#435 Keoni Wachsmuth - Dan & Louis Oyster Bar: Part II

In this conversation, Keoni Wachsmuth, 4th generation owner of Portland's iconic oyster bar, discusses the current success of his oyster bar, the challenges faced by the restaurant industry, and the impact of technology on dining experiences. He reflects on the importance of preserving culinary history and the economic pressures affecting both restaurant owners and employees. The discussion also touches on the historical context of the oyster bar and the changing landscape of Portland's dining scene. In this engaging conversation, Keoni Wachsmuth discusses the intricacies of running Dan and Louis Oyster Bar, touching on the challenges of restaurant management, the importance of community support, and the legacy of his family in the oyster business. The dialogue explores future opportunities, the dynamics of nightlife in Portland, and the significance of creative outlets in personal fulfillment. Keoni emphasizes the need for resilience and adaptability in the face of industry challenges, while also sharing insights on local recommendations for a vibrant night out in Portland.

Keoni's overview of the chronology of events at the Oyster Bar can be found at 1:35:00.

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#434 Brady Stephens - Fancy Baby

Chef Brady Stephens, now Executive Chef at Fancy Baby in Portland, was born and raised in Sioux City, IA. He has spent years refining his craft in various kitchens, including stints at Michelin bib gourmands in Spain, and most recently at Jacqueline, St. Jack, OK Emens and Scotch Lodge in Portland. Chef Brady is drawn to a community-forward style of cooking, highlighting the vibrant flavors of locally farmed, preserved, and fermented foods through a creative elaboration of French, Italian, and Spanish Mediterranean cuisines

We talk about his journey and his responsibilities now at Fancy Baby.

https://fancybabypdx.com

@fancybabypdx

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#433 Michelle and Keoni Wachsmuth - Dan and Lous Oyster Bar, Part 1

We are thrilled to welcome Keoni and Michelle Wachsmuth, the owners of Portland's legendary Dan and Louis Oyster Bar, for a candid two-part conversation starting this week. The Wachsmuth family has run the seafood landmark since 1907, and in this first segment, Keoni and Michelle open up about the immense challenges of keeping one of the city's oldest restaurants afloat in 2025. They discuss everything from the ongoing difficulties facing the downtown area—which they've referred to as the "downtown depression"—to the financial strains of operating a historic, full-service establishment. This is an essential listen for anyone who cherishes Portland history and wants to understand the grit it takes to survive in the current culinary landscape.

In Part One, you'll hear the couple's personal perspective on navigating the current economic environment, which, as Michelle has previously stated, has led to a critical lack of funds for the historic restaurant. We dive deep into their strategies for adapting their business in the face of dwindling foot traffic and discuss their extraordinary efforts to give back to the community. Keoni and Michelle's story is one of deep family heritage and an unwavering commitment to a restaurant that is more than a century old, providing a poignant look at the struggles and sacrifices required to maintain a Portland institution.

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#432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria

Jake Martin began his culinary journey at 15, washing dishes in Northern California before moving sight unseen to Seattle in 1999. There, he taught himself the craft, working his way up through kitchens like Union and Maria Hines' Tilth. He moved to Portland in 2007, eventually running acclaimed restaurants Carlyle and Fenouil. This success was followed by a period of intense personal and professional difficulty, including high-profile restaurant closures, a severe depression, and a series of unfulfilling jobs that left him feeling burnt out and disconnected from the food he wanted to cook.

​After hitting a low point, his partner, Silqet, urged him to stop working for others and create his own vision. With her support and help from the Small Business Development Center, he wrote a business plan and secured a loan to open their new restaurant, Daphne, in Astoria. Today, his focus is hyper-local, sourcing nearly all ingredients from within a 75-mile radius. He champions a philosophy of simplicity, letting high-quality ingredients speak for themselves, and aims to educate the community on the exceptional produce, meats, and seafood their own region provides.

www.daphneastoria.com

@restaurant.daphne

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#431 Amanda Cannon-Windquist and Judson Windquist - Sunday Sauce and Normandie

In a fun interview, we welcome Amanda Cannon Windquist and husband Judson to the podcast, just after they opened their newest venture in Portland, Sunday Sauce.  We talk about their journey and inspiration for Sunday Sauce, as well as their other restaurant, Normandie.

Amanda and her husband, Judson, met while working in bars in Hoboken, NJ before moving to Portland in the early 2000s, where they now live with their two children. Amanda previously served as the wine director at Q (formerly Veritable Quandary). Her primary venture is Normandie, which she co-founded and opened in 2018. She co-owns the restaurant with Judson and Executive Chef Heather Kintler. Normandie has earned a spot on Portland Monthly's Top 50 Restaurants list and is celebrated for its wine list, which is exclusively focused on women-made wines.

The Winquists have since opened a second restaurant together, Sunday Sauce. This new venture was originally conceived as a pop-up event held at Normandie in November 2024 before becoming a permanent establishment. Sunday Sauce marks the second restaurant collaboration between Amanda and Judson.  

www.sundaysaucepdx.com

@sundaysaucepdx

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RATF Classic: #414 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures: The affects of threatened tariffs, restaurant sustainability, James Beard nomination and superior hospitality

This episode is from April of 2025:

Joel Gunderson  of Heavenly Creatures, Coopers Hall, Grassa, St. Jack and a host of places, joins us again to talk about how deeply Trump's tariffs would affect the wine and restaurant industries.  Coincidentally, the tariffs were suspended just minutes before we started recording this episode.  But we talk about the stress uncertainty puts on the industry and how things have just begun to bounce back in Portland.  We also touch on what it takes to become one of the most celebrated people in the industry nationwide, and some of the ways his staff approaches hospitality. 

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#430 Faith Dionne - Dappled Tonic

In this conversation, Faith Dionne shares her culinary journey from her early influences in Alaska to her experiences in New York and the mountain states, leading to her eventual move to Portland. She discusses her time at Higgins, the challenges of the restaurant industry, and her transition into consumer packaged goods with the creation of Dappled Tonic. Faith reflects on the importance of community, the state of the Portland food scene, and the need to honor culinary legends while also embracing new talent.

https://www.dappledtonic.com/

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#429 Jeff Shinrock - Bridge 13

In this conversation, Chris and Jeff Shinrock discuss the inception and mission of Bridge 13, a new initiative aimed at redirecting food waste to local community organizations. Jeff shares insights into the challenges of food scarcity, the importance of building trust within the food industry, and the operational strategies employed by Bridge 13 to facilitate food redistribution.

The discussion also touches on the metrics for success, community engagement, and future aspirations for expanding the initiative beyond Portland.

https://bridge13.webflow.io/

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Remembering Justin Woodward of Castagna & OK Omens - Encore of Episode #78 w/ Gary Okazaki

The Portland food community mourns the news of the sudden passing of one of its long-time brightest stars, Justin Woodward.  He passed away. losing a long battle with alcoholism, on Oct 2nd, in California.  He was best known for his work in the kitchens of Castagna and OK Omens in Portland.

This episode is a replay from our time with Justin and dear friend Gary Okazaki in 2016 when he was only one of two James Beard nominees from the Pacific Northwest.

Find a story of his life by Brooke-Jackson Glidden of Portland Monthly, here:

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2025/10/justin-woodward-chef-obituary-castagna

And Justin's obituary here:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/oceanside-ca/justin-woodward-12545297

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RATF Classic: #405 Tyler Malek - Salt & Straw Growth

This week's episode is an encore presentation of our conversation with Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw from January, where we discussed the expansion of Portland's favorite ice cream shop.

And don't forget to check our our news partner and sponsor, DU/ER!  Be sure to visit  www.shopduer.com/fork and receive 15% off your first purchase!

ORIGINAL POST:

Tyler Malek is the Chef and co-owner of one of Portland's now most iconic brands and restaurants, Salt & Straw.  Now with locations cornering the continental US, Tyler and his cousin Kim have made some serious noise in the ice cream world.

In this episode, Tyler talks about the longshot pitch to Disneyland to be their official ice cream vendor, and how quickly the folks at Disney decided they wanted Portland's Salt & Straw vibe over some of the big, more well-known ice cream brands, like Ben & Jerry's.   Tyler talks about the process of building the store and all that was involved with that with the input from Disney.

Also, Tyler talks about the business of building and using the Salt & Straw brand to its advantage, and what that has meant for growth. 

We cover sampling, flavors, staffing, as well as some of the places Tyler loves to go in Portland right now.

This is our third interview with Tyler and that's because he's one of the good guys who has represented the Portland psyche so well.

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#428 Chris Angelus - 15 years of Portland Food Adventures local events and 10 years of International Food Tours

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Portland Food Adventures events have featured the best of over 250 Oregon restaurants, food carts, coffee shops, wineries, and more.  Then,10 years ago its international travel division began taking food lovers with chefs and artisans to their favorite places overseas, and with that have taken over 200 people to hundreds of food experiences from Austrailia to Europe and even on the Snake River in Oregon. Portland Food Adventures has connected many to wonderful food experiences.

In this episode, Chris Angelus hosts PFA's best patron, Wendy Bumgardner, who has appeared on the podcast before, and has been on the majority of PFA dinners and adventures to discuss the origin behind our host's ventures, and some of the meaningful moments along the way.  This is a 15 year journey centered around the entire Portland Food world. Worth a listen!

For further exploration, an earlier podcast where co-host Cort Johnson interviews Chris about his life leading up to PFA, and beyond.

https://rightatthefork.com/shows/2019/5/16/201-chris-angelus-the-interview

portlandfoodadventures.com

@portlandfoodadventures.com

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#427 Rose Archer - Luscious Bend, Part 2

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In this engaging conversation, Rose Archer shares her culinary journey from Hawaii to Italy, Germany, and finally to Bend, Oregon. She discusses her experiences working with renowned chefs, including Massimo Bottura, and the challenges and triumphs of establishing her supper club, which has become a beloved community event.

Rose emphasizes the importance of connection and creativity in food, and her upcoming Luscious Bend Food and Wine Experience aims to foster that sense of community on a larger scale.

https://www.lusciousbend.com/

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#426 Will Preisch - 82 Acres and Abbey Road Farm

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Chris and Will Preisch discuss Will's return to Portland and his new restaurant, 82 Acres. They explore the farm-to-table philosophy, the challenges of parenting, and Will's culinary journey from his early days in the restaurant business to his current role.

The discussion also touches on the evolving Portland food scene, the importance of community and collaboration, and Will's upcoming Portland Food Adventures trip to Portugal, where he hopes to gain new culinary insights and enjoy cooking with Chef Vitor de Oliveira at Quinta Sao Luiz and in Porto..

https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/portugal-with-kopke-2026

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RATF Classic: #409 Jose Lalo Camarena - República

We're jumping back to February... and our conversation with Jose Camarena of República.

ORIGINAL POST:

This is a must-listen.  Chef Jose Camarena, Executive Chef at Portland's highly regarded República, may just be the youngest guest of over 400 on our podcast.  But you wouldn't know it if we hadn't drawn attention to that fact.  At just 24, he's in a position few others are at his age, and it's easy to see how he got as far as he's gotten at such a young age.

We talk about his family Sunday dinners, how he became interested in the food industry and how his family lineage of hard work in horse grooming instilled in him the grit to work hard to reach success in a tough industry 

We cover some of the places he's worked, who Lalo's Portland mentors have been, including chef Lauro Romero, who passed away two years ago, leaving a huge hole in many hearts.

https://www.mexico-forward.com/

@lalocamarena_

@republicapdx

@steelportknifeco

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#425 Ron Khormaei - Entrepreneur, Steelport Knife

One of Portland's most prominent entrepreneurs, Ron Khormaei, joins us once again on the podcast to discuss the factors that have gone into his successful building of two companies from the ground up in Portland, Finex and Steelport.  

We start with a discussion about how his immigration from Iran as a teen shaped his ethics and viewpoints on life and business in the USA.  And Ron points out that local roots are key to the success of both companies, from manufacturing to community involvement.  Speaking of community, one of the unique aspects of Portland culture is that businesses support one another,  To that end, Steelport hosts many demonstrations and tours at its factory, and on the 24th of August will host a Knife Maker showcase, highlighting Portland as the premiere knife-making city in the USA, featuring many other knifemakers from Portland. 

We on Right at the Fork are big fans of Steelport's products, but also how well they are connected to our restaurant and food communities. 

https://www.steelportknife.com/

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#424 Rose Archer - Luscious Bend

In the heart of Oregon, Rose Archer has been building quite a culinary brand.  Her Luscious Supper Club events have been selling out for years, and now she embarks on quite an undertaking, highlighting the best of Bend's culinary scene, the Luscious Bend Food and Wine Experience.  We discuss what's in store at that event, on Sept 27, 2025.

Listen to this episode to follow Rose's fascinating story.  Rose grew up the daughter of two hippies in Hawaii.  She learned to cook, and enjoy the attention that came to her when she made great things.  Things weren't easy, but she had ambition.  That drive took her to culinary school in Portland, where she plotted to cook under some of the best chefs in the world.  She went on quite a journey, one that eventually landed her in Los Angeles, Paris and Italy, where she worked under Massimo Bottura at one of the world's greatest restaurants, Osteria Francescana.

We plan on having Rose back for another episode to fill in the blanks on the journey from Italy to Bend.  She's quite remarkable!!  Subscribe to be notified when that episode is released!

Get tickets here to the Luscious Bend Food and Wine Experience:   https://www.lusciousbend.com/tickets 

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#423 Lynne Gross - African Safari Tour Director

On host Chris Angelus' bucket list and perhaps on yours, is an African Safari.  Lynne Gross has been curating trips for years to Africa and has great relationships with guides, restaurants and hotels. 

She and Chris met walking doggies at Nehalem Bay State Park a few years ago, and for next year Lynne put together a trip with particular attention to food and luxury for Portland Food Adventures. 

If you've ever thought of a safari or are just curious about one, this podcast goes over a lot of the animal behavior, and how safaris work. Bonus: talk about Zanzibar!

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RATF Classic: #418 John Dyss - RingSide Steakhouse

With news that RingSide Steakhouse is opening back up next week, we wanted to return to our conversation with Executive Chef John Dyss from earlier this year...

ORIGINAL POST:

This week, we talk to John Dyss, Executive Chef at RingSide Steakhouse.

We talk about his upbringing in Northern California, his venture into the food world - and quite possibly his hand in changing pizza forever.

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#422 Greg Higgins - About his Message to Portland about the state of Downtown and Higgins

We thought it would be good to have Greg Higgins, one of Portland's most notable and historically important chefs, expand on the letter he wrote to Portland that went viral about the perilous state of his restaurant.  As if the challenges in the restaurant industry aren't heavy enough, downtown businesses are facing a huge loss of tourism dollars, a fraction of office workers, years of a bad reputation, and construction problems, just to mention a few.

The good news is that the public reacted swiftly and positively, and bookings at Higgins swelled and the short term outlook is better. We discuss what must happen in the long term, and the prospects thereof, in this interview.

Want to help?  Book a reservation not only at Higgins, but any Portland restaurant downtown you've been thinking of visiting.  DO IT.  

www.higginsportland.com

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#421 Lauren Wilson - Ice Cream Entrepreneur and Author - @sweetlosicecream

A wonderfully summery and tasty podcast with Lauren Wilson, who shares with us her journey from moving to Vermont and uncovering her kryptonite -- an ice cream maker in the restaurant where she worked.  She immediately started making ice cream and found that others loved her flavors.  That led to a move back to Seattle, where she developed a wholesale business, accomplishing getting her product into 30 grocery stores in the area.  That was a tough business model.

She eventually wanted to try opening a scoop shop in Portland, but her plans were scuttled by a thing called a pandemic.  So, now she's in the midst of writing an cream recipe book, for which she's seeking out publishers. 

We enjoyed our talk about her journey as well as how childhood memories play into an almost universal love of ice cream.  Plus, some favorite flavors!!!!

Check out Lauren's Insta!

@sweetlosicecream on Instagram

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