#268 BitHouse Collective - Natasha Mesa, Erick Russ and Carlo Lamagna

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

We welcome the three restaurant and bar industry professionals who have come together to form BitHouse Collective, coined an "experience" by our guests during the interview. Natasha Mesa, seasoned bartender and manager, Erick Russ of Pono Brewing and Carlo Lamagna of Magna bring their respective skills and followers to the mix to take over the beautiful, classic BitHouse space in Portland. This interview was conducted on March 1, 2021 just before their official opening.

Our conversation runs from talking about Natasha's experience, to the Detroit connection between Carlo and Erick, as well as what they foresee in the Portland Food world when we emerge from Covid.

#267 Katie McCarron - Portland Pet Food Company

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

Right at the Fork goes dog-friendly friendly this week, and wetalk to Katie McCarron, founder of Portland Pet Food Company.  Katie reached out to our host Chris after she saw him posting about the challenges of feeding his aging beloved dog, Oakley, since she had similar challenges with her dog Rosie.  In fact, Rosie's feeding challenges were the impetus for Katie to start her own human-grade pet food line in 2014.  Portland Pet Food Company has grown from sampling at the Beaverton Farmers Market to being carried in stores nationwide, and now even internationally.   We talk dogs and food, Portland and our dog-friendly coast in this four-legged interview that took place on February 23, 2021.

RATF Presents: The Joy of Drinking Podcast with Joy Church - Ep #10 Katherine Harris & Katy Connors of True Tea

On the February episode of the Joy of Drinking Podcast, host Joy Church introduces True Tea. Co-founders Katherine Harris and Katy Connors share their mission and entrepreneurial journey while Joy sips three of their delicious teas; Organic Genmaicha, Organic Earl Grey, and Organic Tulsi (sourced right here in Oregon!).

Supporting women-owned tea estates around the globe is priority number one for @truetea.pdx. Listen in to learn more about this new Portland-based beverage business! And, don't forget to shop these outstanding teas at trueteapdx.com.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

#R201 Chris Angelus - The Interview! Plus, Cort & Chris Chat

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

This is a long one, folks!  First, catch up with Chris and Cort a bit, before hearing a classic episode of Right at the Fork, as we all get to know Chris a little better.

This episode updates us a bit from original episode #201.

The tables are turned on Chris for the episode of Right at the Fork - an interview taken from The Portland 50, hosted by Cort, for KINK.FM.

Here we find out what brought Chris to Portland from the East Coast, what it was liking raising two young boys on his own, and what prompted him to start Portland Food Adventures. 

Learn more about Chris' upcoming dinners and trips at www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#R87 Brian Spangler - Apizza Scholls (w/ Janis Martin)

It's a classic episode of Right at the Fork!

Brian Spangler's ascension into the psyche of Portland through his acclaimed and loved pizza started with the dough, learning how to bake in northern California while in college.  That led him to buy an Oregon Farm, the Portland Farmers Market, a pub, and then to Hawthorne Blvd.  He shares his story and Chick Fil A sandwiches with us, which for this episode, includes his friend Janis Martin of Tanuki sitting in to join in the conversation. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

#266 Mike Aldridge - Mid City Smash Burgers

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

Chef Mike Aldridge has been on quite a career and personal journey over the past couple of years. Mike, a native North Dakotan, has cooked in some of Portland's well-known restaurants, including Urban Farmer, Imperial and Headwaters, among others. He became chef at the coastal restaurant, Salmonberry Saloon in 2017 and garnered lots of press for making hay in a region not known for great dining. After leaving there, he started his own pop-up, Ope, in Portland, with the goal of opening up a place near Mt. Hood, where his heart as a winter enthusiast had always drawn him.

His love of New Orleans drove him to expand his horizons there in early 2019, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, his plans were derailed, as restaurants struggled through yet another calamity in that city. To make ends meet, he started making burgers at home and offering them to friends and neighbors. Before he knew it, he was sold out each time he put his burger party together. Now, we talk to Mike about his adventure back to Portland, and the opening of Mid City Smash Burgers as a food cart. Mike talks about his plans to expand that business and realize his dream of a brick and mortar restaurant on this episode.

@midcitysmashburgers on Instagram

#265 Erika Polmar - Independent Restaurant Coalition

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

Erika Polmar, advisor to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, was chosen for the Nation's Restaurant News Power List by IRC co-founder Tom Colicchio for how she mobilizes the group’s members and “reminds us what we are fighting for and what’s at stake.” Much of the Portland restaurant world and now across the US, businesses and people are benefiting from Erika's steadfastness in navigating the governmental agencies that hold sway over relief for our independent restaurants.

Erika joins us on the podcast to discuss what's been done, what's being done, and what consumers can do to help this huge industry that's been hit very hard by Covid-19.

Important links discussed on this episode:

https://indprestaurants.org/

https://www.saverestaurants.com/

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts-mobile_new.htm

Also, a great article Erika sent us about travel and food:

https://www.travelpulse.com/opinions/column/we-shouldnt-forget-that-restaurants-are-part-of-travel-too.html

Find Plate and pitchfork here: https://www.plateandpitchfork.com/p/events/rafting-adventure

RATF Presents: The Joy of Drinking Podcast with Joy Church - Ep #9 Ricky Gomez of Palomar

Now that cocktails-to-go have been legal in Oregon for a month (woohoo!) host Joy Church asked Ricky Gomez, owner/operator Palomar to join the January podcast. Ricky and the Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon team worked tirelessly to get cocktails-to-go on the State Legislative agenda and to get it "across the finish line." Immediately following, Ricky put together a robust, comprehensive cocktail-to-go program and, here, he shares his lessons learned. Listeners get to hear Ricky's tips and tricks for success and how & why we should keep drinking local!

#R253 Jonathan Gill - RingSide Steakhouse

Last Fall, we caught up with RingSide Steakhouse's Executive Chef Jonathan Gill, who talks about his journey from a chef on a naval aircraft carrier, to Japan, New York, San Francisco, and eventually Portland, where he was the Executive Chef at RingSide Fish House.  Now as EC for RingSide Steakhouse, Jonathan talks about live in quarantine, and what it took to open RingSide back up.

Plus, listen for details about how to join Chef Jonathan and Chris next summer on the Snake River.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

#264 Geoff Latham - Nicky USA

Geoff Latham, President of Nicky USA joins us to talk about the challenges he and his company has faced as a result of Covid-19, as a primary meat supplier to many Portland and Seattle restaurants. We go over some of the new prongs of his business that will endure once things return to some degree of normalcy in the food world, as well as some of the ups and downs personally for Geoff over the past year.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steak House: www.RingSideSteakHouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#263 Kurt Huffman - ChefStable

We catch up with Kurt Huffman of ChefStable Group while on a "get-out-of-Portland" Cross-Country family journey in an RV, to kick out our 8th year of Right at the Fork.  In a more optimistic but still serious tone than our last visit with him when the pandemic began, Kurt talks about how Covid-19 has affected ChefStable's restaurants individually and his outlook for the industry in Portland as a whole. Part of the discussion covers the re-opening of Ping, the procurement of the Tasty brand, and Fills Donuts and how they're well-positioned during this time.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steak House: www.RingSideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#262 Gary Okazaki - Portland Monthly

Gary Okazaki, aka @GarytheFoodie joins us to bring the tumultuous year of 2020 to a close on Right at the Fork.  Gary discusses his participation in Portland Monthly's Best Burger list, as well as his favorite finds in Portland since his October appearance on the podcast. He also shares some details on Toki, Han Oak's new spot in the old Tasty N Alder space, coming soon.  Listen to the end as Gary shares one of the non-food passions he enjoys.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steak House: www.RingSideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

RATF Presents: The Joy of Drinking Podcast with Joy Church - Episode 8 "To-Go Cocktails UPDATE"

Woohoo! To-Go Cocktails in Oregon are now a reality! Thanks to Katy Connors of the Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon for joining the podcast again this month to share the incredibly good news about cocktails-to-go. Imbibers, listen in to find out how you can get cocktails DELIVERED to your door. For restaurant and bar owners, and bartenders, please tune in to learn more about the ins-and-outs of this new legislation. And, thanks to Katy for her persistent advocacy to make to-go cocktails a reality in our state!

The Joy of Drinking Podcast and Right at the Fork are supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 

#R187 Janis Martin - East Glisan Pizza

Just in time for the holiday - we're looking back at our conversation with Janis Martin almost two years ago. 

Janis Martin joins us on the podcast for the second time to break the news that she's closing Tanuki for good.  We hear her reasons, some worst customer stories, and why she joined East Glisan Pizza and why you should go there. Plus she brought cannolis and bacon! 

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steak House: www.RingSideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

#261 Carrie Jizmagian - Carman Ranch

Carrie Jizmagian is our guest.  Host Chris Angelus met Carrie before they had anything to do with the food business in Portland.  In this podcast we hear about Carrie's journey from a manager at Best Buy to pursuing her passion with volunteer jobs at Feast and other food events.  Eventually that led to a job at Toro Bravo Inc, where she managed the La Ruta Festival with John and Renee Gorham.  Her career took her to The Nightwood Society, and now on to Carman Ranch, where the pandemic has caused her to develop new skill sets.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

#260 Cory Schreiber - Culinary Specialist at Sysco

Chef Cory Schreiber joins us on the podcast to discuss the future of Portland's restaurant industry post-pandemic. He shares his perspective from years of experience beginning with the chef/owner of one of Portland's legendary restaurants, Wildwood, to his present day position at Sysco, consulting with restaurants to help them maximize efficiency and promote excellence. We talk real estate as it pertains to restaurants, packaging, food carts as a model, and more.

Cory shared this invitation with us: I can be reached at schreiber.cory@pdx.sysco.com I am a culinary specialist and I am available for no extra fees to all food service operations for all categories for short and long term consultation. My main focus is on Sysco customers but operators can become customers with no minimum order fees and signing up is easy through our on-line shopping platform, SHOP.

To hear Cory discuss his experiences BEFORE the pandemic, click to Episode #196.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

RATF Presents: The Joy of Drinking Podcast with Joy Church - Episode 7 "To-Go Cocktails"

Want to know how you can help our restaurants and bars stay alive? This month, host Joy Church is joined by Katy Connors. Katy is a major food and beverage advocate for the industry through the Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon. She shares the latest updates on the pressing issues of economic stabilization and recovery that to-go cocktails would provide-once/if legalized-and lets listeners know how we can support this critical efforts.

The Joy of Drinking Podcast and Right at the Fork are supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 

#R45 Steve Jones - Cheese Bar

As we learn about the upcoming closing of Steve Jones' Cheese Bar in January, we take a look back at our conversation with Steve in February of 2015.

Original post:

Steve Jones, Portland's premier cheesemonger, looks into the crystal ball to share his vision for Chizu, opening this spring.

Mentioned in this episode:

http://ciderriot.com/
www.knucklesandwichpdx.com/
www.boxerramen.com/ 
www.lardosandwiches.com/ 
www.localocean.net/

#259 Siobhan Speirits - @saint.frances.pdx

Siobhan Speirits joins us on the podcast to talk about the home-based, delivering bakery, Saint Francis PDX, she happened to fire up in the face of the pandemic that cast its spell upon our food world. Siobhan grew up in Austin, Texas via Scotland. She spent some time at the CIA and New York City to hone her kitchen skills before moving to Portland with her partner and landing at Coquine. In this conversation, she steadfastly praises Katy Millard in appreciation of her time in the Coquine kitchen. Siobhan also shares some of the places she and her partner have appreciated in Portland, including Jo-Jo's food cart and the pop-up pizza spot at Dame, NoSaints.

Chris marvels at how Siobhan can turn her Scottish accent on and off at will, and how she uses accents to adapt to various situations. In Paris, her strategy didn't work out so well.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com

#258 Thomas Boyce - @lasagnaprojectpdx

Thomas Boyce joins us on the podcast to talk about his love of his craft, and how that's evolved over time.  We talk about his time at Spago in LA, moving to Portland and getting a footing in 2008. Chef Thomas shares his thoughts on the  pandemic food world and the recent Pok Pok closing, where he was formerly Director of Culinary Operations. We discuss his tenure at Bakeshop, BlueHour and what brought him to his current project, @lasagnaprojectpdx, preparing lasagna and delivering it citywide.  Chef also shares the spots that have gained his attention in Portland since the pandemic changed the restaurant landscape.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:
Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com