#246 Right at the Moment: Phillipe Boulot of Multnomah Athletic Club (Part 1)

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Chef Philippe Boulot of Multnomah Athletic Club joins us for a two part interview, bookshelving the COVID-19 pandemic.  This first part was conducted via phone on April 28, 2020, six weeks after part 1.  Here, we talk about how the pandemic has affected the MAC, and what Chef Boulot sees as some of the changes in the restaurant world coming out of the life-changing event. Check out the second part of this interview where Chris and Philippe delve deeper into his chef and personal past, coming soon as Episode #247.

Chef Boulot is one of the true pioneers and icons of the Portland Food world, having taken over the Heathman restaurant in 1994, leading to four straight James Beard Best Chef Northwest nominations, which he won in 2001.   Chef Boulot's pedigree is most impressive, having learned to cook as young boy in Normandy.  He studied under renowned Chef Paul Robichon before seasoning his skills at numerous significant Paris, London, New York and San Francisco hotel restaurants before coming to Portland.  Chef Boulot has also been named Officer of the prestigious Order of Agricultural Merit by the Ambassodor of France.

Right at the Fork's host Chris and Chef Boulot got to know one another during a Feast and Travel Oregon-sponsored culinary and wine adventure in southern Oregon in 2018. 

Please make sure to listen to the longer-form interview with Chef Philippe and his second in command at the MAC, Philip Oswalt, here.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#R190 Gregory Gourdet - Departure

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It's a classic episode of Right at the Fork to kick of May, as Cort and Chris are able to catch up with each other on the podcast for the first time. The power of Zoom!

One of Portland's best known chefs is back, Gregory Gourdet of Departure, to talk about his journey to being sober. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#245 Right at the Moment: Mike Thelin of Feast Portland

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Mike Thelin, co-founder of Feast Portland, joins Chris on the podcast as we near the return to our regularly scheduled interviews.  Mike talks about the inability to produce the same Feast festival Portlanders and the international food industry have come to know and love for 2020.  Mike also discusses some of the unplanned changes and interruptions his firm has experienced in light of the pandemic.

This interview took place on April 23, 2020.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#244 Right at the Moment: Nick Zukin of Mi Mero Mole

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Nick Zukin chats with Chris about a tumultuous year for him as a restaurateur in Portland.  Nick shares the heartbreak of losing $400,000 with the closing of his Mexican pizza concept, Zapapizza, after having been open for just months.  If that wasn't enough, less than a month later he was forced to react to the upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic at Mi Mero Mole, his popular spot in Old Town. Nick's very forthright viewpoints on how the government handled the crisis, and his ideas on how it could have been better, are quite interesting and thoughtful.

Lend your patronage to Nick's livelihood at mmmtacospdx.com.

This episode was recorded April 20, 2020.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#243 Right at the Moment: Nate Snell of Pip's Original Doughnuts and Community Chai

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Nate Snell comes on our podcast to talk about how the pandemic offered Pip's Original Doughnuts the opportunity to sprout a new business he and his wife Jamie had been thinking about for years, which is to bottle their coveted Chai as a concentrate and offer it for sale to their customers and eventually wholesale to grocery stores.  Their new Community Chai has as its foundation a charitable component, which is something the Snells have weaved into everything they do.  We also talk about how COVID-19 changed their world immediately, and how they scrambled to figure out the best path for their popular cafe. Nate discusses the things that they have done as a businesses to generate the loyal community of Pip's lovers who will help them through this period.

Learn more here: 
https://squareup.com/store/pips-original
https://www.instagram.com/communitychai/

Please listen to Nate on the podcast during more normal times in episode #80 here.

This episode was recorded April 10, 2020.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#242 Right at the Moment: Renee Gorham of Toro Bravo, Inc

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Renee Gorham joins us for our ongoing COVID-19-driven Right at the Moment series to discuss the evolution of her restaurant group, Toro Bravo Inc, through this pandemic.  Renee tells us how their first order of business was to make sure everyone was fed, including those in need, and their valued employees, and how that led to their new program, Feed it Forward PDX, whereby people can sponsor meals for people in need through one of four different charities.  

Also, for those interested in their restaurants' food, each week, each restaurant is rolling out take-out services and the Gorhams are figuring out their "new normal."

This episode is a good listen in tandem with episode #235, where her husband John is interviewed just as the pandemic began shutting down their restaurants.

Also recommended are other episodes with the Gorhams, starting with 120, 168, 181 and 228.  Start here and then input the episode numbers in the search bar (or Gorham).

Links:  https://www.torobravoinc.com/feeditforward  

This episode was recorded April 11, 2020.

Disclosure:  Toro Bravo Inc is a sponsor of Right at the Fork.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#241 Right at the Moment: Michael Madigan of Bowery Bagles & KitchenCru

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Michael Madigan, owner of Bowery Bagels and KitchenCru, joins us for a discussion in our Right at the Moment series.  Michael talks about prospects for recovery from the business downturn and what he's doing to assure Bowery Bagels' success and survival.  Michael and his wife Lynn have been key players in the Portland food industry, helping many small producers to find their footing.

For more on Mr. Madigan's background, listen to this episode recorded in 2015.

This interview was recorded in home-studio fashion on April 7, 2020.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#240 Right at the Moment: Craig Gerard of Stone Soup

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Our continuing series we're calling Right at the Moment brings us an interview with Craig Gerard of Stone Soup, whose kitchen has deployed its employees and students to cook meals for folks in temporary shelters amidst the Coronavirus.  Craig cites many in the food community who have stepped up to take care of hungry folks in Portland.  If you're interested in hearing Craig talk more about Stone Soup's mission, that episode is here. (#220).

This interview was recorded on April 2, 2020

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#239 Right at the Moment: Javier and Jael Canteras of Urdaneta

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Interview recorded on 31 March, 2020

We continue our Right at the Moment series with discussions of the impact of COVID-19 on the Portland food community with Javier and Jael Canteras of Spanish restaurant URDANETA.  The most optimistic of those interviewed so far, Javier and Jael talk about the community and customer support they have received since closing the restaurant before trying take-out only.  We'll discuss what they've learned and what they'll look at differently when the effects of the virus might be behind us.  Also, chefs now doing cooking shows on Instagram, which in this case can be found at @urdanetapdx.

Disclosure: Javier and Jael are collaborators/partners with RATF host Chris Angelus and his venture, Portland Food Adventures.  They also discuss the impact the pandemic has had on the trips they do together to Spain.

Please note that this series of podcasts is recording from host Chris Angelus' home using basic methods of recording the interviews.  We look forward to getting back in the studio with co-host Cort Johnson.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#238 Right at the Moment: Erika Polmar of Plate and Pitchfork - Advocating on behalf of Portland & Oregon small food businesses

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Recorded Friday, 28 March, 2020

Erika Polmar of Plate and Pitchfork joins us on the podcast for another in our Right at the Moment series.  Erika found herself on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocating for Portland's small restaurants in Salem, OR and Washington. She spearheaded campaigns to make sure restaurants' voices were heard and were top of mind with legislators with relief packages.  Erika shares her thoughts on how to best utilize one's time and phone to make an impact.  This is a must-listen!!

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#237 Right at the Moment - Mike Zupan of Zupan's Markets

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Recorded Wednesday, 25 March, 2020.

On this third installment of our Right at the Moment series covering the affects of the Coronavirus on Portland's food community, we check in with Mike Zupan of Zupan's markets to hear how this essential business has changed and what he foresees as we move deeper into the crisis.

Zupan's Markets is a sponsor of Right at the Fork.  Visit them online at www.zupans.com.

Additional support from:

Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#236 Right at the Moment: Kurt Huffman of ChefStable

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Recorded Monday, 23 March, 2020

We continue our coverage of the COVID-19's affect on the Portland restaurant industry with one of the key operators in the city, Kurt Huffman.  Kurt's ChefStable Group is dealing with the fallout from the Coronavirus on 20 separate fronts, as over 700 employees and their livelihoods are in limbo.  Kurt discusses how he made the decision to close all of his restaurants in conjunction with his separate partners at each establishment, what the dire cash flow numbers look like, and what he sees the restaurant industry might look like when and whether restaurants will be able to reopen. This is a special Right at the Moment edition of our podcast with host Chris Angelus operating out of his home.

www.chefstablegroup.com

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#235 Right at the Moment: Ringside's Craig Peterson and Toro Bravo Inc's John Gorham

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Recorded 18 March, 2020

We've scrapped our planned episodes for the moment, to talk about what's going on at the moment with Ringside's Craig Peterson and Toro Bravo Inc's John Gorham on Week 1 of Life in PDX with COVID-19.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Toro Bravo Inc:  www.torobravoinc.com
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

#234 Kiara Hardy - Trail Blazer Hassan Whiteside's Private Chef | Kitchen Killa Culinary Solutions

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Right At The Fork's International Women's Month continues, with a chat with Chef Kiara Hardy, owner of Kitchen Killa Culinary Solutions, and personal chef to Trail Blazer Hassan Whiteside. She's joined by Crystal Chanel, business guru and life partner, to talk about their journey to Portland, and what it's like as the personal chef to an NBA player. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#233 Emily Everett - Quaintrelle | Abbey Road Farm

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Emily Everett joins the podcast to talk about her journey from the East Coast to Portland, with an update on Quaintrelle and Abby Road Farm. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#232 Jace Krause - Fried Egg I'm In Love

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Jace Krause joins the podcast to talk about his journey from Montana, to Seattle, to Portland... and how his talent of making a really good fried egg sandwich was the start to Fried Egg I'm In Love.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#231 Kelsey Glasser - Arden

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Kelsey Glasser is the owner and sommelier of Arden in Northwest Portland.  She joins the podcast to talk about what took her from the Willamette Valley to pursue acting in New York and L.A... and how wine brought her back to the Pacific Northwest.  Plus, she'll share how Arden brought the two career paths together.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

RATF Presents: The Joy of Drinking Podcast with Joy Church - Ep #2 Celebrates Valentine's Day with Matt Eyman and Purrington's Cat Lounge

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Welcome to Episode 2 of The Joy of Drinking! This two-parter is all about Valentine's Day drinking. Man-about-town Matt Eyman shares his list of the very best bars for grabbing a secret smooch and wooing your date. On the flip side, we have something special for singles-a visit to Purrington's Cat Lounge where we taste from their new beverage list and talk about the importance of cat companionship.

Support for The Joy of Drinking Podcast & Right at the Fork is provided by:

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

#230 Scott Winegard - Farm Spirit

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Meet Scott Winegard, co-chef at Farm Spirit.   Scott joins the podcast to talk about what brought him Portland in early 2019, his  years of corporate cheffing for Matthew Kenney Cuisine - and what ultimately made him decide to join forces with Aaron Adams at Farm Spirit. 

Be sure to check out Farm Spirit's new lunch hours and menu - and their Folklore Brunch. Get your details at www.FarmSpiritPDX.com.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

 

#R180 Jenn Topliff - Roons

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It's a classic episode of Right at the Fork, going back to November of 2018.

Roons started out in a kitchen in Napa Valley back in 2010, when Jenn Topliff noticed a severe lack of (delicious) gluten-free treats.  Enter Jenn's homemade macaroons.

Hear what led Jenn to start up Roons... and what ultimately brought her and her family to Portland. And, check out Roons at www.EatRoons.com

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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