#341 Tim Novotny - Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission

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We celebrate the opening of Oregon Dungeness Crab season with a visit with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission's Executive Director, Tim Novotny.  We will talk about what makes dungeness crab so beloved, what some of the challenges are for commercial crab fishermen, good years, bad years, some of Tim's favorite crab dishes and more.

About Tim: Tim Novotny joined the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission in 2017 as communications manager, with a master’s degree in public relations and more than two decades of experience in journalism and marketing. He has lived in Coos Bay since 1999 and became news director of KCBY-TV in2000, later writing for The World Newspaper in Coos Bay from 2012 through 2015, often reporting on the commercial fishing industry throughout his journalistic career.

Prior to his arrival in Oregon, Tim worked as news director of KKVI-TV in Twin Falls, Idaho, and later was an assistant news producer at WMTV in Madison, Wisconsin. Born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, he later headed west and got his degree from Boise State University.

In December, he became just the third executive director for the commission since 1990 - following Nick Furman (1990-2012), and the recently retired Hugh Link (2012-2022).

He is also a long-suffering Chicago sports fan, happy to reminisce anytime about the glory days of Ditka, Payton, and Jordan.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
Oregon Dungeness Crab: www.OregonDungeness.org 
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#340 Where are They Now? Eric Finley - The Buttered Biscuit, formerly of Chop Portland

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We catch up with Eric Finley again in the second of our Where Are They Now series. Eric owned Chop Butchery during his Portland years, which ended in 2018.  Eric was previously featured on our podcast in 2014, episode #18.  Eric talks about his reasons for leaving Portland and the journey that landed him and his family in Bentonville, Arkansas.  We also talk about what saved his life, his sobriety, along with what he misses in Portland, and what he doesn't.  We foray into a frank conversation about the food industry, and how it has changed for the worse and for the better.

We really enjoyed talking with Eric, and surely wish to have him on again to share his stories and viewpoints with us again.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
Oregon Dungeness Crab: www.OregonDungeness.org 
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

RATF Classic: #308 Jonathan Jones - Epilogue Kitchen and Cocktails / 2023 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Northwest Nominee

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Upon his Beard nomination for Best Chef NW last year, we were honored to have Jonathan Jones on our podcast. Now that the second JBF nom has come his way, and after moving his Salem restaurant's location, we thought it would be worthwhile to revisit our interview with Chef Jones from March of 2022.

Original Post:

Jonathan Jones of Salem's Epilogue Kitchen and Cocktails makes his first podcast appearance with us just after his recent 2022 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Northwest nomination.    He asked us if we could focus on the positive, and for sure we did that, discussing what the nomination means to him, his paths from southeast Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and Vermont to Oregon to garner such an accolade, along with some of the people who helped inspire and instill in him what it took to be not only a great chef, but a responsible restaurant owner and active citizen.

Jonathan espouses appreciation for all the places he's lived, and especially for those things that make him satisfied with his and his wife's choice to move to Oregon.    We do spend some time on his  activism, partly manifested in encouraging reading with the library maintained at Epilogue, as well as the energy required to put forth to be an active person.  We talk about what he has learned in promoting the interests of the underserved, and what changes he expects in the marathon of spreading understanding of the meaning and need for the Black Lives Matter movement .   

We really enjoyed this talk and hope you supplement listening to this episode with a visit to Epilogue Kitchen and Cocktails in Salem to meet Chef Jonathan in person.

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com
Oregon Dungeness Crab: www.OregonDungeness.org 
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#339 Lisa Schroeder - Mother's Bistro and 2023 Restaurant Challenges

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Chef Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro has had a very challenging few years.  The most recent upset was when her bank wouldn't honor refunding the money on checks written to her bank account number under someone else's name, simply because she didn't report the problem soon enough.  This comes on the heels of a tumultuous few years after 23 years in business  In 2018, she went through the process of moving Mother's to its new location not long before the pandemic hit.  Her location, in the middle of downtown where meth use is prolific, isn't the only challenge. She's required in her lease to be open 7 days a week, since her restaurant serves the hotel in the same building.  Lisa talks to us about the outlook for her business in the face of rising costs and new Portland dining and working patterns as well as restaurants as a whole, wherever they may be.

Lisa is one of Portland's most outspoken restaurant owners, and she's always a great interview.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#338 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures and Coopers Hall

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Joel Gunderson comes by RATF to talk about his second venture with Chef Aaron Barnett, Heavenly Creatures. Joel talks how the pandemic has reshaped hospitality, and also resets  Portland back to something that resembles the spirit of 2010, when he and Barnett opened Restaurant St. Jack. Joel reminisces about meeting Aaron while partying and how Aaron encouraged him to familiarize himself with wine so they could open a restaurant together in Portland. Joel has since uncorked wine programs at 11 restaurants in Portland, shaping a storied career that's got many tasty years ahead of him. 

Support Tommy Habetz and his family as he recovers here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-brookie-and-the-kids 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#337 Where Are They Now? Sarah Hart - Psychotherapist, formerly of Alma Chocolate

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We start out 2023, Right at the Fork's 10th season streaming with in-depth interviews with the players in the Portland food scene, with a new series called "Where Are They Now?"  Sarah Hart, formerly of Alma Chocolate, joins us this time as a seasoned Psychotherapist.  She left the business when she sold Alma to Moonstruck Chocolate a few years back.  Sarah was immersed in our food scene with her alluring chocolate shops and retail business, as well as being a fixture at the Portland Farmers Market for years.  She found the business unsustainable after years of toiling away, and decided it was time for something else.  Sarah talks about her childhood in Missouri, years in Portland and what she thinks of the changed landscape now, both food-wise and socio-economically.  We also hear about some of Sarah's favorite haunts.

Sarah's practice can be found here:  https://sarahharttherapy.com/

Two prior interviews with Sarah on Right at the Fork can be found here:   http://rightatthefork.com/shows/tag/Sarah+Hart

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#336 Gary Okazaki - Gary the Foodie's 2022 Recap

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Our most frequent guest Gary the Foodie joins us to round out a year where he hasn't traveled to other cities as much as he has historically, so we'll hear about his favorite Portland spots and what he's looking forward to going forward.  We will discuss his objectivity toward his friends' restaurants, namely Gregory Gourdet's Kann and Ryan and Elena Roadhouse of Nodoguro.   We move on to Gary's disinterest in traveling and the seemingly scuttled plans to move out of the Portland area.

We'll also break some news to some listeners about Feast Portland.  Spoiler alert!! Baseball talk at the end.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#335 Erik Hernandez - Mise Footwear

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We talk to Erik Hernandez, and his journey from Los Angeles and the Far East working on brands like K-Swiss and Adidas to Portland, where he connected with his wife, his former intern, at her Studio Noyes to develop a Portland-based footwear brand, Mise Footwear, geared toward chefs and those who work in kitchens.

We hear Erik talk about how he started out contacting Portland chefs to get their feedback and trust as they began building the brand.  After going into production during the pandemic, Erik and his team had to navigate supply chain issues to get the initial orders on the feet of his first customers.  Among other topics covered are some of the issues around celebrity sports stars endorsements and their input into their branded shoes.

MISE launched preorders in December 2021 and is now shipping in the US via their website misefootwear.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 

#334 Geoff Latham - Nicky USA - Talks about Salt and Straw's sparking a change in Portland

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Geoff Latham of Nicky USA, whose business keeps him in the heart of the Portland food world, talks about the insane tribulations of running a business in the Southeast Industrial District and how business neighbor Salt & Straw's Kim Malek's reasoned and public thoughts of moving the company's headquarters away from Portland finally sparked action from city leaders.  Geoff will take us through what it feels like to worry about employee and family safety while paying taxes in a city that has had no plan to protect its citizens and businesses from intense vandalism and other crimes.

We also hear from Geoff about some of his favorite spots, new and older.

www.nickyusa.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 

#333 Noah Jacob - Jacob & Sons

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Jacob & Sons' Noah Jacob joins us to take us through his journey that started as a filmmaker and director of documentaries in NYC, where he fell in love with the Jewish deli culture.  After interning and experiencing some of the greats in New York, Jacob and his family moved west to California, where they started a catering business with large corporations as clients. The business was thriving, until the pandemic hit.  Overnight, orders and events were canceled, and there was no business.  

His next move was back to where he grew up, Portland. The plan was to open a brick and mortar restaurant, starting with pop-ups featuring all the great food he was making, using fine Northwest products and traditional Jewish deli practices and recipes. Eventually, he opened wholesale and retail operation, supplying stores like Zupan's with his superior smoked fish and other products, including his traditional rye bread. Listen to Noah's story and a fun discussion on traditional Jewish smoked salmon versus the Northwest variety.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#332 Chris & Cort Go Oprah: Gift Guide 2022

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Chris and Cort do something different for Black Friday, and bring you their suggest gifts for the holidays in 2022. Hear their list of great local (and non local) items, tech ideas... nuts, socks and more!

Suggestions from Chris included:

 

Cort's suggestions:

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: #325 Mariah + Tom Pisha-Duffly - Gado Gado & Oma's Takeaway

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Going all the way back to September... of this year! And our conversation with Mariah and Thomas Pisha-Duffly:

On the heels of our discussion with @garythefoodie last week, when he suggested Mariah and Thomas Pisha-Duffly could be considered as part of the new guard of Portland's lauded restaurateurs, we invited the creative couple on the podcast to talk about how they got to where they are today.

They share how they met in Boston's dive-bar world, travels to Indonesia, and how they learned to love what they do creating pop-ups in two Portlands. We begin with how they weathered the pandemic, having just opened Gado Gado months before the hammer came down. (Plus a new baby!!)

Finally, stick with this fun interview to the end, where host Chris prompts both Marian and Thomas to talk about what they love about each other.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#331 Dan Hart - Prost, Stammtisch, Interurban and Bantam Tavern

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Dan Hart, founder of Prost, Stammtisch, Interurban and The Bantam Tavern joins us to talk about how Portland's first food cart pod with a pub attached to it came to be, in addition to its expansion to Bend. 

We will talk about his bartending and love of skiing in his Eugene and California days, and how that led him to Portland.  We'll also touch on his favorite spots to go in Portland, as we usually do. 

Listen in for a very nice list of Dan's suggestions, which begin with his places!!  You'll really want to go after hearing the genesis of his establishments.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#330 Ron Khormaei - Founder, Steelport Knife Co. & Finex Cookware

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Ron Khormaei doesn't sit still.  From an early age when he left oppressive Iran for Switzerland and then Oregon, to his noteworthy academic pursuits in engineering, to navigating the corporate world to round out his skillsets.

We talk to Ron about his journey to Oregon and his eventual stamping the best aspects of Portland into his cookware and knife products.

There's a lot of food for thought in so much Ron says in this interview. Any entrepreneur or fellow Oregonian would appreciate the wisdom and spirit Mr. Khormaei imparts in this hour-plus talk.

See his products at www.steelportknife.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

#329 Flying Fish's Lyf Gildersleeve Goes to Mexico

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Lyf Gildersleeve of Flying Fish Company joins is again to talk about his recent decision to move to Mexico in the interest of educating his children with a more well-rounded approach than schools in Portland could offer. We discuss the reasons for that decision, how he plans to operate Flying Fish while there, and the adventure that ensued on his drive down with his family.

We will also talk about quality of life, cannabis use, and his fishing trip experiences.

Full disclosure: Host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures has curated and produced trips with Lyf.

Please check in to Right at the Fork's Facebook page to see the essay from Jim Downey that Chris mentioned: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=right%20at%20the%20fork

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#328 Catching Up with Chris and Cort

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It's been nearly a month since Cort and Chris were in Oregon, let alone the same country. On this episode of the podcast, the two catch up on their travels (some more exciting than others) - and share of the things they experienced while away.

Hear where they've been, get some travel tips (which may or may not be helpful) and to wrap it all up, a good ten minues of dog/puppy talk.

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: #290 Cameron Lee Dunlap - Morchella

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With the news that Morchella was named as one of the Top 50 New Restaurants in America by Bon Appetit, we thought it important to go back to September of 2021... just weeks before Morchella opened up and our conversation with Cameron Lee Dunlap.

Fresh off the heels of Cameron's excitement about his first mention in EaterPDX, we took it upon ourselves to host Cameron for the first time on a podcast.

Moving from the chef role at The Fireside, a second stint there, Cameron has gathered a team to open Morchella, slated to open its doors in mid-October, 2021. His first restaurant to which he can lay claim has his own will feature foraged edible food sourced by his staff. and others The restaurant will be built with a particular focus on quality of life for its employees, who will all be wearing numerous hats.

Cameron and Chris talk about the sustainability of social-forward restaurants, as well as his experiences at other restaurants, and which chefs he's watching in 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

#327 Remembering Sarah Pliner w/ Gary Okazaki

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The Portland Food Scene is in mourning, with news of the tragic passing of renowned Aviary chef Sarah Pliner. 

We asked our friend Gary Okazaki (Gary the Foodie) to share his thoughts on Sarah, having developed a unique relationship with Sarah during her time at Aviary. 

Gary and Chris talk about her influence around town, and Gary shares some of her background and memories. 

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

#326 Dirk Marshall - V H US Podcast + Marshall's Haute Sauce

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After nearly 8 years, Dirk Marshall of Marshall's Haute Sauce returns to podcast to talk about his own podcast, V H US, a selft described "film adjacent podcast."  

Dirk shares the story of growing up in a video rental store and how box art shaped him into the person he is today - and what people can expect when they listen in.

Plus, an update about what he and Sarah have been up since we last spoke, including all the projects at Marshall's Haute Sauce (as well as a promise to have both Dirk and Sarah back to JUST talk sauce). 

Learn more about Dirk's podcast here: www.vh-us.com
More on Marshall's Haute Sauce: www.marshallshautesauce.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 Instant Classic: #315 Emily Cafazzo & Ryan Domingo - Sugarpine Drive-In + "Tastebound"

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As we enter the off season, we're jumping back to a conversation from early Summer 2022 - with Sugarpine Drive-In's Emily Cafazzo and Ryan Domingo.

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