#383 Rob Sample - Mother's Bistro

Rob Sample joins us on the podcast.  He's the Chief Schmoozing Officer at Mother’s Bistro, where his wife Lisa has been well known as the chef and restaurateur since 2002.  Lisa just won the area's "Most Remarkable Woman" award on KOIN and we thought there was no one better to talk about why that's an apt designation for Lisa than Rob.  Rob has lots of Portland stories to tell, and also stores of raising two young kids with Lisa after tragedy struck a few years ago.  So, we talk about that and hear what a remarkable and wonderful couple Rob and Lisa are.

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com 
RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for 25% off your first order)

#382 Kyo Koo - Warsugai

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

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

Kyo Koo joins us again on the podcast to talk about Warsugai, his new restaurant that opened in February of this year.  Kyo is a Portland native who grew up with frequent exposure to the Asian food world in Portland at the time of his childhood.  Kyo has had key roles at Clarklewis and Bluehour, before embarking on commanding his own restaurants and consulting for others.

To hear his more extensive backstory, please listen to our first interview with Kyo:

https://rightatthefork.com/shows/2019/7/11/207-kyo-koo-danwei-canting

#381 Louis Lin - Xiao Ye

Listen in as Chef and restaurateur Louis Lin takes us from his childhood to his cooking career to Portland, where he and his partner Jolyn have created a beautiful spot that celebrates the idea of a first generation American serving casual food one might find in a late night setting. Louis also addresses pricing out menu items and some of the joys of owning his own business in Portland.

Also, he shares a great list of his favorite spots in Portland. Make sure to stay tuned! 

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

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

#380 Kris Trimble - Barista @ Capitola Coffee

Kris Trimble is a professional barista at Capitola Coffee.

He started getting into coffee during undergrad days in Grand Junction, Colorado.  Going to cafes and trying different types of coffee started him on his path. Kris started making french presses at home and it evolved from there. He's always been drawn to coffee - the process, the ritual, the time and intention put into the final product. From studying Counseling Psychology in undergrad, to Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy in grad school - he always had his mind on how slowness and sensory experience impacts our psyche. 

Grad school at Lewis and Clark eventually brought him to Portland. The hyper-local and intense attention to detail he witnessed in Portland drew him in. His first coffee job was part time at one of Portland's first micro-roasters Kobos Coffee. After they were acquired by Groundwork Coffee, he was promoted to Coffee Educator and Trainer. He fell in love with this role and was stoked to be around other people that are stoked about coffee!  Since then, he's lived the dream and feels it was his calling.

Capitola Coffee does cuppings and sells fine retail coffee and provides a relaxing environment just across the popular food carts on Mississippi.  Go see Kris and order coffee the way you like it and enjoy their beautiful shop.

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

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

#285: RIP Chef Lauro Romero - from August, 2021

Upon the very sad news of the passing of Chef Lauro Romero on February 16, 2024, we revisit our interview with him from 2021.

After this interview, Chef Romero left Republica to start his lauded pop-up, Clandestino. From there, he was hired as chef du Cuisine to build a menu and team at Bellpine, the new restaurant at Portland's new Ritz Carlton hotel and luxury apartments. 

At the time of this writing, the cause of death is unknown. The Portland food community is quite sad and devasted about his death.  Here is a rare opportunity to hear Chef Romero talk about his life in his own voice, unedited. RIP, Chef.  

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

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

---

Original Show Notes:

Lauro Romero, chef of República  , a new hotspot on the Portland food scene, joins us to discuss his childhood and Mom's influence in his native Mexico on his food sensibilities.  We track his journey from farms in Mexico through Utah to Portland, where Chef Lauro helmed one of Portland's best seafood spots, King Tide.  Chef talks about the things that came together with his partners to form what he believes is a perfect team to offer great food, drinks, coffee and service at República.

#379 Lindsay Gott - Gateaux & her Hood River, Oregon Food and Drink Recommendations

We head east to enter into a conversation with Lindsay Gott, who is growing a tasty brand of frozen baked goods, Gateaux, from Hood River, Oregon.

Lindsay worked at one of the world's powerhouse ad agencies for years, when she had the calling to cook, and found her way to Paris and Le Cordon Bleu and then cooking in excellent restaurants like Chez Panisse.  Knowing she didn't want to work in restaurants, per se, she fell in love with a man from Oregon and moved north from the Bay Area, eventually selling her goods at a local Hood River farmers market.  From there, she opened a deli and bakery.  Then, the pandemic storm hit and she began developing and honing her frozen goods for retail sales.  Now her Gateaux cakes can be found in grocery stores throughout the Northwest, including Zupan's, and now Lindsay has eyes on new, larger markets.  Lindsay takes through her journey from concept, selling, naming, packaging, producing, and more, right to grocer's freezer case, to table.  

Right at the Fork listeners will also benefit by Lindsay's 20 years of food loving in Hood River, as she shares over a dozen of her favorite places to imbibe in the area.

@gateaux_frozenforfoodies

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

Learn more about Chris' trips here: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

 

#378 Dana Francisco - Canard and Le Pigeon

Head Chef at Portland's Canard and Le Pigeon, Dana Francisco joins us to talk about his roles at the restaurants, the joys of working with Gabe Rucker, as well as what brought him to Portland from his positions of responsibility at important corporate restaurants as well as his other experiences. Dana discusses his strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen and at home, as well as his guilty pleasures between the two places.

It's a nice, frank discussion about humility and what it takes to succeed in 2024 in Portland Oregon in the restaurant business, and what makes Canard and Le Pigeon such consistent mainstays. 

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

Learn more about Chris' trips here: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#377 Javier Canteras - Urdaneta and Everyday Slave

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 

We delve into another side of  Urdaneta chef Javier Canteras, his love of music. Chef Javier talks about his early influences from his childhood, as he moved from Spain to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Arriving not speaking a word of English, he found it difficult to assimilate. He escaped into a love of 80s metal music, eventually finding his way into various bands. Later in life, he followed his band's drummer to Portland.  That didn't pay the bills, so he turned to kitchens because it's one place he was comfortable, as both his parents instilled a love of cooking in him. Starting as a dishwasher, he worked his way up, landing a spot on a TV cooking competition show, taking the $100k prize as a means to turn his Basque Supper Club into what is now Urdaneta.

We also talk about Javi's trips with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures and why Spain is such a great destination.  

www.portlandfoodadventures.com 

Hear Javier's music: 

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@Everydayslave?si=tBtPXkc3xV9FD3S1

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pl5SLIfkhni5b8S52f4LE 

#376 Alexander Diestra - King Tide Fish & Shell

Alexander Diestra grew up in Peru and made his way to Portland, honing his cooking skills at places like Clarklewis and Saucebox.  Currently, he is Executive Chef at King Tide Fish and Shell at the Kimpton Riverplace Hotel. Alex talks with Chris about how running a hotel restaurant differs from a standalone, like Andina, where he was head chef through the pandemic and navigated those waters before making the current move.

 Alex shares his thoughts not only on managing people in a kitchen in 2024, but also his work/life balance, now that he and his wife have a toddler at home.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#375 Alan Maniscalco + Shan Wickham - Lucky Horseshoe Lounge & Rally Pizza

Alan Maniscalco  and Shan Wickham, proprietors of The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge and Rally Pizza, join us to talk about their new spot on Clinton as well as Rally Pizza's residence at Victor 23 Brewing.  We also talk about Alan's significant history as co-founder of Ken's Artisan Pizza 

Brief bios:

Shan grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa, where she worked as a librarian before moving to San Francisco to attend California Culinary Academy’s Baking and Pastry program.

Alan grew up in San Jose, California, as part of a large Italian-American family. He became a bread baker in his early twenties, first in Portland and then Phoenix, AZ. 

Alan and Shan met working at Restaurant Zibibbo in Palo Alto, CA. They’ve worked almost exclusively as a team ever since, they moved to Portland with their daughter Sage in 2003. Alan worked as Production Manager at Ken’s Artisan Bakery before co-founding Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, Oregon, where he was the Executive Chef from 2006-2016. Shan was a Team Leader at Whole Foods until 2006, then Pastry Chef at Ken’s Artisan Pizza from 2006-2013.

In September 2016, Shan and Alan opened Rally Pizza in central Vancouver, Washington, which has since evolved into a residency at Victor 23 Brewing.  In 2023, they opened Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, where their daughter Sage completes the family trifecta as its chef.

luckyhorseshoeportland.com/

Insta:  @luckyhorseshoeportland

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest

Don Bourassa was Right at the Fork's first guest ever in 2014. Back then, he was the Community Director for Yelp.  Now, he's moved to Porto, Portugal with his wife and among his many endeavors, he writes on substack:  International Adulting.  We talk to Don about what's transpired in the ten years since his first visit with us, including the process of deciding to move and the ins and outs of moving to another country.  Also, having traveled the world, his thoughts on Portland as a food city.  We also get a taste of Portugal, where, among other tasty morsels of info, his wife has created a community of Vegans. 

https://internationaladulting.substack.com/

Insta @thedonb

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#373 Gary Okazaki's Year-end Lists of PDX Favorites

Gary the Foodie has more appearances on Right at the Fork than any other guest, so it's fitting that we complete our tenth year with an episode featuring Gary's current favorites in Portand,  Gary goes over his top 10 pizza places, top 10 new restaurants, and even his current top 10 overall in PDX. 

Always a fun talk, Gary is the ultimate PDX food world insider.

Insta @GaryTheFoodie

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

#372 Bill Oakley - Steamed Hams Society & The Steamie Awards

Bill Oakley is back (see episode #313)!

Bill Oakley made a name for himself with his work on The Simpsons and other TV shows, being one of the key writers and a showrunner for years.

Now, he's gained recognition on shows like "The Food that Made America." His love of all types of food, prompts Bills return to the podcast again, this time to talk about some of the awards bestowed on behalf of his Steamed Hams Society.

Using the Portland Steamies and the National Steamies as a foundation for conversation, we touch of some of Bill's favorite places he ate in 2023. If you're a fan of pizza, you may want to listen, as Bill lists some of his favored frozen varieties one can order online.

It's a fun conversation with one of the most creative legends in Portland, who also happens to love food. (But don't call him a "foodie!")

Instagram: @ThatBillOakley
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

#371 Sherri Brown - Portland By Mouth Food Tours

Sherri Brown has quite a broad background when it comes to travel and food.  She's lived in lots of places, traveled the world and sought adventure wherever she goes.  Sherri met host Chris on one of his Portland Food Adventures trips on the Snake River, where they talked Portland food to the point where one of the guests asked them to stop!.  On this episode, Sherri showcases the best of Portland's neighborhood's food to tourists and locals alike, as proprietor of Portland by Mouth Food Tours.  She talks about the evolution of her business, what people tend to like and what her plans may be for her food business in the future.  Sherri also shares some of her faves with us.

https://portlandbymouth.com/

Sherri Brown Photo Courtesy of Luxe Beat Magazine

Right at the Fork is supported by:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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