#321 Bryan Deckert - Country Cat at PDX

Bryan Deckert has been running the busy Country Cat restaurant at PDX since it first opened its doors.  Along the way it's garnered BEST AIRPORT RESTAURANT honors twice, and is a model for the many new local brands making airport experiences better. 

Bryan talks to us about what goes into running such a busy, quirky operation with different hours and structures, especially through the pandemic.   We also touch on Bryan's earlier days at Pazzo, where he was in charge of making dignitaries, like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, happy.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#320 Erik Englund - Flying Fish

Flying Fish's Chef Erik Englund joins us on the podcast today to talk about his journey from the Detroit area to Portland 12 years ago, with stops at fabled Gruner and CDC at Bamboo Sushi for years.  There, he procured seafood from Lyf Gildersleeve during his food truck days on Hawthorne, and the rest is current history. 

Lyf brought Erik in to assist him at his former oyster bar at Providore and then built a restaurant around Erik's talents, which can now be enjoyed at their fish market and restaurant on East Burnside.   

We talk about Erik's appreciation for the beauty of natural Oregon and sanity in kitchens as well.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

RATF Classic: #266 Mike Aldridge - Mid City Smash Burgers

With the recent news that Mike Aldridge was talking his Mid City Smash Burger to Bend, we felt it appropriate to bring back our conversation with Mike about the origins of Mid City.

ORIGINAL POST:

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

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#319 Wendy Bumgardner's ( @locavoregon ) favorites in Vancouver WA

We are seeing a coming of age in the suburbs with regard to their food scenes, so Wendy Bumgardner (Insta: @locavoregon) joins us to give us a seasoned food-lover's guide to Vancouver, WA , as well as some walking suggestions in the city. Wendy also talks about some of the pop ups in the region she's been enjoying as well as an overview of why she enjoys going on Portland Food Adventures' international trips.

Note and full disclosure: Host Chris Angelus operates Portland Food Adventures.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:

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

#318 Michael Westfall - Tapphoria: Taphouse & Bottle Shop

Our guest this week is Michael Westfall, co-owner of Tapphoria, a taphouse in Tigard, Oregon.

Cort catches up with Mike to talk about his journey from business school to starting a party bus company, running a coffee shop to eventually creating Tapphoria. 

Hear about the challenges of the pendemic, ways they've had to change their business approach - and what Mike thinks about some of Portland's big restaurant names moving to the suburbs. 

Tapphoria's 8th Anniversary Events take place July 13th & 14th. Learn more here: www.tapphoria.com/

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:

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

RATF Classic: #276 Michael Gibbons - Papa Haydn and Jo Bar

On this holiday weekend, we got back to May of 2021, and our conversation with Michael Gibbons.

Michael Gibbons and his wife own Papa Haydn and Jo Bar, which have been a staples in the Portland Food world since they met each other as employees at Papa Haydn many cakes and drinks ago. Since then, they've largely stepped away from the day to day operations to leave that responsibility in younger, capable hands, including their son Brendan.

We talk to Michael about his trajectory from a kid in LA slinging burgers to Reed College in the 70s to his building of Papa Haydn's bar program as a stop between semesters, which of course turned into the love of his life with the love of his life for years and years. We also talk about service, Portland as a city now and how it may fare coming out of the pandemic. And the Dodgers.

This episode of Right at the Fork is sponsored by:

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

RATF Classic #299: Chip MacGregor - MacGregor's Whiskey Bar

In this month's flashback episode, we go all the way back to December of 2021 - and our conversation with Chip MacGregor of MacGregor's Whiskey Bar in Manzanita and Cannon Beach.

We get to know Chip MacGregor, co-proprietor of MacGregor's Whiskey Bar with locations on the coast in Manzanita and Cannon Beach. Chip and his wife Holly met by chance through their writing connections in the very building they now operate. We talk about the business of whiskey and how both locations seem a bit different, where Chip suggests people check out in Portland for great whiskey experiences, and even how to go to the Bourbon Trail with them for their first whiskey experience that goes deeper.

Here's the address to which you can send funds to help Lynn Kyriss recover from her car accident, follow this link:

https://www.macgregorswhiskeybar.com/

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#317 Larry Clouser & Erick Russ - Pono Brewing

He's back for the third round, and this time, Erick Russ of Pono Brewing brings his partner, founder and brewmaster of Pono Brewing, Larry Clouser. 

We hear about their unique challenges during the pandemic, how friends and other breweries stepped up to help - and what futures plans are in the works. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#316 Lathen & Anne-Marie Gorbett - Bridge to Table

We open the mics up with Lathen and Anne-Marie Gorbett, producers of the video series focusing on the Portland food world, Bridge to Table.  We discuss their motivations for producing such a series, the challenges, and of course their creative vision and the plan to accomplish producing continued episodes. 

Lathen and Anne-Marie also talk about what they have learned about Portland's food professionals' tribulations through the pandemic and what they see for a renewed and vibrant industry.  We also talk about how they plan to finance their project. 

Watch the pilot episode here: https://youtu.be/vK609oIdvFc

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#315 Emily Cafazzo & Ryan Domingo - Sugarpine Drive-In + "Tastebound"

Joining us from their time away in Hawaii are Emily Cafazzo and Ryan Domingo of the now iconic Sugarpine Drive-In in Troutdale. We discuss the genesis of Sugarpine and how incredible the journey has been. We go back even further to the point where the couple met in Brooklyn at Andy Ricker's restaurant, of all places, and follow the reasons behind and the journey back to Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge. Both have quite a resume in the food world, and Emily discusses her days at Gotham Tavern with a cast of chefs who would later arguably be responsible for building the Portland food scene to what it has become.

We also discuss "Tastebound," a book about the bounty of the Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge region in which Ryan and Emily included their recipe for their Brown Butter Blondie with Blueberry Sauce.

This is a must-listen episode for Sugarpine fans or those who would like to precede their first visit with some excellent background, straight from the proprietors' voices.

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 #217 Kristen Murray - MÅURICE

In this Classic episode of Right at the Fork, we head back to October of 2019 and our conversation with Kristen Murray.

A lot has changed for Kristen in the time since our chat, including a move for MÅURICE.  Hear more about it, here.

ORIGINAL POST:

MÅURICE's Kristen Murray's story begins in Southern California, baking with her great-grandmother and great-aunt.

On this episode, hear about Kristen's journey from California, to New York City, to France and eventually Portland (with many more stops in between), and the eventual creation of MÅURICE.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#314 Rex Robertson - Salem's Cozy Taberna and Little Lois

Salem native Rex Robertson joins us to discuss his exciting new restaurant, Cozy Taberna, that just opened in a few months ago. We follow Rex's journey from falling in love with his father's A&W Restaurants in Salem as a kid, to working in finer dining over time and realizing hospitality was for him. He and his wife Lois bought a hallmark deli in Salem and turned that into the popular Little Lois, which is now humming along. They brought partners into that business and decided it was time to try something bigger. Rex found a big restaurant space in a downtown Salem alley and were then introduced to both John Gorham and Ryan Magarian, both who made their marks in Portland over the years. Both consulted to help develop the menu and the bar program at Cozy.

Rex talks about his relationships and what excites him about Salem. We'll get his suggestions of things to do in Salem as well as some of his other favorite local restaurants.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#313 Bill Oakley - Steamed Ham Society

Bill Oakley is a television writer and producer, maybe best known known for writing for the Simpson's (where he was also the co-show-runner), as well Portlandia and much, much more. For the past 13 years, he has also called Portland home.

In this episode, we talk about him growing up in Maryland, his time at Harvard, working in Hollywood and of course what brought him to Portland.

We also dive into his latest venture, the Steamed Ham Society & Food Discovery Club, which you can learn more about (and sign up for!) here:

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

#312 Cassidy Quinn - Mentally Together

If you've watched television in Portland over the past 10 years, there's a really good chance you've seen today's guest.

Cassidy Quinn is a Pacific Northwester with roots in Seattle, before moving to Portland. For years, you could see her on KGW 8, with featured segments about things going on in Portland. From 2018 to 2020, she was the host of Tonight with Cassidy.  And if you're fan of country music, you can hear Cassidy on 98.7 The Bull each weeknight. 

In 2021, she created the Mentally Together podcast to talk about mental health.  Learn more about it here: https://pod.link/mentallytogether

In this episode, Cort and Cassidy talk about her dog Summit, her college choice and a move to the East Coast, her dining pics in Boston and Portland.

Plus, if you're listening to this on the day of release (May 6), Cassidy is the emcee for a fundraising event for the Dougy Center. Learn more about it (and donate if you'd like) here:

https://dougy.ejoinme.org/reflection2022

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 #301 Vitaly & Kimberly Paley - Paley's Place

It was only a few months ago that we originally released this episode featuring Kimberly and Vitaly Paley, talking about the closure of Paley's Place - but it doesn't get much bigger than the Paleys in the Portland food world.

From January 2022:

We're more than honored to have Vitaly and Kimberly Paley join us for the first interview of Right at the Fork's ninth year.  The Paleys opened Paley's Place in 1995 and after so much recognition in and outside of the restaurant industry, they went on to own and operate Imperial, Portland Penny Diner, Crown Pizza, Headwaters and Rosa Rosa.  With Beard nominations and wins, an Iron Chef victory, this duo didn't need to prove anything to anyone, except to do what was best by their employees and patrons--and now themselves.  As the pandemic reared its ugly head on those hotel-based restaurants, they were left to tune and hone Paley's Place during a very tough time.  This caused them to evaluate their lives, and we'll hear in this interview exactly how the decision to close the restaurant at the peak of their game came about.  We talk about the health of the restaurant industry, what the Paleys are doing and plan on doing with the time they never had, whether they have plans to move from Portland, and best of all, their recipes for long-lasting love.

Be sure to check out their original Right at the Fork interview here: #25 The Paleys

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

RATF Classic: #167 Gabriel Rucker - Le Pigeon, Little Bird Bistro, Canard

With the news that Gabriel Rucker's Canard is opening a second location in Oregon City later this year, we felt it appropriate to bring back this classic episode, recorded just days after Gabriel had opened the first one.

From January 2018:

Gabriel Rucker left a busy lunch service at his newly opened Canard to talk to Chris and Cort about how life has changed for him since opening his third restaurant, while raising a family.

Hear about how he manages his time and what people should expect at Canard.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#311 Dell Ann Upp - Creative Culture

We use milkshakes to pivot to the founder of a new business in Portland, Creative Culture, which provides the space and resources for creative expression for families and individuals.  Dell Ann Upp started her concept in Kansas City, and then found herself in Portland through a new relationship and thought Portland would have an appetite for her unique business.  We talk about how she got started, what her vision is moving forward, and how her daughter is following in her entrepreneurial shoes with milkshake development and other ideas.  We also hear about Dell Ann's favorite restaurant discoveries since she's made Portland her home half the time.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#310 Gabriella Martinez - Dame & @sweetcreaturepdx

@SweetCreaturepdx chef and Dame's pastry chef Gabriella Martinez joins us on the podcast to talk about how much she enjoys working with Patrick McKee at Dame and the ability to expand her creativity by collaborating and consulting with others.  It turns out that the inability to work outside her day job was one of the reasons she departed from Republica, where she had worked for a while after moving to Portland from Los Angeles and some high profile gigs there.  We will talk about how her Mexican background plays a part in her menu development at Dame as well as her work schedule and how she plans to balance work and life moving forward.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#309 Brooke Jackson-Glidden - EaterPDX

Eater's Brooke Jackson Glidden returns as a guest on the podcast to talk about what restaurants and food carts are new and interesting to her, and what will be opening in Portland over the next few months.  We talk James Beard Foundation Awards and her potential influence on those.  Of interest to some listeners and some of her readers might be what fast food Brooke enjoys, about which she really doesn't get to write too much about.  (We doubt she's written about a McDonald's opening or an update to their app!).

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: #148 Lyf Gildersleeve - Flying Fish Company

We go back to January 2018, and our first conversation with Lyf Gildersleeve of Flying Fish Company.  You'll hear Lyf's origin story, plus some promotion the 2018 Shuck event.

Lyf Gildersleeve, son of an avid fisherman, picked up his love and knowledge of seafood at an early age.

We talk about how he started at markets in Idaho and built his Flying Fish business into one of the premier fishmongers in Oregon.

With the first annual Shuck Portland event coming in early February, Lyf educates us on the history of oysters in the Northwest and what needs to be done to move the industry towards sustainability.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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