foundation and diners around the globe since his humble start in the business from Detroit to Chicago to Portland.  He's had his eye on Denver since before he landed in Portland years ago, and so now he's reaching his dream of opening a place there.   Carlo talks about the difference between his two restaurants, and how appreciative he is that his hard work has paid off.  

 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #386 Sam Smith - Yaowarat22 Nov 202401:16:29

Chef Sam Smith has been a notable figure in the Portland culinary scene since he arrived in the city from the Bay Area. He is currently the chef at Yaowarat, Portland Monthly's 2023 Restaurant of the Year.  Sam talks about the experiences of traveling through Thailand with his team doing extensive research to develop the recipes for the restaurant, as well as why the team of Sam, Akkapong Earl Ninsom, Kyle Webster and Eric Nelson is such a powerhouse.   

Smith has honed his skills through experiences at renowned establishments like Zahav in Philadelphia and Ava Gene's in Portland. He has a talent and great resume helping restaurants get off the ground, contributing to the success of ventures like Spirit of '77, Ava Gene's Tusk, Sweedeedee, and Yaowarat. He was also recognized as a 2018 Portland Rising Star by StarChefs.

Sam also reveals his favorite Portland places.

Photo credit:  Thom Hilton/Eater Portland

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#400 Jim Angelus - Cole Valley Tavern and Bacon Bacon15 Nov 202401:12:37
Join host Chris Angelus for a lively conversation with his cousin Jimmy Angelus, proprietor of San Francisco's Cole Valley Tavern and Bacon Bacon.    Jim's history, which he talks about here, includes accolades from Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, criticism from Martha Stewart, mentions on Saturday Night Live, a Chopped! appearance and a host of fun stories about the fun people in his family and circle of friends, some of whom with whom you may be familiar.  The most fun anecdote just may be his story of his Dad's fame as NYC's PAR-KING.  You have to hear that one.   Check out Jim's restaurants in SF and SFO as well as @colevalleytavern and @baconbaconsf.  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#399 Sandra Tavares - Portugal's Travel Designer08 Nov 202401:20:24
  Sandra Tavares knows the people, places and things that make up a wonderful culinary and wine journey throughout Portugal.  Sandra started her career as a journalist and found herself covering a burgeoning food scene, to the point where she realized she would enjoy developing tours and experiences for people, and taking them to the best Portugal has to offer, rather than just writing about them.  Eventually she met her husband Vitor, and as things happened, eventually they landed in a beautiful vineyard and winery owned by Portugal's benchmark Kopke wines, where Vitor developed a restaurant to serve the local bounty that complemented the wine.  And his deep contacts in the industry in turn, became Sandra's as well.   Sandra is uniquely positioned to be the foremost authority on food and wine in Portugal.  To that end, she designed a wonderful itinerary that our podcast host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures is offering in May of 2025, on which food and wine loving folks can travel with St. Jack chef Aaron Barnett to Porto, the beautiful Douro River Valley and Lisbon to take bites and sips of the varied histories and customs of the beautiful country.  The trip features two hotels and inns from the folks at Kopke as well as dining with solid Michelin-star chefs throughout the region, as well as some pub food curated by expat Don Bourassa, former Portland Yelp Community Director.   This podcast is a fun journey outside of our area, but with Portland connections to keep us grounded!   The Portland Food Adventures Portugal trip is here:  https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/portugal-with-kopke   Sandra is here on Instagram:  @simply_b_sandra   Podcast with Don here, where he talks about moving to Portugal:  
https://rightatthefork.com/shows/2024/1/5/374-don-bourassa-international-adulting-and-inaugural-ratf-guest  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#398 Mary Cressler & Sean Martin - Vindulge01 Nov 202401:28:01
We are delighted to have Mary Cressler and Sean Martin on the podcast to talk about their venture, Vindulge.  We talk about how it came about and evolved, especially through the pandemic, when their business model had to change.   

Vindulge is a wife and husband team who create delicious ways to enjoy cooking and entertaining outside with family and friends. Combined, they have two decades of experience in recipe development, entertaining, education, writing, and professional cooking.

 

Mary Cressler: Mary Cressler is a wine, food, and travel writer, executive editor of the award-winning blog Vindulge, and co-author of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and upcoming Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza (publishing spring 2025). Mary writes about BBQ and wine on her website, Vindulge, which received an IACP nomination for Best Recipe-Based Blog in 2020 and 2017. Mary is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, recipe developer, and food and wine writer with credits in Wine Enthusiast, Serious Eats, Weber Grills Online, Barbecue America Magazine, Big Green Egg, Oregon Wine Press, and many more, and is a frequent judge for wine competitions.


Sean Martin: Sean Martin started with a career in property casualty insurance. He'd always enjoyed cooking and helped co-found Ember and Vine catering in 2014. After being awarded one of Oregon's best wine country caterers in 2015, he continued to work with Mary on recipe development and ways to create approachable outdoor cooking recipes and helped co-author both books. Sean works with the culinary and beverage partners of Vindulge like Big Green Egg, Alfa Forni Pizza Ovens, and Federalist Wines.

 

They teach classes on wine, grilling, barbecue, and outdoor pizzas and are featured chefs at events throughout the country. They live on a small farm in Oregon wine country with their twin boys. You find explore hundreds of recipes at www.vindulge.com and follow them at Vindulge at all their socials.

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Chris and Cort talk Travel & 2024 Election + Classic Episode (#394): Kurt Huffman talks food at PDX25 Oct 202401:43:09
After experiencing the new Portland airport (PDX), we revisit our recent interview with Kurt Huffman of ChefStable who talks about the ins and outs of having multiple restaurants at PDX, from Grassa to Loyal Legion.  Chris and Cort express how this first impression visitors will have of Oregon and Portland is key to the area's growth.   And...   For the first time in the Right at the Fork's 10+ year history, Chris and Cort decide it's time to talk politics on the podcast, but from the perspective of travel and how the world not only looks at our country, but how history may repeat itself for generations that never experienced fascism.  Chris shares his travel experiences and how insightful he thought Rick Steves' recent episodes covering both facism taking hold in Europe and the importance of travel to open one's mind up to a larger picture.  Basically, while issues are important, democracy is at stake in this election and Rick Steves does a masterful job presenting a case for thoughtful voting.   While long, highly recommended programs to watch and share!!     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp6keXi0Ca0   and    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ELvxuKMUQ    

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #353 Vince Nguyen - Berlu, Berlu Bakery18 Oct 202401:12:34

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdvent

With the news that Berlu Bakery is closing (to relocate), following the perminant closure of Berlue last November - we wanted to revisit our conversation with Vince Nguyen just after his James Beard Foundation award win (Best Chef NW). 

Original post

This week Portland had a big week at the James Beard Awards, and one of those big winners was Vince Nguyen of Berlu, taking home Best Chef NW/Pacific honors.  And speaking of honors, it's an honor to have Vince on the podcast for a second time, this time talking about his feelings going into, during and after winning his big award.  We will talk about his team, how he gets so much satisfaction from their growth, what this means for him professionally, as well as things like work/life balance and the labor situation in Portland.

We will also hear some glimpses about how Vince would like to expand Berlu and what that would take.

Enjoy this talk with Vince, who surely will endear himself to you and make you want to enjoy his talents at Berlu, if you haven't been already.  And make note of his Venmo handle.  It just may be a way to get a table!!  :-)  (That's said tongue in cheek)

RATF Classic: #364 Nat West - Closing Reverend Nat's Hard Cider11 Oct 202401:00:09

This classic episode comes from September of 2023, when Nat West was shutting down his business of 12 years. He's now one of 100 candidates on the ballet for one of 12 city council positions for the new Portland city government. 

Original Post

We were able to catch up with Nat West, founder, president and cidermaker at Reverend Nat's Hard Cider.  Nat announced the closing of his business after over a dozen years building the business from scratch.  Nat tells us what led to the close and the decision to do it, the challenges and joys he experienced, and what he plans going forward.  Also, we will hear how an agnostic named his company Reverend Nat's!

Nat shares some of his favorite drinking spots in PDX as well.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#397 Guest Host Bill Oakley talks to Nori De Vega - @nomnom_nori04 Oct 202400:58:43

We are honored to have Bill Oakley guest host this episode of Right at the Fork, featuring Nori De Vega - one of Portland's most prominent food and restaurant video creators on Instagram and TikTok. 

Nori De Vega was born in Manila, Philippines, and currently lives with her husband and two basenjis in Portland. Her immediate family originally immigrated to Reno, Nevada in the 90's before everyone but Nori decided to relocate back abroad in the early 2000's. Nori spent her formative years in the US during the school year and in Manila during winter and summer breaks. 

Her passion for food comes from traveling all over the globe since she was a baby and her affinity to connect with other cultures through cuisine. Nori is a small-business advocate, tastemaker, and trusted voice in the food, wine, and hospitality space. She's the founder of Tikim, a collective that focuses on the advancement and celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture in the Pacific Northwest.

Find Nori on Instagram @nomnom_nori

Photo by Maynard Villaflores.

 

About Bill Oakley:

Bill Oakley made a name for himself with his work on The Simpsons and other TV shows, being one of the key writers and a showrunner for years.

Now, he's gained recognition on shows like "The Food that Made America." His love of all types of food, prompts Bills return to the podcast again, this time to talk about some of the awards bestowed on behalf of his Steamed Hams Society.  

Check out Bill's apparences on Right at the Fork: Episodes #313 and #372.

Connect with Bill:

Instagram: @ThatBillOakley
https://www.patreon.com/steamedhamssociety

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Classic RATF: #357 Joel Stocks - L'Orange27 Sep 202401:07:28

With news that L'Orange has made the New York Times list of America's Best Restaurants, wanted to return to our conversation from July 2023 with Joel Stocks.

Original post:

Joel Stocks has found a new home at his new restaurant/wine bar L'Orange with business partner Jeff Vejr, also of Las Caves.  We discuss what L'Orange is all about, including the visions both he and Jeff had when opening their wine bar/restaurant in the former Willow space. 

Joel has worked at some of the best restaurants in Portland, and the world.  Arzak, Alinea, French Laundry to name a few, and of course Holdfast Dining in Portland.  We'll hear how Joel targeted working at the French Laundry long before he got a gig there, and now that happened.  Joel will also discuss how his prior experiences influences his cooking.  We'll also talk travel ideas, especially Spain.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#407 Frank Squillo - Wanda's Cafe & Bakery31 Jan 202501:39:06
Frank Squillo has had quite a storied career, but as he points out in this episode, there are definite parallels between his career as a radio host and now, as co-owner of the storied Wanda's Cafe and Bakery, a mainstay of the North Oregon Coast that he purchased with his husband in 2019 and has operated since.   We talk about what it takes to run a successful restaurant on the Oregon Coast - the key ingredients in the business and in the recipes.  We'll even go into the things he's learned and how he deals with challenging situations and challenging people.     We talk a bit about life at the coast, the places Frank enjoys most and his involvement in local politics and theater.   Frank shares some anecdotes about his interviews from his radio days with Joe Rogan and his favorite guest, Sammy Hagar, and why both of them are great memories for him.  He even talks about what it took to interview people who really didn't have any interest in being in front of a mic for an interview.   Take a listen and find out more about one of the gentlemen behind the scenes of what host Chris Angelus refers to as a coastal icon, Wanda's Cafe and Bakery.   https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=wanda%27s%20cafe%20%2B%20bakery   https://wandascafe.com/  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#396 Gary Okazaki's Recent Faves13 Sep 202401:12:22

Right at the Fork's most frequent guest, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie), joins Chris on the podcast to discuss his favorite most recent experiences in the Portland food world.

 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#395 Jamal Hassan - Ice Cold Co.06 Sep 202401:10:31
Jamal Hassan is a seasoned beverage consultant and the owner of Ice Cold Co., a Portland-based company specializing in clear craft cocktail ice. With over 20 years of experience in the beverage and hospitality industry, Jamal has developed and overseen bar programs at award-winning restaurants such as Ox, Tasty N' Alder, and Mediterranean Exploration Company. A founding member of Sesame Collective Restaurant Group, he served as their Chief Marketing and Beverage Officer before transitioning to consulting full-time.   Jamal Hassan - @ironsheikh  Ice Cold Co.-  @icecoldpdx  Beverage Business Consulting - #@beveragebusinessconsulting # Fav. places mentioned in this episode: Ox - #@oxpdx Scotch Lodge - #@scotchlodge Palomar #@palomarpdx Pacific Standard - #@pacificstandardpdx Bellwether - #@bellwetherbarco Kachka - #@kachkapdx  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#394 Kurt Huffman on ChefStable's foray into the new terminal at PDX30 Aug 202401:13:07
Kurt Huffman, one of the most influential and key people in Portland's food world, joins us to discuss his company ChefStable's forays into the airport dining circuit with new restaurants in PDX's brand new terminal.  Kurt informs us about what it takes to apply and gain entry, and what the metrics appear to be for the new Grassa and Loyal Legion spaces.   We also touch on where things are hot and not right now in Portland, namely the suburbs of Portland, as downtown continues to languish in the wake of the pandemic and the social protests of 2020.  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #362 Garrett Peck - RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) & Bar RBC in Bend23 Aug 202401:14:33

With the opening of Bar RBC in Bend, we return to our conversation with Garrett Peck from August of last year... following the opening of RBC... and the talk of what would become Bar RBC.

Original Post:

 

It's always a pleasure to have Garrett Peck on our podcast.  For years, Garrett was at the center of the Portland food world as GM and host at some of Portland's most prolific restaurants.  He managed the Heathman, later Headwaters, as well as The Paley Group's other hotel properties, Imperial, Rosa Rosa and The Crown. 

When turmoil of 2020 put beyond a damper on the viability of those restaurants, Garrett and his wife Jonie sought greener pastures, which led them to Sisters, OR.  There, they connected with some of Portland's other most successful restaurateurs, who also found central Oregon more to their liking. In 2022, the three opened RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) with other investors.  Now with a year under their belts, RBC is lauded as one of the states most successful restaurants, outside of Portland.

Garrett shares with us some of the joys of central Oregon life, as well as the growth of Bend as a living and dining destination.  Listen to the end for some of his faves in the area.

www.rbcbend.com.

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

RATF Classic: #125 Javier Canteras - Urdaneta16 Aug 202401:05:17

Get to know Javier Canteras from his original interview on Right at the Fork.

From June 21, 2017:

Javier Canteras' roots are planted in Madrid, but now he's blossoming as a chef at Urdaneta, the sweet Alberta Street restaurant he owns with his wife, Jael. He's putting out some of the most interesting food in Portland now, which was not his original goal when moving here from Oklahoma to take part in Portland's music scene. He stops by to talk about Spain, life in the midwest, and where you can find him playing his guitar at his Portland gigs.

 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #370 Peter Kost - Ken's Artisan Pizza and Carina Lounge09 Aug 202401:32:04

With the news that Ken's Artisan Pizza has opened in downtown Bend, we return to our conversation wtih Peter Kost from November of 2023.

ORIGINAL POST:

Peter Kost grew up in Seattle, where his love for food was established as the son of farmers who sold their goods at the Seattle Public Market.  Peter's journey has taken him from restaurant work to wine sales to a long stint at Zupans in grocery management to landing his first restaurant, Lucy's Table on NW 21st in Portland.  It was there when he met a fellow by the name of Ken Forkish, from whom he'd buy breads at Ken's Artisan Bakery.  Listen to the podcast to hear how that relationship evolved to the point where Peter became the only one Ken had in mind when he was ready to pass his iconic Ken's Artisan Pizza on to a new generation.  We will hear how Peter is determined to honor the legacy Ken built and get a hint of what his plans are going forward.. 

 

https://kensartisan.com/pizza

https://www.carinalounge.com/

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#393 Tommy Habetz -- Bunk & Pizza Jerk - - reflects on Naomi Pomeroy and how he's doing since he landed in the hospital in 202226 Jul 202401:01:05
  Tommy Habetz is one of the most significant people in the Portland food world.  Having learned his craft from the likes of Mario Batali and Bobby Flay, he made his way out to Portland and found himself in the middle of an exciting time in the early days of Portland's burgeoning food scene.  He worked with Naomi Pomeroy at both Ripe and Gotham Tavern along side some other chefs and restaurateurs who would go on to accomplish great things as Portland became a hotbed of culinary talent.  Now, over 20 years later, Tommy owns and has built some of the city's most notable spots: Bunk Sandwiches, Bunk Bar, and Pizza Jerk.  In December of 2022, he suffered a brain aneurysm, which landed him in the hospital for four months.  He still hasn't returned to work at his restaurants, and isn't sure when and if he will.   Tommy was gracious in agreeing to come on the podcast with us to share his memories of Naomi Pomeroy, not long after her tragic death in a rafting accident.   He also talks about his big health scare, how it's changed his life and outlook as well as what he's up to and what's important to him now.  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#392 Evan Gregoire - Heirloom Seedhouse19 Jul 202401:13:55

We catch up with Farmer Evan Gregoire again, while he's on vacation in the San Juan Islands.  Even operates an urban farm, from where he supplies veggies to consumers and the restaurant industry, as well as an opportunity to purchase seeds for those growing their own.  Chris and Evan we talk about some of the joys and challenges that come with that.  We also discuss some of Evan's favorite chefs and places.

From Evan's Heirloom Seedhouse website:

At the heart of the Seedhouse beats a passion for nurturing nature's bounty and preserving its precious gifts. We dream of cultivating a diverse array of specialty vegetables and flowers, not just for their culinary delights, but as living legacies of resilience. Our mission stretches far beyond the fields; it's a commitment to safeguarding these resilient varieties for generations to come.

As we gaze into the future, we see a changing landscape, both in our region and our climate. It's a call to action, urging us to deepen our understanding and connection to our local food systems. Through the simple act of planting and saving seeds, we can weave a tapestry of resilience, rooted in the soil of community and nourished by knowledge.

In our journey, education becomes our guiding light, illuminating the path towards a more sustainable tomorrow. We invite our community to join us, to learn, to grow, and to sow the seeds of change together. For in this shared endeavor lies the promise of a brighter, greener future, where every seed planted is a testament to our collective stewardship of the Earth

It's through the valuable input of growers, chefs, and our community that we can continually refine and elevate the flavors of our vegetables. By listening to their insights, preferences, and suggestions, we not only enhance the taste of our produce but also cultivate a strong demand for these unique varieties. So, let's keep those lines of communication open and thriving, because together, we can cultivate a truly exceptional culinary experience!

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#391 ​Alexa Numkena-Anderson - @JavelinaPDX12 Jul 202401:14:06
Alexa Numkena-Anderson @cheflex_pdx is enrolled Hopi and is Yakama, Skokomish, Cree and Mexican descent. She was born in Yakima, Washington and grew up in the greater Washington area (Toppenish, Tri-Cites and Fairchild Air Force Base).  After high school Alexa moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue a culinary career and attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary school while also working as a line cook.   She has worked in many kitchens across the Portland, such as @kingtidepdx (formally Three Degrees) @twr.pdx @sammichportland @imperialportland @headwaterspdx and @bullardtavernpdx as well as working for acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs such as @dougiepdx @vit0bike @lesbianmeatmaker & @lauroromero to name a few. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, her indigenous heritage . Her grandma Stella of the Yakama Tribe with memories of fry bread, roast beef, and soups as well as her Hopi heritage With the motivations of being a new mother, she is ready to share and continuously learn about her culture's food. Inspired by other Indigenous chefs she feels it is her responsibility to share and learn about these ancient foods and techniques.   Javelina's main feature is fry bread and even though this food came from necessity, our people were able to make a comfort food that is still found at pow wows and family gatherings to this day. On her culinary journey she discovered the amazing bounty of native ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Using what the surrounding land has already given them and combining it with Alexa's culture, skill and vision they hope to create a truly unique story.    

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #94 Earl Ninsom - PaaDee, Langbaan28 Jun 202401:12:27

This classic episode of Right at the Fork comes from late summer 2016 and our conversation with Earl Ninsom.

A lot has changed for Earl since this interview, including most recently, his restaurant Langbaan being named the Outstanding Restaurant in the 2024 James Beard Awards.

ORIGINAL POST:

Earl Ninsom opened PaaDee to find his passion. Then he took that to another step with one of Portland's most lauded restaurants, Langbaan. Now he's hoping others realize their dreams with Hat Yai and Kim Jing Smokehouse. We talked to Earl about his trajectory and place in Portland's food world.

 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com 
Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for $25 off)

#406 Jon Galdos - Basque Tours24 Jan 202501:23:35
Jon Galdos operates a premiere tour company in San Sebastian.  The convergence of his love of travel and thirst for holiday time led him to find this passion almost 20 years ago, during a successful career in engineering.   Jon explains in this interview how he approaches designing experiences for people in one of the most culinary-rich areas of the world, and how he came to love what he does.   Jon has curated some wonderful experiences for host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures groups with Urdaneta in Basque Country.  One of them, a dreamy visit to a 13 generation Basque Pig family farm, gets a little love and time from Jon in our conversation.  It's a must to hear about -- and more importantly, DO!!   Access the PFA trip to Basque Country here:  https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/basque-country-with-javier-canteras   And Jon's Basque Tours here:  https://basquetours.com/index.htm   Check out Jon on Instagam: @jon_galdos + @basquetours  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#390 Althea Grey Potter - The Flavor Society21 Jun 202401:51:03
Althea Grey Potter wanted to try something new after Oui, the wine bar at the Southeast Collective where she had generated much attention, closed due to the pandemic.  She started The Flavor Society, which produces and distributes crunchy chili oils designed for enhancing your favorite pizza (and more).  Althea was sampling her product recently at an event and her energy and enthusiasm resonated with our host, Chris.  And so we are pleased to feature Althea to talk about her hippie parent upbringing in New England, which of course leads to an east coast stuff vs. west discussion and subsequent rant, including delis!!  Althea also shares some of the challenges and processes that go into building a brand.   Enjoy and visit https://www.theflavorsociety.com/collections/all and follow #@theflavorsociety  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com 
Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for $25 off)

#389 Brooke Jackson Glidden - Portland Monthly14 Jun 202401:21:08
One of the hardest working people in the media biz, Brooke Jackson Glidden joins the podcast between editorial positions.  Her six-year tenure at Eater as Portland's editor and writer just came to an end as she anticipates taking the editorial helm at Portland Monthly.  We talk about her trophy-case full of accomplishments at the age of 30, what she's most proud of as well as how her new position will differ, and what her goals are with the magazine.   Much of the conversation centers around how the pandemic changed so much in the food industry and how it was a struggle to cover.    

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com 
Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for 25% off

#388 Chad Draizin and the Fifty Licks Fire07 Jun 202401:34:08
On the morning of May 10, 2024, Chad Draizin woke up to a notification that his flagship Fifty Licks Ice Cream store had a little problem.  That's when the rollercoaster of information and crazy stuff started, appearing not to be a big deal but in short time turning out to be a major fire and smoke problem. Chad joins us to discuss the challenges the damaging fire presents to his business and what needs to happen to think about opening that location again.      We also talk about the parade of challenges that have faced Fifty Licks (and this, Chad) from the initial Clinton Street location to renovating the Burnside store, only to have it sustain the fire.  This, all after weathering the pandemic.   Chad is one of our favorite guests.  Chad also shares a few of his favorite Portland haunts.    

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com 
Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for 25% off

#405 Tyler Malek - Salt & Straw's Growth17 Jan 202501:27:16
Tyler Malek is the Chef and co-owner of one of Portland's now most iconic brands and restaurants, Salt & Straw.  Now with locations cornering the continental US, Tyler and his cousin Kim have made some serious noise in the ice cream world.   In this episode, Tyler talks about the longshot pitch to Disneyland to be their official ice cream vendor, and how quickly the folks at Disney decided they wanted Portland's Salt & Straw vibe over some of the big, more well-known ice cream brands, like Ben & Jerry's.   Tyler talks about the process of building the store and all that was involved with that with the input from Disney.   Also, Tyler talks about the business of building and using the Salt & Straw brand to its advantage, and what that has meant for growth.   We cover sampling, flavors, staffing, as well as some of the places Tyler loves to go in Portland right now.   This is our third interview with Tyler and that's because he's one of the good guys who has represented the Portland psyche so well.  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #322 Aundre Barnes - Urdaneta10 Jan 202501:02:51

We're going back to August of 2022 and our conversation with Aundre Barnes of Urdaneta.

ORIGINAL POST:

We spend an hour with Aundre Barnes, who has been serving diners at Portland's Urdaneta for the past 7 years. Aundre is a native Portlander and has seen many changes over his years here. He's worked in banking and in voice-over work along the way.

He shares with us some of the reasons for his passion and his love of the industry, which run from the soulful experience of gaining first-hand knowledge of Spanish cuisine during Urdaneta's company field trips in addition to his admiration for Chef Javier Canteras, whose Basque roots shine through in his unique cuisine. Aundre will share some of his favorite Portland haunts, as well as some of his favorite travel destinations.

Disclosure: Right at the Fork host Chris Angelus is associated with Urdaneta and Aundre with his trips to Basque Country offered through Portland Food Adventures.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#404 Bill Oakley - Steamed Ham Society, Food Celebrity03 Jan 202501:33:17

To kick off 2025 and Right at the Fork's 12th year, we are pleased to feature a conversation with Bill Oakley, known to many on Instagram as @ThatBillOakley. 

Bill is a celebrated food celebrity who is a regular on The Food that Built America and other TV shows.  He discusses some of the food and places featured in his annual Steamie Awards as part of his Steamed Ham Society, both nationally, and special awards for his home base of Portland, Oregon. 

Bill talks about how he goes about doing the awards, and why he does them.  It's a real fun hour that is a must for any Portland food lover.

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#403 Gary Okazaki's 2024 in Review27 Dec 202401:17:19

We complete our 11th year with one of our favorite guests, Gary the Foodie.  Gary discusses some of his his favorite Portland food experiences of 2024, as well as some others outside the area, well, because it's Gary!

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Classic RATF: #374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest20 Dec 202401:27:00

We look back at our converation with Don Bourassa in January 2024... 

 

Don Bourassa was Right at the Fork's first guest ever in 2014. Back then, he was the Community Director for Yelp.  Now, he's moved to Porto, Portugal with his wife and among his many endeavors, he writes on substack:  International Adulting.  We talk to Don about what's transpired in the ten years since his first visit with us, including the process of deciding to move and the ins and outs of moving to another country.  Also, having traveled the world, his thoughts on Portland as a food city.  We also get a taste of Portugal, where, among other tasty morsels of info, his wife has created a community of Vegans. 

https://internationaladulting.substack.com/

Insta @thedonb

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#402 Andrea Falaschi - 4th Generation Tuscan Butcher and Maialata Marquee Guest13 Dec 202401:26:38
Joining us this week is Andrea Falaschi, fourth generation butcher from Macelleria Falaschi in San Miniato in the heart of Tuscany.  Andrea's family business is celebrating its 100th year in 2025.  Andrea takes us through his family history with some anecdotes about how the business started back in 1925 with his great Grandfather Guido emigrating from Argentina with no reading and writing skills to open San Miniato's first butcher shop. Moving through Fascism in Italy we hear about the discord between his grandfather Vasco and Vasco's brother Bruno, and you must hear the segment discussing Vasco's fear of the phone when that technology became commonplace!!  Also, Andrea talks about the influence women in the family had on the business.    Andrea, with interpretation assistance from his dear friend Astrid Ensign, who designs Portland Food Adventures trips to Italy, shares some of the challenges of the business, including the severe conditions in Italy through the pandemic.  He is a huge lover of cinema, and Andrea shares the joy he had visiting the Goonies house when visiting Oregon earlier this year, as well as some of his favorite experiences in Oregon.     How does this relate to Portland?  Well, here.  Two ways!:   Andrea will be the marquee guest at the Oregon Mailata in May of 2025, the Italian Festival of the Pig put on by renowned chef Portland chef Cathy Whims and her team.  The event takes place on March 22 and tickets can be found here, where you can see his exciting butchering demonstration, in addition to many other workshops, wine tasting, and a big celebratory meal put on by some of Portland's best chefs.   VISIT ANDREA IN TUSCANY!!  This!!  A very few select folks can book a trip to Tuscany in the Fall with RATF host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures, and celebrate Macelleria Falaschi's 100th anniversary with Andrea and PFA's Astrid Ensign, former expat, and host Chris.  Check out those details here and contact Chris - contact into on the PFA website at the link to your left.  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#456 David Sigal - Gabbiano's & James Beard Public Market17 Jul 202601:27:25
Gabbiano's and Gabby's David Sigel takes some time to share his journey from studying Chinese history at Lewis and Clark, and then his experience working at a club in Beijing. After his eyes opened to the food scene with visits to places like Clyde Common and Olympic Provisions, he was drawn bac to working at and opening restaurants in Portland.  We talk about what's changing in restaurant economics, including a shift from cocktails. Since David is on the Board of the James Beard Public market, he shares his enthusiasm and some details about what's exciting about that project, and how it may revitalize the downtown area.    gabbianospdx.com #@gabbianospdx jamesbeardpublicmarket.com  

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#455 Carrie Welch - Where is she now? Professor | formerly of Little Green Pickle and Feast Portland10 Jul 202601:37:53
A blast from the past! Carrie Welch—former owner and operator of the PR firm Little Green Pickle and co-founder of Portland's world-class food festival, Feast Portland—joins us from Camillus, New York, to talk about her new career in academia.
After leaving Portland when COVID-19 hit and closing her businesses, Carrie is now an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. In this episode, she discusses her early thoughts about becoming a teacher, and now living out that dream with her wife Jannie and two children outside of Syracuse, and what she misses most about the Portland food scene.    We also dive into what she's teaching at Syracuse and her take on the current state of social media and AI.
There's pizza, lobster rolls and a good dose of media to hear about.   https://www.carrietwelch.com/ #@Carriewelchlikethegrapejuice https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXXV8N7P?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback  

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#449 Christopher Czarnecki - The Joel Palmer House24 Apr 202601:13:19
Christopher Czarnecki, is the chef-owner of Joel Palmer House in Dayton. a fourth-generation family restaurant specializing in wild mushrooms, now based in a historic 1857 house in the heart of Oregon wine country. The restaurant is well-known as a must visit destination while visiting the wine country.  We talk with Christopher about his family's roots in Pennsylvania, why they moved to Oregon, and Christopher's experiences on the way to, and after taking over the restaurant, including his military service.   Chef Czarnecki cites huge credit to his GM, Levi, and we talk about what he brings to the table.   Right at the Fork is made possible by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 
RATF Classic: #432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria17 Apr 202601:12:42

As warmer weather approaches, many of us are heading to coast. Make sure Daphne in Astoria is on your list of to-dos.  Here's our conversation with Jake Martin from last November.

Original Post:

Jake Martin began his culinary journey at 15, washing dishes in Northern California before moving sight unseen to Seattle in 1999. There, he taught himself the craft, working his way up through kitchens like Union and Maria Hines' Tilth. He moved to Portland in 2007, eventually running acclaimed restaurants Carlyle and Fenouil. This success was followed by a period of intense personal and professional difficulty, including high-profile restaurant closures, a severe depression, and a series of unfulfilling jobs that left him feeling burnt out and disconnected from the food he wanted to cook.

​After hitting a low point, his partner, Silqet, urged him to stop working for others and create his own vision. With her support and help from the Small Business Development Center, he wrote a business plan and secured a loan to open their new restaurant, Daphne, in Astoria. Today, his focus is hyper-local, sourcing nearly all ingredients from within a 75-mile radius. He champions a philosophy of simplicity, letting high-quality ingredients speak for themselves, and aims to educate the community on the exceptional produce, meats, and seafood their own region provides.

www.daphneastoria.com

@restaurant.daphne

Right at the Fork is made possible by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#448 Maylin Chavez - Nacar and Travel to Oaxaca10 Apr 202601:24:35

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

It's a pleasure to have Maylin Chavez join us again.  This time, we talk about her latest venture, Nacar, and how she enjoys doing pop ups now versus owning her own brick and mortar restaurant.   Maylin goes into her background starting in the Baja region in Mexico, what life was like as a child there, and then studying to go into social criminology, until she realized her passion was cooking.   The last half of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion on Maylin's love of travel, and specifically here, Oaxaca, as host Chris Angelus and Chef Maylin are curating a trip there next January, through Chris' venture, Portland Food Adventures.   https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/oaxaca2027 https://www.nacaroysters.com/    
#447 Meg Cotner - Bridgetown Bites April '26 Update03 Apr 202601:08:16
With the recent sale of Portland Monthly, local media's coverage of the Portland food scene is surely less voluminous.  But there is one person and her small team, Meg Cotner, publishing her Bridgetown Bites, online and via email push multiple times each week.  We took the opportunity once again to talk to Meg about what's new and upcoming in Portland.  Also, we have a discssion of the business of Bridgetown Bites as well.
Key topics in this episode:

Portland's culinary landscape
Bridgetown Bites and local food coverage
James Beard Awards and local recognition
Challenges of food journalism and AI misconceptions
Upcoming restaurant openings and food events


Website - https://bridgetownbites.com/  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#446 Patrick McKee - Estes27 Mar 202601:30:01
Chef Patrick McKee joins us for the third time on the podcast, sharing his journey of opening Estes through its popup iterations to now, his brick and mortar restaurant in the heart of a great restaurant block.  We talk about his influences from Italy and family and of course, his mentor Vitaly Paley, and his vision for creating a space that honors heritage and community. We touch on how overcoming adversity shaped his character, and is a lesson to anyone that they can recover from extreme devastations.   Also, Patrick talks about marriage and the challenges associated with the current political atmosphere and having an immigrant wife.

Estes Restaurant - https://estespdx.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/estespdx/  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Classic: #374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest20 Mar 202601:26:58

We flast back to January 2024 and our conversation with Don Bourassa.

Original post:

Don Bourassa was Right at the Fork's first guest ever in 2014. Back then, he was the Community Director for Yelp.  Now, he's moved to Porto, Portugal with his wife and among his many endeavors, he writes on substack:  International Adulting.  We talk to Don about what's transpired in the ten years since his first visit with us, including the process of deciding to move and the ins and outs of moving to another country.  Also, having traveled the world, his thoughts on Portland as a food city.  We also get a taste of Portugal, where, among other tasty morsels of info, his wife has created a community of Vegans. 

https://internationaladulting.substack.com/

Insta @thedonb

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#445 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 2 - Harlow, Country Cat, solpdx and their son's football journey13 Mar 202601:07:55
In the second part of our interview with a couple with deep roots in the Portland food world, Jackie and Adam Sappington share their insights on the state of Portland's food scene and the socio economic factors that affect it.  Adam shares that he remains focused on their own businesses and personal goals rather than the city as a whole, while still being aware and doing their best to serve their communities.  They talk about their much healthier practices now, with some moderation.   They share their unique and fascinating family journey which includes two very athletic sons and the chronology of events that led to their son Atticus' remarkable football career, including his rise to Division 1 and NFL prospects. We talk stadiums, hot dogs, agents, and their love of Oregon.  Adam fills us in on his solchefpdx project, too.   This is a fun conversation with all sorts of wonderful elements that make these two back-to-back episodes must-listens.   www.harlowpdx.com www.thecountrycat.net www.solchefpdx.com/   Right at the Fork is made possible by:
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 
#444 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 1 - Harlow and The Country Cat06 Mar 202600:50:03
We are thrilled to have two of the legends of the current Portland dining scene on the podcast with us, Jackie and Adam Sappington.  Back in 2007, they left Wildwood to create The Country Cat, which was one of the staples of Portland's restaurant heyday.  They eventually opened The Country Cat at the airport, pioneering the idea that a great local restaurant could succeed serving people coming and going from PDX in a very special way.   8 years ago, the Sappingtons bought Harlow restaurant, a plant-based restaurant.  So interested that Adam, who was such a down home Ozark born country boy, would move from so much meat to a plant-based restaurant.  In this interview, we talk about why they did that, personally and professionally, and what it's meant for them since.   Part 2 of this interview will stream starting next week, where we will talk a little more about airport hospitaility, and then get into being parents of one of the best college footaball players in the country as a Duck at the University of Oregon, as their son Atticus readies for the NFL draft.  Stay tuned!!!   #@harlowpdx harlowpdx.com thecountrycat.net   Right at the Fork is made possible by:
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 
RATF Classic: #438 Dominic Finzo - The Screen Door27 Feb 202601:17:55

This week, we look back to our conversation with Dominic Finzo of The Screen Door.

ORIGINAL POST:

Dominic Finzo from The Screen Door restaurant in Portland joins us to talk about the iconic restaurant's 20th anniversary, which they will commemorate in 2026.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Dominic's earliest memories are steeped in the comforting rhythm of Southern life—where supper was always on the table, and love was served warm by the hands of his grandparents who raised him. It was in their kitchen that Dominic first felt the magic of food—the way a meal could bring people together and make them feel cared for. That connection lit a fire in him, and from a young age, he knew that cooking was more than just a skill—it was a calling.

Dominic sought out mentors and chefs who would help shape his path. His journey took him from Tennessee to Montreal, across Germany, Denmark, and France, then to Maui, and finally to Portland, Oregon. Along the way, he honed his craft in some of the most respected kitchens, mastering techniques and immersing himself in diverse culinary traditions.

Yet, no matter how far he traveled or how many flavors he explored, Dominic's heart remained tethered to the soulful food of his Southern roots. When he joined the Screen Door team, it felt like a homecoming—a full-circle moment where he could merge the rich traditions of his upbringing with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

www.screendoorrestaurant.com

@screendoorrestaurant

Right at the Fork is made possible by:
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#443 Althea Grey Potter - Bar Nouveau20 Feb 202601:26:39
Althea Gray Potter shares her journey of opening Bar Nouveau, a restaurant in St. John's, Portland. She discusses her initial reluctance to open a restaurant, how it all came about, how she financed it along with the support she received from loved ones and the community\, and the significance of having a great General Manager, Heather Wallberg and how they met and agreed about the match.  Althea emphasizes the significance of community and connection in the culinary world, and we touch on "authenticity" when it comes to menus, and what that means in 2026.   Fun to hear some of Althea's faves in Portland and even more so, her beloved St. Johns neighborhood.  .   #@barnouveaupdx  

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

ENCORE - #454 Richard Matusow - Carioca Bowls02 Jul 202601:05:55
We welcome Richard Matusow to the podcast to talk about his eye-opening journey to Rio de Janiero at the turn of the century, where he discovered the wonders of the superfood açai.  That led to a new career.   On his way to opening Carioca Bowls in Portland, he learned what he could about a açai, working for a premier company in the industry.  Now, Carioca Bowls on Alberta, has a loyal following of healthy customers.   Richard also fills us in on the celebration of his 11th year in business with a big party at the restaurant on June 28th.   A week later, Carioca Bowls and Richard participate in the Portland Waterfront BluesFestival.  Richard fills us in on some of the particulars for the Festival taking place July 2-4. Richard also shares some of his favorite Alberta haunts, and others in the area.   www.cariocabowls.com #@cariocabowls
waterfrontbluesfest.com #@waterfrontblues  

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#442 Judiaann Woo - Food Industry Consultant13 Feb 202601:25:06
We are pleased to have been able to spend time with Judiaann Woo on our  podcast.  Judiaann has her pulse on the food world, which comes from a multi-faceted background and perspective, She shares her journey from a childhood passion for food to her move to New York, where she went from the French Culinary Institute to various high level pastry chef positions, eventually realizing that the kitchen wasn't going to be the place where she would thrive.  She made some adjustments, while also accommodating her relationship in New York, to become a prominent figure in the culinary world before returning to Portland..    Chris and Judiaann discuss her experiences in high-end kitchens, the transition to food consulting and the impact of social media and influencer marketing on the food and travel industry. Ms Woo talks about the importance of authenticity in storytelling and the role of family values --the child of Korean immigrants -- in shaping her career. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by the restaurant industry during and after the pandemic and the exciting renaissance of Portland's food scene, which has always had Oregon's intense agricultural richness as a foundation for the talent and food enjoyed by many.   Judiaann is a thoughtful, intelligent professional who has had an impact on many businesses and organizations.  A must-listen!  

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#441 Bill Oakley - Bill Oakley Culinary Events30 Jan 202601:13:04

Here we are again with the awesome and fun Bill Oakley.  Chris and Bill discuss the evolution of The Simpsons and the rise of adult animation, reflecting on how perceptions of cartoons have changed over the years. They delve into Bill's culinary events, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement and the unique opportunity to explore regional dishes without traveling. The discussion shifts to the future of airline food events, highlighting Bill's upcoming event at Loyal Legion at PDX, an innovative approach to recreating iconic airline meals. Sponsorships and collaborations are also explored, particularly with Alaska Airlines, as they discuss the potential for expanding these culinary experiences to other cities.

The conversation wraps up with a look at the Portland Steamies and the local food scene, as well as the impact of social media on culinary experiences, emphasizing the shift towards real-life engagement over online interactions.

 

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#440 Jason French - Open Kitchen (formerly of Ned Ludd)23 Jan 202601:44:24

In this conversation, Jason French shares his journey of navigating the culinary landscape post-pandemic, reflecting on his experiences in Lake Oswego and the evolution of his career. He discusses the challenges of sustaining a business in the food industry, particularly the shift towards digital platforms and the need for chefs to adapt to changing consumer expectations. Jason emphasizes the importance of purpose in his life and work, revealing how he has been weaving together various income streams while pursuing his passion for cooking and writing. We touch on the changing dynamics of the Portland food scene, the impact of social media on dining choices, and the complexities of running a restaurant in today's economy.

In this episode, Jason French shares his journey through the challenges of the pandemic and how it reshaped his culinary philosophy. He reflects on the closure of his restaurant, Ned Ludd, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one's vision in the face of adversity. Jason discusses his transition to Open Kitchen, a venture focused on teaching home cooking and healthy eating, inspired by his wife's dietary needs and his own experiences as a chef and coach. He advocates for a return to simple, nourishing cooking that prioritizes quality ingredients and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones.

Throughout the conversation, Jason critiques the modern food landscape, highlighting the overwhelming noise around diets and cooking trends. He encourages listeners to embrace intuitive cooking, emphasizing that food should be about nourishment and enjoyment rather than strict rules. The episode culminates in Jason's insights on how to create a welcoming kitchen environment and the importance of understanding ingredients, ultimately aiming to demystify home cooking and make it accessible to everyone.

 

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
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#439 Edouardo Jordan - His story of his journey to the apex of the Seattle food world, the fall, and the recovery16 Jan 202601:49:27
Edouardo Jordan's ascent to the top of the Seattle culinary world was a long journey that started in his childhood St. Petersburg kitchen helping his mother, when given the choice of that or cleaning his room.  Edouardo takes us through his high school, college and post college pursuits, one of which was working with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to becoming a food blogger,  He then decided he could do better than many of the restaurants he reviewed, and he pursued his interest in cooking at the Le Cordon Bleu (Orlando Culinary Academy) and got his first kitchen job in Tampa, Florida.  He worked his way from server to the line, working for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and Per Se, then to Sitka & Sprice in Seattle. With all of that under his belt, he had the chops to open his own restaurant, Salare, in Seattle at the age of 35.  That platform, showcasing his talent to the world, led to Food and Wine choosing him as Best New Chef in 2016.  Shortly thereafter, Jordan opened JuneBaby, his widely acclaimed ode to Southern cooking.  He generated so much attention that the following year he sounded a louder gong by bringing home TWO James Beard Foundation Awards to Seattle.  One for Best Chef Northwest, and the other for Best New Restaurant nationwide.  He was the first African-American ever to win that award.  Edouardo was the baby of the Seattle culinary scene and beyond.   In 2019, Time Magazine named him one of the USA's 100 Most Influential People.    Then, as Edouardo tells it, all of that was erased in one day.  In June of 2021, The Seattle Times published a story featuring multiple accusations of sexual abuse in the workplace by Jordan. As Jordan points out in his recent YouTube Series chronicling his side this story, The newspaper gave him very little time to respond before it was published, and what happened from then on was something unimaginable -- a long, incredibly hard and frustrating time for Chef Jordan.  He found roadblocks everywhere, especially in the media, where he couldn't tell his side of the story.  Over four years later, Jordan is clawing his way back into the kitchen with the business he started years ago, thefoodwithroots.com.   Edouardo joins us on the podcast to talk about his career's rise, its crash, and how he's been emotionally and socially picking up the pieces in recent years, to what he's doing now in work and life, and how he's found balance and answers since the upheaval.  

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