Right at the Fork

A blast from the past! Carrie Welch—former owner and operator of the PR firm Little Green Pickle and co-founder of Portland's world-class food festival, Feast Portland—joins us from Camillus, New York, to talk about her new career in academia. After leaving Portland when COVID-19 hit and closing her businesses, Carrie is now an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. In this episode, she discuss...

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 o...

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 o...

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   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 sin...

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 gues...

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...

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   RingSid...

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...

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...

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, a...

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...