#370 Peter Kost - Ken's Artisan Pizza and Carina Lounge

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Peter Kost grew up in Seattle, where his love for food was established as the son of farmers who sold their goods at the Seattle Public Market.  Peter's journey has taken him from restaurant work to wine sales to a long stint at Zupans in grocery management to landing his first restaurant, Lucy's Table on NW 21st in Portland.  It was there when he met a fellow by the name of Ken Forkish, from whom he'd buy breads at Ken's Artisan Bakery.  Listen to the podcast to hear how that relationship evolved to the point where Peter became the only one Ken had in mind when he was ready to pass his iconic Ken's Artisan Pizza on to a new generation.  We will hear how Peter is determined to honor the legacy Ken built and get a hint of what his plans are going forward.. 

 

https://kensartisan.com/pizza

https://www.carinalounge.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 

#369 Erika Polmar - Plate & Pitchfork Producer Fund / Advocating against Dollar Store Proliferation

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Tireless food and industry advocate Erika Polmar joins us to discuss the nefarious plans Dollar General and other stores like it have to decimate local food economies.  Erika shares the history of this movement starting with Walmart and the vacumm left in their wake for Dollar stores to step in and suck dollars from small towns, leaving a less healthy populace and food system as a result.

We also begin with an epilogue from Erika about her 20 years doing farm dinners -- what their purpose was -- some of the joys and challenges, and why she decided to cease producing them.


Links:

Main P&P page with a link to the fund on the home page and in the menu
https://www.plateandpitchfork.com

The fund page is:
https://www.plateandpitchfork.com/p/about/plate--pitchfork-producer-fund

To become an advocate for independent restaurants & bars, become a donor or email subscriber by visiting:
https://www.independentrestaurantcoalition.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 

#368 Aaron Barnett - St. Jack / Heavenly Creatures / Giant Squid

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Canada born, LA-bred chef Aaron Barnett was on the path to becoming a veterinarian when he decided to bail and pursue his passion. From an early age, Aaron Barnett’s parents instilled in him a love of food. He was eating snails and dining on his mom’s home-made ceviche when other kids were munching PB & J. He attended culinary school in California before working in Vancouver, BC, and back in San Francisco. He moved to Portland and served as Executive Chef at two culinary icons.

Portland proved to be exactly the market Aaron was looking for and gave him the confidence to open his dream restaurant, St. Jack. While Aaron had experience in different styles and cuisines, he became known as one of the best French chefs in the West. As a result, the Lyonnaise eatery garnered Eater Restaurant of the Year and Aaron became a StarChef Rising Star.

Aaron opened another restaurant, La Moule, before consulting with other restaurants like Scotch Lodge, both of which opened to significant fanfare.  In 2022, Aaron opened a fun spot, Heavenly Creatures, with his long-time friend and colleague, Joel Gunderson.  Both decided they could help other businesses to benefit from their experience, and so recently they launched their own consulting firm, Giant Squid.

Aaron is hands-on at his restaurants, but works to balance the rigors of chef life with his love of travel and cuisine.  Most keenly, his priority is his beautiful family of four.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#367 Hillary Dixler Canavan - Eater / 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes book

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We are pleased to welcome Hillary Dixler Canavan to the podcast Hillary is Eater’s national restaurant editor. Starting in the industry in New York, Hillary landed at Eater in 2013, and now she defines the scope of Eater's restaurant coverage throughout the USA. We caught up with her when she was in Portland to promote her new book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes from the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters, which celebrates America’s iconic restaurants with must-eat recipes and cooking tips from the most popular and influential dining establishments across the country, from the best street carts to pillars of fine dining and everywhere in between.

We talk about how Eater covers restaurants, and some of the challenges in the industry now and how operators might tackle them, as well as a discussion about her book; how she determined which restaurants and chefs with whom to work, what people might get from it, as well as Portland's restaurants with recipes published in the book.

@hillarydixlercanavan
https://www.amazon.com/Eater-Essential-Restaurant-Recipes-Authority/dp/1419765760

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#366 Kathy High - Bay City Kitchen

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Our guest this week is Kathy High from Bay City Kitchen.

Kathy High is a former Connecticut yankee and current pie enthusiast, with childhood training in why currants belong in jam and how Mark Twain handled conversation flow at dinner parties. Like most classically trained professional bakers, she cut her teeth in careers as a trainer for Borders Books and Music and multiple positions in museum education. After a stint in Atlanta battling kudzu and the challenges of catering in Georgia, a chance encounter with a craigslist ad brought her and her partner to the Pacific Northwest. Ten years, one million bagels, multiple tryouts for team USA for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie and a pandemic later, she and her professional partner, chef Derek McCarthy, opened Bay City Kitchen on Tillamook Bay. Kathy spends her time making more pastries, lavishing affection on her cats, fostering native plants and exploring the joys of coast time. .When in doubt, she brings the pie.

@baycitykitchen

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: #344 Ben Edmunds - Brewmaster @ Breakside Brewery

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We're looking back to March of this year, and our conversation with  Ben Edmunds - Brewmaster at Breakside Brewery in Portland - where he oversees the company's production brewery and (at the time) two pub breweries.

Since this interview, they've opened up a location in Lake Oswego, Astoria - and their long talked about Beer Garden and Beer Hall in Beaverton.

We talk about his background, growing up in the mid-west, to what ultimately inspired him to change careers as a high school teacher and go into brewing.   Under Ben's guidance, Breakside has won many medals at national and international competitions - including 8 World Beer Cup Awards.

Hear the behind the scenes decision making moments that have made Breakside what it is today - including the introduction of a new year-round witbier. Plus - where does Ben eat and drink when he's not at Breakside.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#365 Sylvan Mishima Brackett - SF's Rintaro & Cook Book Author

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Our conversation this week is with Sylvan Mishima Bracket, chef and owner of Rintaro in San Francisco's mission district.  Sylvan went to college in Portland, attending Reed College, and then began working at Portland area restaurants, including Genoa with Cathy Whims. 

In 2007, Sylvan first started a catering company turned bento shop - before opening his acclaimed Rintaro in late 2014.  

Hear about Sylvan's upbringing in Northern California, his time in Portland and how he created Rintaro the restaurant and in turn, Rintaro the cook book.

His new book: Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California comes out October 10th.

And don't miss Sylvan at  book event at Powell's Books on October 14th at 3pm.

 

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: #350 Chris Schultz - CEO Voodoo Doughnut

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Fall means doughnuts, at least for Cort.

Here's a look back to May 2023 and our conversation with Chris Schultz, CEO at Voodoo Doughnut.

 

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
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

RATF Classic: #323 Tyler Malek - Salt & Straw

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Looking back at August 2022 and our conversation with Tyler Malek:

For the first time in 7 years, we bring the positive vibe of Tyler Malek to our guests through a fun conversation about what motivates Tyler at Salt & Straw, and how things have evolved as the company has grown from 2 employees to over 1000 in a handful of states around the country. 

We'll talk about how becoming a father has changed his perspectives in life and business, and then we discuss the company's new product, ice cream specifically for your beloved dog-- how that came about, and what he wanted to accomplish. 

You can find prior episodes with Tyler on the podcast by searching for episode 54.  His cousin and co-founder, Kim, joined us on episode 126.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#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