#364 Nat West - Closing Reverend Nat's Hard Cider

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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 

#363 Ricky Bella - Palomar

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Native Portlander Ricky Bella's culinary career started when he offered to fill in washing dishes for another high school dropout friend who sucked at the job. From there, he landed at a pop-up, wondering what the hell world that was; multi course meals with cooking methods and ingredients he had no idea existed. Eventually he landed in the kitchen at Paley's Place to learn from the best.

Ricky reveals who's the best cook he's ever seen and why in our discussion. Now he's running the show as Executive Chef at Palomar, making the most interesting food he's had the opportunity to call his own. He's also begun writing about his career and craft at https://substack.com/@rickybellspdx. W

e found him to be one of the most interesting guests we've talk to in a long time. (Except for the fact that he's an Atlanta Braves fan.)

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#362 Garrett Peck - RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) Bend

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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: #345 - Chris Angelus' Northern and Central Oregon Coastal Food Suggestions

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This week, we return to March 2023, and our conversation about places to eat on Oregon's Northern Coast .

Our host Chris Angelus takes us on a culinary journey from Astoria to Yachats with his favorite spots to eat, along with a couple of other places to see and go. Chris has over 10 years of experiences to share with listeners.  If you're heading the the northernmost 180 miles of Oregon Coast, this episode is a must! 

Places we cover in this episode include:

  • Astoria

  • Cannon Beach

  • Manzanitta

  • Nehalem/Wheeler

  • Rockaway Beach 

  • Garibaldi

  • Tillamook

  • Newport

  • Yachats

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#361 John Denison - Câche Câche

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John Denison joins us at a time of big changes in his life.  Having just opened his seafood bar, Câche Câche, he's on the cusp of marriage to a woman he met in Paris four years ago while working at Verjus.  We will follow John on his culinary journey from the Portland Meat Collective and St, Jack, where he met Kate Hill and found a way to follow her to her beautiful Camont in Gascony.  It was there  where French cuisine got into his soul.  He moved over to Barcelona and the world-famous Tickets to gain key experience in that kitchen before heading to France for four years.  

Just as the pandemic started, John and Maddie decided to jump from France to Portland, where they both landed jobs at notable restaurants, St. Jack and Nostrana, respectively.  

Now at Câche Câche, John fuses his love of French food with his background growing up in the DC area, delving into the foods of the mid-Atlantic coast.

cachecachepdx.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

#360 Kurt Huffman -ChefStable

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Once again, we catch up with a friend of the podcast and a friend to many industry folks  diners, Kurt Huffman of ChefStable.  Kurt is an integral partner in so many of Portland's successful restaurant ventures, we wanted to talk to him about the state of the restaurant industry in 2023, and what it takes to operate a viable restaurant in seemingly post-pandemic times.

The discussion takes us into a few perspectives, from restaurant owner, to worker, to what diners can expect and what they should know about restaurants as they also navigate this changed world.

Also, some places Kurt is enjoying these days. 

https://chefstablegroup.com/team

 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#359 Adam Sawyer - Grief/Travel/Hiking/Food Writer

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Adam Sawyer built a writing career from the depths of heroin addiction writing about what helped him through that, which was communing with nature.  Serendipitously, it was in nature where he met the love of his life, Kara, with whom he bought a home off the grid in Washington to base their lives together.  While away on a business trip less than two years ago, a fire took away virtually every single thing in his life.  His life partner, his home, and his cherished cat, not to mention all his possessions.  Adam's grieving journey has been quite difficult, but once again he found himself seeking open spaces to help him through his horrific thoughts and emotions.  Just recently Adam declared himself in an emotional place to start mingling with people, and so he has begun giving talks about the grieving process at libraries and other places.  We invited Adam to share some of his realizations and processes with us on the podcast in a fascinating hour-plus talk about what he's been through.  As with most all RATF episodes, we hear about some of Adam's favorite spots to eat, too.

Adam's writings can be found at https://substack.com/@adamsawyer

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 - Urdaneta

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It's a classic episode of the podcast (we think it's classic at least!) from a year ago.

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

#358 Mark Lopez - Gather and Feast Farm and Crave Catering

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We take a journey through time with Mark Lopez, who discusses the opening of his taqueria in Portland in 1997 and all that occurred up to today, when currently he runs both Crave Catering and Gather and Feast Farm.  We will learn how one of the businesses fed off the other, and how they operate together and also a bit more independently now.  Mark shares details about events they produce at the farm, one of which will be one of Plate & Pitchfork's finale events in August with Chef Carlo Lamagna.

We hear about some perspectives and tools Mark learned during some strife that made a huge impact on his life and businesses.  Mark also shares some of his favorite places to eat in Clark County.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#357 Joel Stocks - L'Orange

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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

#356 Kat Whitehead - Meals on Wheels People

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We have the pleasure of spending an hour with Kat Whitehead, now the Director of Compliance at Meals on Wheels People in Portland.  Many knew Kat as one of the key people at Salt and Straw, and during her tenure at Aviary as part owner and pastry chef.

We will discuss her new responsibilities, as well as the experiences that led her on her journey.  Kat and Chris also talk a little about their days in Connecticut.  Kat also shares some of her favorite spots to dine 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

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

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Summer is here - and it's the perfect time to visit Sugarpine Drive-In. Which is why we wanted to bring back this episode from a year ago with Emily Cafazzo and Ryan Domingo.  

Emily and Ryan were in Hawaii when we spoke, so please excuse the audio quality - but we think you'll enjoy this conversation.

ORIGINAL POST

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

#355 Bruce Porter - ChefStable's Midtown Beer Garden

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Bruce Porter joins us to talk about his journey in the Portland hospitality industry toward his new position heading up ChefStable's new Midtown Beer Garden, a sophisticated good cart pod outside Expensify's new headquarters.

Bruce managed some of Portland's iconic properties, from Oba to Ringside Hospitality Group prior to establishing his own consulting business.  As the pandemic hit, Bruce ran into some very challenging health issues. We discuss how he managed his emotions and optimism throughout the long  ordeal.

The Midtown Beer Garden is slated to open in late July, 2024.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#354 Gary Okazaki - @GaryTheFoodie shares his Portland Top 5s for many categories

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Gary Okazaki @Garythefoodie joins us to give listeners the benefit of his prolific dining adventures in Portland.  His top 5 lists include Weekend Brunch, Pasta, lunch, opening he's looking forward to, and of course his current Top 5 restaurants in Portland. 

We'll discuss the James Beard Awards, and how his friends manage to win.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#353 Vince Nguyen - Berlu, JBF Best Chef Northwest/Pacific 2023

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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)

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

RATF Classic: #338 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures and Coopers Hall

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This episode was originally release in January 2023.

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. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#352 Lindsay Goodrich - Proud Mary Coffee

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Lindsay Goodrich has been on quite a journey since he joined the Proud Mary team in Melbourne years ago.   He followed PM Owner Nolan Hirte to Portland to bring a very unique Melbourne cafe / coffee experience to the USA, and navigate a new territory, finding success and lines out the door in due time.  Once established, this thing called the pandmemic hit, which coincided with plans for Proud Mary to expand to Austin, TX.  Lindsay helped build that and then settled into life in Boise, Idaho with his new bride, from where he oversees operations at PM's American locations.  

We talk about how to have the best experiences at the cafes, the differences between Melbourne, Portland and Austin, and what the plans for further expansion might or might not be. 

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 

#351 Neil Thompson - Skywater Fine Wines and Skywater Tea House, Hillsboro

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Coming up on the one year mark since opening Skywater Fine Wines, Neil Thompson joins us to talk about that adventure which started with the extreme challenges of running his Park Avenue Fine Wines in downtown Portland, before finally hanging up the towel there and moving west to brighter pastures. 

He and his husband Hans opened two businesses between them, including Skywater Tea House a few months after the wine shop opened, to the delight of many local folks in Hillsboro that appreciated their businesses in their neighborhood.  Neil tells us about the evolution of both businesses, what they've learned, and what's working as a base for their exciting expansion plans. 

For more background on Neil and Hans personally, you may want to click on this link from November of 2021  http://rightatthefork.com/shows/2021/11/11/294-neil-thompson-park-avenue-fine-wines?rq=thompson

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 

#350 Chris Schultz - CEO, Voodoo Doughnut

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Chris Schultz, CEO of Portland's iconic brand Voodoo Doughnut, joined the company in 2017 to bring his 30+ years experience in the restaurant industry to the company. Prior to taking over the leadership of Voodoo, he helped Mod Pizza expand nationwide and before that, worked at Starbucks during its rapid expansion.  Since coming aboard, he's helped Voodoo expand into new markets and weather a pandemic.  We talk about bringing Voodoo and its Portland ethos to new markets, what the criteria is, and how it's been accepted.  Chris drops hints at new locations and also announces a new paintjob for their flagship store, taking place as we spoke.

We get to know a bit about Chris, too.  Where he eats in Portland, what he thinks of Blue Star, as well as his love of the Pacific Northwest after transplanting here from Southern California 20 years ago.

We interviewed co-founder Tres Shannon just before he brought Chris on to run the company in 2016.  One of our favorite episodes:  https://rightatthefork.libsyn.com/85-tres-shannon-voodoo-doughnut

https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/

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

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With the news that Lisa Schroeder was named the Oregon Small Business Person of the Year for 2023, we felt it necessary to bring back our conversation with Lisa from January of this year.

 

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
Oregon Dungeness Crab: www.OregonDungeness.org 
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com