Right At The Fork

We catch up with Carlo Lamagna, chef and owner of his Magna restaurants in both Portland and Denver.  Carlo is creating communities and success in promoting Filipino cuisine, so much so that he's garnered recognition from the James Beard Foundation and diners around the globe since his humble start in the business from Detroit to Chicago to Portland.  He's had his eye on Denver since before he landed in Portland years ago, and so now he's reaching his dream of opening a place there.   Carlo talks about the difference between his two restaurants, and how appreciative he is that his hard work has paid off.     Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Chef Sam Smith has been a notable figure in the Portland culinary scene since he arrived in the city from the Bay Area. He is currently the chef at Yaowarat, Portland Monthly's 2023 Restaurant of the Year.  Sam talks about the experiences of traveling through Thailand with his team doing extensive research to develop the recipes for the restaurant, as well as why the team of Sam, Akkapong Earl Ninsom, Kyle Webster and Eric Nelson is such a powerhouse.    Smith has honed his skills through experiences at renowned establishments like Zahav in Philadelphia and Ava Gene's in Portland. He has a talent and great resume helping restaurants get off the ground, contributing to the success of ventures like Spirit of '77, Ava Gene's Tusk, Sweedeedee, and Yaowarat. He was also recognized as a 2018 Portland Rising Star by StarChefs. Sam also reveals his favorite Portland places. Photo credit:  Thom Hilton/Eater Portland Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSt

Join host Chris Angelus for a lively conversation with his cousin Jimmy Angelus, proprietor of San Francisco's Cole Valley Tavern and Bacon Bacon.    Jim's history, which he talks about here, includes accolades from Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, criticism from Martha Stewart, mentions on Saturday Night Live, a Chopped! appearance and a host of fun stories about the fun people in his family and circle of friends, some of whom with whom you may be familiar.  The most fun anecdote just may be his story of his Dad's fame as NYC's PAR-KING.  You have to hear that one.   Check out Jim's restaurants in SF and SFO as well as @colevalleytavern and @baconbaconsf.   Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

  Sandra Tavares knows the people, places and things that make up a wonderful culinary and wine journey throughout Portugal.  Sandra started her career as a journalist and found herself covering a burgeoning food scene, to the point where she realized she would enjoy developing tours and experiences for people, and taking them to the best Portugal has to offer, rather than just writing about them.  Eventually she met her husband Vitor, and as things happened, eventually they landed in a beautiful vineyard and winery owned by Portugal's benchmark Kopke wines, where Vitor developed a restaurant to serve the local bounty that complemented the wine.  And his deep contacts in the industry in turn, became Sandra's as well.   Sandra is uniquely positioned to be the foremost authority on food and wine in Portugal.  To that end, she designed a wonderful itinerary that our podcast host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures is offering in May of 2025, on which food and wine loving folks can travel with St. Jack c

We are delighted to have Mary Cressler and Sean Martin on the podcast to talk about their venture, Vindulge.  We talk about how it came about and evolved, especially through the pandemic, when their business model had to change.    Vindulge is a wife and husband team who create delicious ways to enjoy cooking and entertaining outside with family and friends. Combined, they have two decades of experience in recipe development, entertaining, education, writing, and professional cooking.   Mary Cressler: Mary Cressler is a wine, food, and travel writer, executive editor of the award-winning blog Vindulge, and co-author of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and upcoming Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza (publishing spring 2025). Mary writes about BBQ and wine on her website, Vindulge, which received an IACP nomination for Best Recipe-Based Blog in 2020 and 2017. Mary is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, recipe developer, and food and wine writer with credits in Wine E

After experiencing the new Portland airport (PDX), we revisit our recent interview with Kurt Huffman of ChefStable who talks about the ins and outs of having multiple restaurants at PDX, from Grassa to Loyal Legion.  Chris and Cort express how this first impression visitors will have of Oregon and Portland is key to the area's growth.   And...   For the first time in the Right at the Fork's 10+ year history, Chris and Cort decide it's time to talk politics on the podcast, but from the perspective of travel and how the world not only looks at our country, but how history may repeat itself for generations that never experienced fascism.  Chris shares his travel experiences and how insightful he thought Rick Steves' recent episodes covering both facism taking hold in Europe and the importance of travel to open one's mind up to a larger picture.  Basically, while issues are important, democracy is at stake in this election and Rick Steves does a masterful job presenting a case for thoughtful voting.   While long,

Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdvent With the news that Berlu Bakery is closing (to relocate), following the perminant closure of Berlue last November - we wanted to revisit our conversation with Vince Nguyen just after his James Beard Foundation award win (Best Chef NW).  Original post 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

This classic episode comes from September of 2023, when Nat West was shutting down his business of 12 years. He's now one of 100 candidates on the ballet for one of 12 city council positions for the new Portland city government.  Original Post 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 

We are honored to have Bill Oakley guest host this episode of Right at the Fork, featuring Nori De Vega - one of Portland's most prominent food and restaurant video creators on Instagram and TikTok.  Nori De Vega was born in Manila, Philippines, and currently lives with her husband and two basenjis in Portland. Her immediate family originally immigrated to Reno, Nevada in the 90’s before everyone but Nori decided to relocate back abroad in the early 2000’s. Nori spent her formative years in the US during the school year and in Manila during winter and summer breaks.  Her passion for food comes from traveling all over the globe since she was a baby and her affinity to connect with other cultures through cuisine. Nori is a small-business advocate, tastemaker, and trusted voice in the food, wine, and hospitality space. She's the founder of Tikim, a collective that focuses on the advancement and celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Find Nori on Instagram @nomnom_nori Photo by Mayn

With news that L'Orange has made the New York Times list of America's Best Restaurants, wanted to return to our conversation from July 2023 with Joel Stocks. Original post: 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

Right at the Fork's most frequent guest, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie), joins Chris on the podcast to discuss his favorite most recent experiences in the Portland food world.   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Jamal Hassan is a seasoned beverage consultant and the owner of Ice Cold Co., a Portland-based company specializing in clear craft cocktail ice. With over 20 years of experience in the beverage and hospitality industry, Jamal has developed and overseen bar programs at award-winning restaurants such as Ox, Tasty N’ Alder, and Mediterranean Exploration Company. A founding member of Sesame Collective Restaurant Group, he served as their Chief Marketing and Beverage Officer before transitioning to consulting full-time.   Jamal Hassan - @ironsheikh  Ice Cold Co.-  @icecoldpdx  Beverage Business Consulting - @beveragebusinessconsulting   Fav. places mentioned in this episode: Ox - @oxpdx Scotch Lodge - @scotchlodge Palomar @palomarpdx Pacific Standard - @pacificstandardpdx Bellwether - @bellwetherbarco Kachka - @kachkapdx   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Kurt Huffman, one of the most influential and key people in Portland's food world, joins us to discuss his company ChefStable's forays into the airport dining circuit with new restaurants in PDX's brand new terminal.  Kurt informs us about what it takes to apply and gain entry, and what the metrics appear to be for the new Grassa and Loyal Legion spaces.   We also touch on where things are hot and not right now in Portland, namely the suburbs of Portland, as downtown continues to languish in the wake of the pandemic and the social protests of 2020.   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

With the opening of Bar RBC in Bend, we return to our conversation with Garrett Peck from August of last year... following the opening of RBC... and the talk of what would become Bar RBC. Original Post:   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. Ga

Get to know Javier Canteras from his original interview on Right at the Fork. From June 21, 2017: Javier Canteras' roots are planted in Madrid, but now he's blossoming as a chef at Urdaneta, the sweet Alberta Street restaurant he owns with his wife, Jael. He's putting out some of the most interesting food in Portland now, which was not his original goal when moving here from Oklahoma to take part in Portland's music scene. He stops by to talk about Spain, life in the midwest, and where you can find him playing his guitar at his Portland gigs.   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

With the news that Ken's Artisan Pizza has opened in downtown Bend, we return to our conversation wtih Peter Kost from November of 2023. ORIGINAL POST: 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

  Tommy Habetz is one of the most significant people in the Portland food world.  Having learned his craft from the likes of Mario Batali and Bobby Flay, he made his way out to Portland and found himself in the middle of an exciting time in the early days of Portland's burgeoning food scene.  He worked with Naomi Pomeroy at both Ripe and Gotham Tavern along side some other chefs and restaurateurs who would go on to accomplish great things as Portland became a hotbed of culinary talent.  Now, over 20 years later, Tommy owns and has built some of the city's most notable spots: Bunk Sandwiches, Bunk Bar, and Pizza Jerk.  In December of 2022, he suffered a brain aneurysm, which landed him in the hospital for four months.  He still hasn't returned to work at his restaurants, and isn't sure when and if he will.   Tommy was gracious in agreeing to come on the podcast with us to share his memories of Naomi Pomeroy, not long after her tragic death in a rafting accident.   He also talks about his big health sca

We catch up with Farmer Evan Gregoire again, while he's on vacation in the San Juan Islands.  Even operates an urban farm, from where he supplies veggies to consumers and the restaurant industry, as well as an opportunity to purchase seeds for those growing their own.  Chris and Evan we talk about some of the joys and challenges that come with that.  We also discuss some of Evan's favorite chefs and places. From Evan's Heirloom Seedhouse website: At the heart of the Seedhouse beats a passion for nurturing nature’s bounty and preserving its precious gifts. We dream of cultivating a diverse array of specialty vegetables and flowers, not just for their culinary delights, but as living legacies of resilience. Our mission stretches far beyond the fields; it’s a commitment to safeguarding these resilient varieties for generations to come. As we gaze into the future, we see a changing landscape, both in our region and our climate. It’s a call to action, urging us to deepen our understanding and connection to our loc

Alexa Numkena-Anderson @cheflex_pdx is enrolled Hopi and is Yakama, Skokomish, Cree and Mexican descent. She was born in Yakima, Washington and grew up in the greater Washington area (Toppenish, Tri-Cites and Fairchild Air Force Base).  After high school Alexa moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue a culinary career and attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary school while also working as a line cook.   She has worked in many kitchens across the Portland, such as @kingtidepdx (formally Three Degrees) @twr.pdx @sammichportland @imperialportland @headwaterspdx and @bullardtavernpdx as well as working for acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs such as @dougiepdx @vit0bike @lesbianmeatmaker & @lauroromero to name a few. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, her indigenous heritage . Her grandma Stella of the Yakama Tribe with memories of fry bread, roast beef, and soups as well as her Hopi heritage With the motivations of being a new mother, she is ready to share and continuously learn about her culture’s food. Inspired

This classic episode of Right at the Fork comes from late summer 2016 and our conversation with Earl Ninsom. A lot has changed for Earl since this interview, including most recently, his restaurant Langbaan being named the Outstanding Restaurant in the 2024 James Beard Awards. ORIGINAL POST: Earl Ninsom opened PaaDee to find his passion. Then he took that to another step with one of Portland's most lauded restaurants, Langbaan. Now he's hoping others realize their dreams with Hat Yai and Kim Jing Smokehouse. We talked to Earl about his trajectory and place in Portland's food world.   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com  Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com  Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for $25 off)