Think 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."
Listen to episodes
60 recent
November 7, 20261 hr 15 min
#467 Kelly Lewis - The Wine Spa
Kelly Lewis, founder of Portland's Wine Spa, explains how she turned a wine-spa experience discovered in the country of Georgia into a brick-and-mortar business, and reflects on the pivots and pressures of serial entrepreneurship. She and host Chris discuss scaling a distinctive local concept, building a team, and the hard decisions behind selling businesses and growing a new one. Kelly talks about the differences in challenges and opportunities being a standalone spa in Portland, and part of a hotel experience in wine country. www.thewinespa.com 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
October 31, 20261 hr 45 min
RATF Classic: #439 Edouardo Jordan - His story of his journey to the apex of the Seattle food world, the fall, and the recovery
This classic episode of Right at the Fork comes from January of 2026. ORIGINAL POST 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 better than many of the restaurants he reviewed, and he pursued his interest in cooking at the Le Cordon Bleu (Orlando Culinary Academy) and got his first kitchen job in Tampa, Florida. He worked his way from server to the line, working for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and Per Se, then to Sitka & Sprice in Seattle. With all of that under his belt, he had the chops to open his own restaurant, Salare, in Seattle at the age of 35. That platform, showcasing his talent to the world, led to Food and Wine choosing him as Best New Chef in 2016. Shortly thereafter, Jordan opened JuneBaby, his widely acclaimed ode to Southern cooking. He generated so much attention that the following year he sounded a louder gong by bringing home TWO James Beard Foundation Awards to Seattle. One for Best Chef Northwest, and the other for Best New Restaurant nationwide. He was the first African-American ever to win that award. Edouardo was the baby of the Seattle culinary scene and beyond. In 2019, Time Magazine named him one of the USA's 100 Most Influential People. Then, as Edouardo tells it, all of that was erased in one day. In June of 2021, The Seattle Times published a story featuring multiple accusations of sexual abuse in the workplace by Jordan. As Jordan points out in his recent YouTube Series chronicling his side this story , The newspaper gave him very little time to respond before it was published, and what happened from then on was something unimaginable -- a long, incredibly hard and frustrating time for Chef Jordan. He found roadblocks everywhere, especially in the media, where he couldn't tell his side of the story. Over four years later, Jordan is clawing his way back into the kitchen with the business he started years ago, thefoodwithroots.com . Edouardo joins us on the podcast to talk about his career's rise, its crash, and how he's been emotionally and socially picking up the pieces in recent years, to what he's doing now in work and life, and how he's found balance and answers since the upheaval. 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
October 24, 202656 min
#466 Kurt Huffman - ChefStable Part 2
It's Part 2 of our conversation with Kurt Huffman... though by way of transparency, this is a second conversation that took place days after Part 1, because of an software glitch and missing audio. Kurt was kind enough to reconnect with Chris and talk again Part 2: Kurt Huffman on PDX, Portland's future, and the places worth seeking out Kurt and Chris turn to Portland International Airport and the role local restaurants can play in welcoming visitors. Kurt explains why the airport's high costs, operating demands, and changed travel habits make it difficult for independent businesses to match the economics of large concessionaires—even when local operators bring a higher-quality, more distinctly Portland experience. They discuss Grassa, Loyal Legion, and other local brands at PDX, along with the gap between projected and actual airport dining traffic. The conversation then broadens to Portland's recovery, tourism, and the value of the city's wider Oregon setting. Kurt and Chris reflect on Portland's creative restaurant culture, share thoughts on finding memorable places while traveling, and discuss whether a major-league baseball team could help raise the city's profile. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
October 17, 20261 hr 12 min
#465 Kurt Huffman - ChefStable Part 1
Part 1 Kurt Hoffman joins Chris to trace the origins of ChefStable and its mission to support chefs with the business side of restaurants. They look back at Portland's independent dining boom, discuss why the city can be wary of restaurant groups and self-promotion, and consider how location, parking, labor costs, and private-event business affect a restaurant's chances of success. Kurt also reflects on what it takes for a restaurant to become a legacy, and how experience-driven dining and nightlife are reshaping the scene. As they compare the Pearl District with Portland's eastside neighborhoods, Kurt describes a shift away from office-driven dining toward nightlife and younger customers. The conversation covers the challenges of ChefStable's Lake Oswego venture, the success of locations in Beaverton and Vancouver, and the difficulty of keeping small, independent restaurants profitable and relevant over time. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
October 10, 20261 hr 29 min
#464 Guest Host Brooke Jackson-Glidden talks with Althea Grey Potter - Bar Nouveau.
In this episode of Right at the Fork, we welcome guest host Brooke Jackson-Glidden who sits down with Althea Grey Potter of Bar Nouveau. Althea shares insights on her culinary evolution, food critique, challenges in the industry, and her personal journey through the 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
October 3, 20261 hr 12 min
RATF Classic: #417 Ben Jacobsen - Jacobsen Salt Co.
Ben Jacobsen is the founder of Jacobsen Salt Co., renowned for producing premium sea salts harvested from Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast. Established in 2011, Jacobsen Salt Co. has become an iconic food brand in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Jacobsen's journey into the world of salt began during his time living in Denmark and Norway, where he developed an appreciation for the quality and versatility of artisan sea salts. Upon returning to the Pacific Northwest, he embarked on an extensive search, testing over two dozen coastal sites, before selecting Netarts Bay for its clean, clear waters and high salinity - ideal for salt harvesting. Ben shares with us some of his cherished food and industry anecdotes, as well as some insights on growing a brand in the food industry. JacobsenSalt.com Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
September 26, 20261 hr 0 min
#463 Lyf Gildersleeve and Flying Fish's Patio Project
Lyf Gildersleeve of Flying Fish joins us to talk about the need to update his restaurant/store based on guidelines the City of Portland has imposed on him, resulting in an Indigogo campaign to update Flying Fish, The Flying Fish Patio Project. Lyf talks about how Portland changes the game, not only on regulations, but what they say during business conversations with city officials. Flying Fish must convert its temporary outdoor dining area into a permanent structure. We talk about what that means not only for his business, but also how the city's policies negatively affect small businesses and neighborhoods in Portland. Host Chris Angelus has an offered to donate $250 person to Flying Fish's campaign for any bookings to his Portland Food Adventurescort trip to Oaxaca in January with Maylin Chavez. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
September 19, 20261 hr 29 min
#462 Brooke Jackson-Glidden - The state of food journalism and AI's effect on writing Inbox
Once again, Brooke Jackson-Glidden warms up our podcast with her viewpoints on the state of food journalism, especially on the heels of Saga City letting her and many other staffers go from her position with Portland Monthly. And she talks a bit about what she's up to now, including time in her garden, her frequent appearances on Citycast, and what her visions are going forward. We begin, though, with an interesting discussion on what AI is doing not only to journalism but also to humans and water supplies. And as always, Brooke shares some of her new recent food loves in Portland and the Pacific Northwest, with a few from Chris thrown in for good measure. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
September 12, 20261 hr 11 min
#461 Ryley Eckersley - WØLF
We catch up with Chef Ryley Eckersley again, and this time he shares his journey from professional athlete to chef and restaurateur, where he now practices his trade at WØLF in Portland, discussing the importance of experience, community, and living life fully. We explore his innovative approach to dining, his travel adventures, and how he balances work and family. Ryley's history and vision is definitely not your run-of-the-mill chef story. He's been all over the world and plans to continue exploring, aiming to live and open restaurants in different global locations. We discuss the importance of a broad perspective and instilling that in kids and others, which is one of the goals he pursues at his restaurant. He also shares a bit about his departure from Quaintrelle. https://www.wolf-studio.net/ Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
August 29, 20261 hr 20 min
#460 Byron Beck moves to Paris
We are honored to have one of the icons of Portland media join us for a fun discussion about his decision to leave the city he loves so much, Portland, for the wonders of Paris, where he and his husband had been visiting for years. We talk about the mechanics of the move, and what he's learned to appreciate -- and miss - since relocating just over a month ago. Byron and Chris reminisce about the food scene when it was really thriving in Portland, and how they both perceived and enjoyed it. Byron mentions his favorite spots, some still thriving and some closed, that he misses visiting. He also highlights some of his favorite Paris haunts now, and the difference between visiting Portland and living there. What's he up to? Listen and hear, but one of the things you'll should check out is his street art in Paris, which he will be showing in various locations, including Portland. See that at @byronbeck on Insta. And don't forget to check out host Chris' incredible 2027 trips with @chavezmaylin, Chef John Gorham of @rbcBend and Chef Jaco Smith of @lechonpdx at https://www. portlandfoodadventures.com/ trips Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com
Is this your show?
Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.
