Right at the Fork

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...

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 o...

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 Port...

Join us in welcoming  DU/ER as a new sponsor to the podcast. Visit www.shopduer.com/fork and receive 15% off your first purchase!   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...

Please join us in welcoming DU/ER as a new sponsor to the podcast. Visit www.shopduer.com/fork and receive 15% off your first purchase! 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...

Please join us in welcoming DU/ER as a new sponsor to the podcast. Visit www.shopduer.com/fork and receive 15% off your first purchase!       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....

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 e...

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...

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 stor...

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 . ...

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. We also ta...

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 reput...

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 in...

Lisa Schroeder, chef/owner at Mother's Bistro, now in its 25th year in Portland, joins us on the podcast to discuss the state of the industry and what she's doing to keep moving forward at the restaurant.  That includes a new New York Deli menu.  Lisa explains that while there used to be real Jewish deli food in Portland, there's a vacuum for a real pastrami sandwich and other great dishes that ne...

It's summer, and that means it's Hog Dog Season...  So here's a look back to our conversation with Michael Mudd from earlier this year.   We venture out to Manzanita for this podcast, and take the opportunity to chat with Michael Mudd, the proprietor of Manzanita Mudd Dogs. Whether you have been to or plan on visiting Manzanita, the story of how the iconic Manzanita Mudd Dogs started to how Michae...

We look back at our January 2025 conversation with Frank Squillo of Wanda's Cafe & Bakery. ORIGINAL POST:   Frank Squillo has had quite a storied career, but as he points out in this episode, there are definite parallels between his career as a radio host and now, as co-owner of the storied Wanda's Cafe and Bakery, a mainstay of the North Oregon Coast that he purchased with his husband in 2019 and...