Right at the Fork

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 li...

Right at the Fork is supported by: 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 back...

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...

C hef 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 o...

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...

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...

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...

This 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 alwa...

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...

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 , S he  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 kit...

H ere 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...

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 impo...

Edouardo Jordan's ascent to the top of the Seattle culinary world was a long journey that started in his childhood St. Petersburg kitchen helping his mother, when given the choice of that or cleaning his room.  Edouardo takes us through his high school, college and post college pursuits, one of which was working with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to becoming a food blogger,  He then decided he could do...

We're looking back to November 2024 and our conversation with Sandra Tavares... ORIGINAL POST:   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...

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 wa...

We're back with Part 2 of our conversation with Gary Okazaki - aka @GarytheFoodie.  Gary gives us his top 10  (out of the 25) - highlighting the most important/defining restaurants of the first quarter century in Portland.  Chris throws in the restaurants he thinks should have been on the list.  Check out episode #436 to hear 25-11.   They touch on the rise of pop-up restaurants and reflect on the...

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Gary Okazaki - aka @GarytheFoodie, Chris and Gary start with 15+2 of Gary's list of the 25 most important/defining restaurants of the first quarter century in Portland.  (The top 10 are next week).   They touch on the rise of pop-up restaurants and reflect on the future of Portland's food scene, concluding with thoughts on the lasting impact of these estab...

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 t...

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 loc...

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 every...

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 professi...

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 the...

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 h...

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 commu...

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...