#455 Richard Matusaw - Carioca Bowls

We welcome Richard Matusow to the podcast to talk about his eye-opening journey to Rio de Janiero at the turn of the century, where he discovered the wonders of the superfood açai.  That led to a new career.

 On his way to opening Carioca Bowls in Portland, he learned what he could about a

açai, working for a premier company in the industry.  Now, Carioca Bowls on Alberta, has a loyal following of healthy customers.

 Richard also fills us in on the celebration of his 11th year in business with a big party at the restaurant on June 28th.

A week later, Carioca Bowls and Richard participate in the Portland Waterfront BluesFestival.  Richard fills us in on some of the particulars for the Festival taking place July 2-4.

Richard also shares some of his favorite Alberta haunts, and others in the area. 

www.cariocabowls.com

@cariocabowls

waterfrontbluesfest.com

@waterfrontblues

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Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#453 - @GarytheFoodie and Portland's 2026 James Beard Award Winners

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Friend of the podcast Gary Okazaki joins us once again to lend his thoughts about the current Portland (and elsewhere) James Beard Award winners.  No one is better qualified to discuss this than Gary, especially since two of his favorites in Portland won, Ryan Roadhouse of Nodoguro for Best Chef Northwest / Pacific and Scotch Lodge got the nod for Best Bar in the USA.  We talk about those two places and their proprietors and also how the JBF Awards have changed over the years.

@thenodoguro @ryan.nodoguro @elena_roadhouse @scotchlodge

#452 Piyanut (PJ) Sampaotong - Hua Hin

We are joined by Piyanut of Hua Hin to discuss his journey toward opening and operating his fresh new Thai restaurant on Hawthorne Blvd.

 PJ talks about his mother's influence on his career, as well as some instances in Vancouver, BC that led to his professional growth.  We enjoy a glimpse into the kitchen and Piyanut's philosophy for creating an atmosphere positive for both team members and guests.

Instagram: Huahinpdx

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

RATF Classic: #450 Jaco Smith - Lechon + Travel to South Africa

It's an instant classic with Jaco Smith!  Listen for details on how you can travel with Chef Jaco and Chris Angelus to South Africa. 

ORIGINAL EPISODE POST:

In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith  talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him? 

Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure.  And then consider a trip of a lifetime.

 https://www.lechonpdx.com

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

#451 Gary Okazaki's Happy Hour Roundup

At a time when budget dining is becoming less possible, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie) joins us once again to review his latest Happy Hour finds in Portland.  As always, the conversation wafts into the unexpected and surely provides us with a list of places to try. 

We also talk about some Summer openings in Portland.

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

#450 Jaco Smith - Lechon

In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith  talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him? 

Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure.  And then consider a trip of a lifetime.

https://www.lechonpdx.com

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

RATF Classic: #431 Amanda Cannon-Windquist and Judson Windquist - Sunday Sauce and Normandie

In this classic episode of Right at the Fork, we head back to November of 2025 and our conversation with Amanda Cannon Windquist and Judson Windquist of Sunday Sauce. 

ORIGINAL POST:

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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DU/ER: www.shopduer.com/fork
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RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#449 Christopher Czarnecki - The Joel Palmer House

Christopher Czarnecki, is the chef-owner of Joel Palmer House in Dayton. a fourth-generation family restaurant specializing in wild mushrooms, now based in a historic 1857 house in the heart of Oregon wine country. The restaurant is well-known as a must visit destination while visiting the wine country.  We talk with Christopher about his family's roots in Pennsylvania, why they moved to Oregon, and Christopher's experiences on the way to, and after taking over the restaurant, including his military service.

 Chef Czarnecki cites huge credit to his GM, Levi, and we talk about what he brings to the table.

Right at the Fork is made possible by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

RATF Classic: #432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria

As warmer weather approaches, many of us are heading to coast. Make sure Daphne in Astoria is on your list of to-dos.  Here's our conversation with Jake Martin from last November.

Original Post:

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

Right at the Fork is made possible by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#448 Maylin Chavez - Nacar and Travel to Oaxaca

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

It's a pleasure to have Maylin Chavez join us again.  This time, we talk about her latest venture, Nacar, and how she enjoys doing pop ups now versus owning her own brick and mortar restaurant.

Maylin goes into her background starting in the Baja region in Mexico, what life was like as a child there, and then studying to go into social criminology, until she realized her passion was cooking.

The last half of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion on Maylin's love of travel, and specifically here, Oaxaca, as host Chris Angelus and Chef Maylin are curating a trip there next January, through Chris' venture, Portland Food Adventures.

https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/oaxaca2027

https://www.nacaroysters.com/

#447 Meg Cotner - Bridgetown Bites April '26 Update

With the recent sale of Portland Monthly, local media's coverage of the Portland food scene is surely less voluminous.  But there is one person and her small team, Meg Cotner, publishing her Bridgetown Bites, online and via email push multiple times each week.  We took the opportunity once again to talk to Meg about what's new and upcoming in Portland.  Also, we have a discssion of the business of Bridgetown Bites as well.

Key topics in this episode:

Portland's culinary landscape
Bridgetown Bites and local food coverage
James Beard Awards and local recognition
Challenges of food journalism and AI misconceptions
Upcoming restaurant openings and food events


Website - https://bridgetownbites.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

#446 Patrick McKee - Estes

Chef Patrick McKee joins us for the third time on the podcast, sharing his journey of opening Estes through its popup iterations to now, his brick and mortar restaurant in the heart of a great restaurant block.  We talk about his influences from Italy and family and of course, his mentor Vitaly Paley, and his vision for creating a space that honors heritage and community. We touch on how overcoming adversity shaped his character, and is a lesson to anyone that they can recover from extreme devastations.

Also, Patrick talks about marriage and the challenges associated with the current political atmosphere and having an immigrant wife.

Estes Restaurant - https://estespdx.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/estespdx/

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: #374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest

We flast back to January 2024 and our conversation with Don Bourassa.

Original post:

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

#445 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 2 - Harlow, Country Cat, solpdx and their son's football journey

In the second part of our interview with a couple with deep roots in the Portland food world, Jackie and Adam Sappington share their insights on the state of Portland's food scene and the socio economic factors that affect it.  Adam shares that he remains focused on their own businesses and personal goals rather than the city as a whole, while still being aware and doing their best to serve their communities.  They talk about their much healthier practices now, with some moderation.

 They share their unique and fascinating family journey which includes two very athletic sons and the chronology of events that led to their son Atticus' remarkable football career, including his rise to Division 1 and NFL prospects. We talk stadiums, hot dogs, agents, and their love of Oregon.  Adam fills us in on his solchefpdx project, too.

This is a fun conversation with all sorts of wonderful elements that make these two back-to-back episodes must-listens.

www.harlowpdx.com

www.thecountrycat.net

www.solchefpdx.com/

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RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
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#444 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 1 - Harlow and The Country Cat

We are thrilled to have two of the legends of the current Portland dining scene on the podcast with us, Jackie and Adam Sappington.  Back in 2007, they left Wildwood to create The Country Cat, which was one of the staples of Portland's restaurant heyday.  They eventually opened The Country Cat at the airport, pioneering the idea that a great local restaurant could succeed serving people coming and going from PDX in a very special way.

8 years ago, the Sappingtons bought Harlow restaurant, a plant-based restaurant.  So interested that Adam, who was such a down home Ozark born country boy, would move from so much meat to a plant-based restaurant.  In this interview, we talk about why they did that, personally and professionally, and what it's meant for them since.

Part 2 of this interview will stream starting next week, where we will talk a little more about airport hospitaility, and then get into being parents of one of the best college footaball players in the country as a Duck at the University of Oregon, as their son Atticus readies for the NFL draft.  Stay tuned!!!

@harlowpdx

harlowpdx.com

thecountrycat.net

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RATF Classic: #438 Dominic Finzo - The Screen Door

his week, we look back to our conversation with Dominic Finzo of The Screen Door.

ORIGINAL POST:

Dominic Finzo from The Screen Door restaurant in Portland joins us to talk about the iconic restaurant's 20th anniversary, which they will commemorate in 2026.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Dominic’s earliest memories are steeped in the comforting rhythm of Southern life—where supper was always on the table, and love was served warm by the hands of his grandparents who raised him. It was in their kitchen that Dominic first felt the magic of food—the way a meal could bring people together and make them feel cared for. That connection lit a fire in him, and from a young age, he knew that cooking was more than just a skill—it was a calling.

Dominic sought out mentors and chefs who would help shape his path. His journey took him from Tennessee to Montreal, across Germany, Denmark, and France, then to Maui, and finally to Portland, Oregon. Along the way, he honed his craft in some of the most respected kitchens, mastering techniques and immersing himself in diverse culinary traditions.

Yet, no matter how far he traveled or how many flavors he explored, Dominic’s heart remained tethered to the soulful food of his Southern roots. When he joined the Screen Door team, it felt like a homecoming—a full-circle moment where he could merge the rich traditions of his upbringing with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

www.screendoorrestaurant.com

@screendoorrestaurant

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#443 Althea Grey Potter - Bar Nouveau

Althea Gray Potter shares her journey of opening Bar Nouveau, a restaurant in St. John's, Portland. She discusses her initial reluctance to open a restaurant, how it all came about, how she financed it along with the support she received from loved ones and the community\, and the significance of having a great General Manager, Heather Wallberg and how they met and agreed about the match.  Althea emphasizes the significance of community and connection in the culinary world, and we touch on "authenticity" when it comes to menus, and what that means in 2026.

Fun to hear some of Althea's faves in Portland and even more so, her beloved St. Johns neighborhood.  .

@barnouveaupdx

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Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
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#442 Judiaann Woo - Food Industry Consultant

We are pleased to have been able to spend time with Judiaann Woo on our  podcast.  Judiaann has her pulse on the food world, which comes from a multi-faceted background and perspective, She shares her journey from a childhood passion for food to her move to New York, where she went from the French Culinary Institute to various high level pastry chef positions, eventually realizing that the kitchen wasn't going to be the place where she would thrive.  She made some adjustments, while also accommodating her relationship in New York, to become a prominent figure in the culinary world before returning to Portland.. 

Chris and Judiaann discuss her experiences in high-end kitchens, the transition to food consulting and the impact of social media and influencer marketing on the food and travel industry. Ms Woo talks about the importance of authenticity in storytelling and the role of family values --the child of Korean immigrants -- in shaping her career. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by the restaurant industry during and after the pandemic and the exciting renaissance of Portland's food scene, which has always had Oregon's intense agricultural richness as a foundation for the talent and food enjoyed by many.

 Judiaann is a thoughtful, intelligent professional who has had an impact on many businesses and organizations.  A must-listen!

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

#441 Bill Oakley - Bill Oakley Culinary Events

Here we are again with the awesome and fun Bill Oakley.  Chris and Bill discuss the evolution of The Simpsons and the rise of adult animation, reflecting on how perceptions of cartoons have changed over the years. They delve into Bill's culinary events, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement and the unique opportunity to explore regional dishes without traveling. The discussion shifts to the future of airline food events, highlighting Bill's upcoming event at Loyal Legion at PDX, an innovative approach to recreating iconic airline meals. Sponsorships and collaborations are also explored, particularly with Alaska Airlines, as they discuss the potential for expanding these culinary experiences to other cities.

The conversation wraps up with a look at the Portland Steamies and the local food scene, as well as the impact of social media on culinary experiences, emphasizing the shift towards real-life engagement over online interactions.

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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

#440 Jason French - Open Kitchen (formerly of Ned Ludd)

In this conversation, Jason French shares his journey of navigating the culinary landscape post-pandemic, reflecting on his experiences in Lake Oswego and the evolution of his career. He discusses the challenges of sustaining a business in the food industry, particularly the shift towards digital platforms and the need for chefs to adapt to changing consumer expectations. Jason emphasizes the importance of purpose in his life and work, revealing how he has been weaving together various income streams while pursuing his passion for cooking and writing. We touch on the changing dynamics of the Portland food scene, the impact of social media on dining choices, and the complexities of running a restaurant in today's economy.

In this episode, Jason French shares his journey through the challenges of the pandemic and how it reshaped his culinary philosophy. He reflects on the closure of his restaurant, Ned Ludd, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one's vision in the face of adversity. Jason discusses his transition to Open Kitchen, a venture focused on teaching home cooking and healthy eating, inspired by his wife's dietary needs and his own experiences as a chef and coach. He advocates for a return to simple, nourishing cooking that prioritizes quality ingredients and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones.

Throughout the conversation, Jason critiques the modern food landscape, highlighting the overwhelming noise around diets and cooking trends. He encourages listeners to embrace intuitive cooking, emphasizing that food should be about nourishment and enjoyment rather than strict rules. The episode culminates in Jason's insights on how to create a welcoming kitchen environment and the importance of understanding ingredients, ultimately aiming to demystify home cooking and make it accessible to everyone.

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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