Right of the Fork
346 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 41 ratingsThink Portland, Oregon is all VooDoo Doughnuts and "put an egg on it?" One of Portland's most prominent "food sherpas" and Portland Food Adventures' founder Chris Angelus along with co-host Cort Johnson invite the region’s most prominent and up-and-coming tastemakers to pull up a chair and talk about the craft of food & beverage in their own words. This is “Right at the Fork.”
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Episodes
#383 Rob Sample - Mother's Bistro
April 05, 2024 10:30 - 1 hour - 132 MBRob Sample joins us on the podcast. He's the Chief Schmoozing Officer at Mother’s Bistro, where his wife Lisa has been well known as the chef and restaurateur since 2002. Lisa just won the area's "Most Remarkable Woman" award on KOIN and we thought there was no one better to talk about why that's an apt designation for Lisa than Rob. Rob has lots of Portland stories to tell, and also stores of raising two young kids with Lisa after tragedy struck a few years ago. So, we talk about that a...
#383 Rob Sample - Mothers Bistro
April 05, 2024 10:30 - 1 hour - 132 MBRob Sample joins us on the podcast. He's the Chief Schmoozing Officer at Mothers Bistro, where his wife Lisa has been well known as the chef and restaurateur since 2002. Lisa just won the area's "Most Remarkable Woman" award on KOIN and we thought there was no one better to talk about why that's an apt designation for Lisa than Rob. Rob has lots of Portland stories to tell, and also stores of raising two young kids with Lisa after tragedy struck a few years ago. So, we talk about that an...
RATF Classic: #357 Joel Stocks - L'Orange
March 29, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBFrom July 2023: 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 w...
#382 Kyo Koo - Warsugai
March 22, 2024 10:30 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBRight at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com Kyo Koo joins us again on the podcast to talk about Warsugai, his new restaurant that opened in February of this year. Kyo is a Portland native who grew up with frequent exposure to the Asian food world in Portland at the time of his childhood. Kyo has had key roles at Clarklewis and Bluehour, before embarki...
#381 Louis Lin - Xiao Ye
March 15, 2024 10:30 - 1 hour - 124 MBListen in as Chef and restaurateur Louis Lin takes us from his childhood to his cooking career to Portland, where he and his partner Jolyn have created a beautiful spot that celebrates the idea of a first generation American serving casual food one might find in a late night setting. Louis also addresses pricing out menu items and some of the joys of owning his own business in Portland. Also, he shares a great list of his favorite spots in Portland. Make sure to stay tuned! Right...
#381 Louis Lin - Xaio Ye
March 15, 2024 10:30 - 1 hour - 124 MBListen in as Chef and restaurateur Louis Lin takes us from his childhood to his cooking career to Portland, where he and his partner Jolyn have created a beautiful spot that celebrates the idea of a first generation American serving casual food one might find in a late night setting. Louis also addresses pricing out menu items and some of the joys of owning his own business in Portland. Also, he shares a great list of his favorite spots in Portland. Make sure to stay tuned! Right...
#380 Kris Trimble - Barista @ Capitola Coffee
March 08, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 107 MBKris Trimble is a professional barista at Capitola Coffee. He started getting into coffee during undergrad days in Grand Junction, Colorado. Going to cafes and trying different types of coffee started him on his path. Kris started making french presses at home and it evolved from there. He's always been drawn to coffee - the process, the ritual, the time and intention put into the final product. From studying Counseling Psychology in undergrad, to Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy ...
#285: RIP Chef Lauro Romero - from August, 2021
February 23, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBUpon the very sad news of the passing of Chef Lauro Romero on February 16, 2024, we revisit our interview with him from 2021. After this interview, Chef Romero left Republica to start his lauded pop-up, Clandestino. From there, he was hired as chef du Cuisine to build a menu and team at Bellpine, the new restaurant at Portland's new Ritz Carlton hotel and luxury apartments. At the time of this writing, the cause of death is unknown. The Portland food community is quite sad and d...
#379 Lindsay Gott - Gateaux & her Hood River, Oregon Food and Drink Recommendations
February 16, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 112 MBWe head east to enter into a conversation with Lindsay Gott, who is growing a tasty brand of frozen baked goods, Gateaux, from Hood River, Oregon. Lindsay worked at one of the world's powerhouse ad agencies for years, when she had the calling to cook, and found her way to Paris and Le Cordon Bleu and then cooking in excellent restaurants like Chez Panisse. Knowing she didn't want to work in restaurants, per se, she fell in love with a man from Oregon and moved north from the Bay Area,...
#378 Dana Francisco - Canard and Le Pigeon
February 09, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 119 MBHead Chef at Portland's Canard and Le Pigeon, Dana Francisco joins us to talk about his roles at the restaurants, the joys of working with Gabe Rucker, as well as what brought him to Portland from his positions of responsibility at important corporate restaurants as well as his other experiences. Dana discusses his strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen and at home, as well as his guilty pleasures between the two places. It's a nice, frank discussion about humility and what it takes t...
#377 Javier Canteras - Urdaneta and Everyday Slave
February 02, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 120 MBRight at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com We delve into another side of Urdaneta chef Javier Canteras, his love of music. Chef Javier talks about his early influences from his childhood, as he moved from Spain to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Arriving not speaking a word of English, he found it difficult to assimilate. He escaped into a love of 80s metal music, eventually finding his way into various bands. Later in life, he...
#376 Alexander Diestra - King Tide Fish & Shell
January 26, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBAlexander Diestra grew up in Peru and made his way to Portland, honing his cooking skills at places like Clarklewis and Saucebox. Currently, he is Executive Chef at King Tide Fish and Shell at the Kimpton Riverplace Hotel. Alex talks with Chris about how running a hotel restaurant differs from a standalone, like Andina, where he was head chef through the pandemic and navigated those waters before making the current move. Alex shares his thoughts not only on managing people in a kitche...
RATF Classic: #338 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures and Coopers Hall
January 19, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 97.3 MBWe look back to January 2023 and this episode with Joel Gunderson: Joel Gunderson comes by RATF to talk about his second venture with Chef Aaron Barnett, Heavenly Creatures. Joel talks how the pandemic has reshaped hospitality, and also resets Portland back to something that resembles the spirit of 2010, when he and Barnett opened Restaurant St. Jack. Joel reminisces about meeting Aaron while partying and how Aaron encouraged him to familiarize himself with wine so they could open a resta...
#375 Alan Maniscalco + Shan Wickham - Lucky Horseshoe Lounge & Rally Pizza
January 12, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 98.6 MBAlan Maniscalco and Shan Wickham, proprietors of The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge and Rally Pizza, join us to talk about their new spot on Clinton as well as Rally Pizza's residence at Victor 23 Brewing. We also talk about Alan's significant history as co-founder of Ken's Artisan Pizza Brief bios: Shan grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa, where she worked as a librarian before moving to San Francisco to attend California Culinary Academy’s Baking...
#374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest
January 05, 2024 11:30 - 1 hour - 124 MBDon 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...
#373 Gary Okazaki's Year-end Lists of PDX Favorites
December 29, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 105 MBGary the Foodie has more appearances on Right at the Fork than any other guest, so it's fitting that we complete our tenth year with an episode featuring Gary's current favorites in Portand, Gary goes over his top 10 pizza places, top 10 new restaurants, and even his current top 10 overall in PDX. Always a fun talk, Gary is the ultimate PDX food world insider. Insta @GaryTheFoodie Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.Ri...
#372 Bill Oakley - Steamed Hams Society & The Steamie Awards
December 22, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 109 MBBill Oakley is back (see episode #313)! Bill Oakley made a name for himself with his work on The Simpsons and other TV shows, being one of the key writers and a showrunner for years. Now, he's gained recognition on shows like "The Food that Made America." His love of all types of food, prompts Bills return to the podcast again, this time to talk about some of the awards bestowed on behalf of his Steamed Hams Society. Using the Portland Steamies and the National Steamies as a foundation...
RATF Classic: #1 Don Bourassa - Yelp
December 15, 2023 11:30 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MBWe are going all the way back to January of 2014 and our first episode ever with Don Bourassa of Yelp. From our original post: Chris and Heather introduce the podcast, and sit down with Don Bourassa, Portland Community Manager for Yelp!, to talk about chefs’ love/hate relationship with the review site. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
#371 Sherri Brown - Portland By Mouth Food Tours
December 08, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 101 MBSherri Brown has quite a broad background when it comes to travel and food. She's lived in lots of places, traveled the world and sought adventure wherever she goes. Sherri met host Chris on one of his Portland Food Adventures trips on the Snake River, where they talked Portland food to the point where one of the guests asked them to stop!. On this episode, Sherri showcases the best of Portland's neighborhood's food to tourists and locals alike, as proprietor of Portland by Mouth Food Tou...
#370 Peter Kost - Ken's Artisan Pizza and Carina Lounge
December 01, 2023 23:30 - 1 hour - 140 MBPeter 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 e...
#369 Erika Polmar - Plate & Pitchfork Producer Fund / Advocating against Dollar Store Proliferation
November 17, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 109 MBTireless food and industry advocate Erika Polmar joins us to discuss the nefarious plans Dollar General and other stores like it have to decimate local food economies. Erika shares the history of this movement starting with Walmart and the vacumm left in their wake for Dollar stores to step in and suck dollars from small towns, leaving a less healthy populace and food system as a result. We also begin with an epilogue from Erika about her 20 years doing farm dinners -- what their purp...
RATF Classic #361 John Denison - Câche Câche
November 10, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 107 MBFlashing back to August of 2023 and our conversation with John Denison. John Denison joins us at a time of big changes in his life. Having just opened his seafood bar, Câche Câche, he's on the cusp of marriage to a woman he met in Paris four years ago while working at Verjus. We will follow John on his culinary journey from the Portland Meat Collective and St, Jack, where he met Kate Hill and found a way to follow her to her beautiful Camont in Gascony. It was there where French cu...
#368 Aaron Barnett - St. Jack / Heavenly Creatures / Giant Squid
November 03, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 129 MBCanada born, LA-bred chef Aaron Barnett was on the path to becoming a veterinarian when he decided to bail and pursue his passion. From an early age, Aaron Barnett’s parents instilled in him a love of food. He was eating snails and dining on his mom’s home-made ceviche when other kids were munching PB & J. He attended culinary school in California before working in Vancouver, BC, and back in San Francisco. He moved to Portland and served as Executive Chef at two culinary icons. Portland pr...
#367 Hillary Dixler Canavan - Eater / 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes book
October 27, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 98.4 MBWe are pleased to welcome Hillary Dixler Canavan to the podcast Hillary is Eater’s national restaurant editor. Starting in the industry in New York, Hillary landed at Eater in 2013, and now she defines the scope of Eater's restaurant coverage throughout the USA. We caught up with her when she was in Portland to promote her new book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes from the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters, which celebrates America’s iconic restaurants with must-eat recipe...
#366 Kathy High - Bay City Kitchen
October 20, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBOur guest this week is Kathy High from Bay City Kitchen. Kathy High is a former Connecticut yankee and current pie enthusiast, with childhood training in why currants belong in jam and how Mark Twain handled conversation flow at dinner parties. Like most classically trained professional bakers, she cut her teeth in careers as a trainer for Borders Books and Music and multiple positions in museum education. After a stint in Atlanta battling kudzu and the challenges of catering in Georgia, a...
RATF Classic: #344 Ben Edmunds - Brewmaster @ Breakside Brewery
October 13, 2023 10:00 - 58 minutes - 80.9 MBWe're looking back to March of this year, and our conversation with Ben Edmunds - Brewmaster at Breakside Brewery in Portland - where he oversees the company's production brewery and at the time, two pub breweries. Since this interview, they've opened up a location in Lake Oswego, Astoria - and their long talked about Beer Garden and Beer Hall in Beaverton. We talk about his background, growing up in the mid-west, to what ultimately inspired him to change careers as a high school teache...
#365 Sylvan Mishima Brackett - SF's Rintaro & Cook Book Author
October 06, 2023 10:00 - 52 minutes - 71.8 MBOur conversation this week is with Sylvan Mishima Bracket, chef and owner of Rintaro in San Francisco's mission district. Sylvan went to college in Portland, attending Reed College, and then began working at Portland area restaurants, including Genoa with Cathy Whims. In 2007, Sylvan first started a catering company turned bento shop - before opening his acclaimed Rintaro in late 2014. Hear about Sylvan's upbringing in Northern California, his time in Portland and how he created Rint...
RATF Classic: #350 Chris Schultz - CEO Voodoo Doughnut
September 29, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 94.8 MBFall means doughnuts, at least for Cort. Here's a look back to May 2023 and our conversation with Chris Schultz, CEO at Voodoo Doughnut. Chris Schultz, CEO of Portland's iconic brand Voodoo Doughnut, joined the company in 2017 to bring his 30+ years experience in the restaurant industry to the company. Prior to taking over the leadership of Voodoo, he helped Mod Pizza expand nationwide and before that, worked at Starbucks during its rapid expansion. Since coming aboard, he's helped ...
RATF Classic: #323 Tyler Malek - Salt & Straw
September 22, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBLooking back at August 2022 and our conversation with Tyler Malek: For the first time in 7 years, we bring the positive vibe of Tyler Malek to our guests through a fun conversation about what motivates Tyler at Salt & Straw, and how things have evolved as the company has grown from 2 employees to over 1000 in a handful of states around the country. We'll talk about how becoming a father has changed his perspectives in life and business, and then we discuss the company's new product, ice...
#364 Nat West - Closing Reverend Nat's Hard Cider
September 15, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 92.9 MBWe 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...
#363 Ricky Bella - Palomar
September 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBNative Portlander Ricky Bella's culinary career started when he offered to fill in washing dishes for another high school dropout friend who sucked at the job. From there, he landed at a pop-up, wondering what the hell world that was; multi course meals with cooking methods and ingredients he had no idea existed. Eventually he landed in the kitchen at Paley's Place to learn from the best. Ricky reveals who's the best cook he's ever seen and why in our discussion. Now he's running the show ...
#362 Garrett Peck - RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) Bend
September 01, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 110 MBIt'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. Ther...
RATF Classic: #345 - Chris Angelus' Northern and Central Oregon Coastal Food Suggestions
August 25, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 81.8 MBThis week, we return to March 2023, and our conversation about places to eat on Oregon's Northern Coast . Our host Chris Angelus takes us on a culinary journey from Astoria to Yachats with his favorite spots to eat, along with a couple of other places to see and go. Chris has over 10 years of experiences to share with listeners. If you're heading the the northernmost 180 miles of Oregon Coast, this episode is a must! Places we cover in this episode include: Astoria Cannon Beach ...
#361 John Denison - Câche Câche
August 18, 2023 10:39 - 1 hour - 116 MBJohn Denison joins us at a time of big changes in his life. Having just opened his seafood bar, Câche Câche, he's on the cusp of marriage to a woman he met in Paris four years ago while working at Verjus. We will follow John on his culinary journey from the Portland Meat Collective and St, Jack, where he met Kate Hill and found a way to follow her to her beautiful Camont in Gascony. It was there where French cuisine got into his soul. He moved over to Barcelona and the world-famous Ti...
#360 Kurt Huffman -ChefStable
August 11, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 127 MBOnce again, we catch up with a friend of the podcast and a friend to many industry folks diners, Kurt Huffman of ChefStable. Kurt is an integral partner in so many of Portland's successful restaurant ventures, we wanted to talk to him about the state of the restaurant industry in 2023, and what it takes to operate a viable restaurant in seemingly post-pandemic times. The discussion takes us into a few perspectives, from restaurant owner, to worker, to what diners can expect and what ...
#359 Adam Sawyer - Grief/Travel/Hiking/Food Writer
August 04, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 143 MBAdam Sawyer built a writing career from the depths of heroin addiction writing about what helped him through that, which was communing with nature. Serendipitously, it was in nature where he met the love of his life, Kara, with whom he bought a home off the grid in Washington to base their lives together. While away on a business trip less than two years ago, a fire took away virtually every single thing in his life. His life partner, his home, and his cherished cat, not to mention all hi...
RATF Classic: #322 Aundre Barnes - Urdaneta
July 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 84.2 MBIt's a classic episode of the podcast (we think it's classic at least!) from a year ago. We spend an hour with Aundre Barnes, who has been serving diners at Portland's Urdaneta for the past 7 years. Aundre is a native Portlander and has seen many changes over his years here. He's worked in banking and in voice-over work along the way. He shares with us some of the reasons for his passion and his love of the industry, which run from the soulful experience of gaining first-hand knowledge o...
#358 Mark Lopez - Gather and Feast Farm and Crave Catering
July 21, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 120 MBWe take a journey through time with Mark Lopez, who discusses the opening of his taqueria in Portland in 1997 and all that occurred up to today, when currently he runs both Crave Catering and Gather and Feast Farm. We will learn how one of the businesses fed off the other, and how they operate together and also a bit more independently now. Mark shares details about events they produce at the farm, one of which will be one of Plate & Pitchfork's finale events in August with Chef Carlo Lama...
#357 Joel Stocks - L'Orange
July 14, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBJoel 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 Fren...
#356 Kat Whitehead - Meals on Wheels People
July 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBWe have the pleasure of spending an hour with Kat Whitehead, now the Director of Compliance at Meals on Wheels People in Portland. Many knew Kat as one of the key people at Salt and Straw, and during her tenure at Aviary as part owner and pastry chef. We will discuss her new responsibilities, as well as the experiences that led her on her journey. Kat and Chris also talk a little about their days in Connecticut. Kat also shares some of her favorite spots to dine in Portland. Ri...
RATF Classic: #315 Emily Cafazzo & Ryan Domingo - Sugarpine Drive-In + "Tastebound"
June 30, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBSummer is here - and it's the perfect time to visit Sugarpine Drive-In. Which is why we wanted to bring back this episode from a year ago with Emily Cafazzo and Ryan Domingo. Emily and Ryan were in Hawaii when we spoke, so please excuse the audio quality - but we think you'll enjoy this conversation. ORIGINAL POST Joining us from their time away in Hawaii are Emily Cafazzo and Ryan Domingo of the now iconic Sugarpine Drive-In in Troutdale. We discuss the genesis of Sugarpine and how ...
#355 Bruce Porter - ChefStable's Midtown Beer Garden
June 23, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 103 MBBruce Porter joins us to talk about his journey in the Portland hospitality industry toward his new position heading up ChefStable's new Midtown Beer Garden, a sophisticated good cart pod outside Expensify's new headquarters. Bruce managed some of Portland's iconic properties, from Oba to Ringside Hospitality Group prior to establishing his own consulting business. As the pandemic hit, Bruce ran into some very challenging health issues. We discuss how he managed his emotions and optim...
#354 Gary Okazaki - @GaryTheFoodie shares his Portland Top 5s for many categories
June 16, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 139 MBGary Okazaki @Garythefoodie joins us to give listeners the benefit of his prolific dining adventures in Portland. His top 5 lists include Weekend Brunch, Pasta, lunch, opening he's looking forward to, and of course his current Top 5 restaurants in Portland. We'll discuss the James Beard Awards, and how his friends manage to win. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandF...
#353 Vince Nguyen - Berlu, JBF Best Chef Northwest/Pacific 2023
June 09, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBThis 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...
RATF Classic: #338 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures and Coopers Hall
June 02, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBThis episode was originally release in January 2023. Joel Gunderson comes by RATF to talk about his second venture with Chef Aaron Barnett, Heavenly Creatures. Joel talks how the pandemic has reshaped hospitality, and also resets Portland back to something that resembles the spirit of 2010, when he and Barnett opened Restaurant St. Jack. Joel reminisces about meeting Aaron while partying and how Aaron encouraged him to familiarize himself with wine so they could open a restaurant toge...
#352 Lindsay Goodrich - Proud Mary Coffee
May 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 126 MBLindsay Goodrich has been on quite a journey since he joined the Proud Mary team in Melbourne years ago. He followed PM Owner Nolan Hirte to Portland to bring a very unique Melbourne cafe / coffee experience to the USA, and navigate a new territory, finding success and lines out the door in due time. Once established, this thing called the pandmemic hit, which coincided with plans for Proud Mary to expand to Austin, TX. Lindsay helped build that and then settled into life in Boise, Idaho...
#351 Neil Thompson - Skywater Fine Wines and Skywater Tea House, Hillsboro
May 19, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 116 MBComing up on the one year mark since opening Skywater Fine Wines, Neil Thompson joins us to talk about that adventure which started with the extreme challenges of running his Park Avenue Fine Wines in downtown Portland, before finally hanging up the towel there and moving west to brighter pastures. He and his husband Hans opened two businesses between them, including Skywater Tea House a few months after the wine shop opened, to the delight of many local folks in Hillsboro that apprec...
#350 Chris Schultz - CEO, Voodoo Doughnut
May 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBChris Schultz, CEO of Portland's iconic brand Voodoo Doughnut, joined the company in 2017 to bring his 30+ years experience in the restaurant industry to the company. Prior to taking over the leadership of Voodoo, he helped Mod Pizza expand nationwide and before that, worked at Starbucks during its rapid expansion. Since coming aboard, he's helped Voodoo expand into new markets and weather a pandemic. We talk about bringing Voodoo and its Portland ethos to new markets, what the criteria is...
RATF Classic #339: Lisa Schroeder - Mother's Bistro and 2023 Restaurant Challenges
May 05, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBOn the news that Lisa Schroeder was named the Oregon Small Business Person of the Year for 2023, we felt it necessary to bring back our conversation with Lisa from January of this year. Chef Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro has had a very challenging few years. The most recent upset was when her bank wouldn't honor refunding the money on checks written to her bank account number under someone else's name, simply because she didn't report the problem soon enough. This comes on the he...
#349 Rodrigo Baena - Favela Brazilian Café
April 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 92.6 MBYou can't deny positivity that comes from talking to Rodrigo Baena, co-owner and founder of Favela Brazilian Café in Southeast Portland. Rodrigo opened Favela with his wife, Dunya De Souza, in 2019 as a place not just for Brazilian immigrants to gather and celebrate the country's culture, but for everyone and anyone in the community to come together. Since opening, Rodrigo and Dunya have opened a second location on Belmont, as well as a food truck. Hear about Rodrigo's journey from Brazi...