Right of the Fork

We look back at our converation with Don Bourassa in January 2024... 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 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. We also get a taste of Portugal, where, among other tasty morsels of info, his wife has created a community of Vegans. https://internationaladulting.substack.com/ Insta @thedonb Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Joining us this week is Andrea Falaschi, fourth generation butcher from Macelleria Falaschi in San Miniato in the heart of Tuscany. Andrea's family business is celebrating its 100th year in 2025. Andrea takes us through his family history with some anecdotes about how the business started back in 1925 with his great Grandfather Guido emigrating from Argentina with no reading and writing skills to open San Miniato's first butcher shop. Moving through Fascism in Italy we hear about the discord between his grandfather Vasco and Vasco's brother Bruno, and you must hear the segment discussing Vasco's fear of the phone when that technology became commonplace!! Also, Andrea talks about the influence women in the family had on the business. Andrea, with interpretation assistance from his dear friend Astrid Ensign, who designs Portland Food Adventures trips to Italy, shares some of the challenges of the business, including the severe conditions in Italy through the pandemic. He is a huge lover of cinema, and Andrea shares the joy he had visiting the Goonies house when visiting Oregon earlier this year, as well as some of his favorite experiences in Oregon. How does this relate to Portland? Well, here. Two ways!: Andrea will be the marquee guest at the Oregon Mailata in May of 2025, the Italian Festival of the Pig put on by renowned chef Portland chef Cathy Whims and her team. The event takes place on March 22 and tickets can be found here, where you can see his exciting butchering demonstration, in addition to many other workshops, wine tasting, and a big celebratory meal put on by some of Portland's best chefs. VISIT ANDREA IN TUSCANY!! This!! A very few select folks can book a trip to Tuscany in the Fall with RATF host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures, and celebrate Macelleria Falaschi's 100th anniversary with Andrea and PFA's Astrid Ensign, former expat, and host Chris. Check out those details here and contact Chris - contact into on the PFA website at the link to your left. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

We catch up with Carlo LaMagna of Magna Kusina and Magna Kaina in Denver. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Chef Sam Smith has been a notable figure in the Portland culinary scene since he arrived in the city from the Bay Area. He is currently the chef at Yaowarat, Portland Monthly's 2023 Restaurant of the Year. Sam talks about the experiences of traveling through Thailand with his team doing extensive research to develop the recipes for the restaurant, as well as why the team of Sam, Akkapong Earl Ninsom, Kyle Webster and Eric Nelson is such a powerhouse. Smith has honed his skills through experiences at renowned establishments like Zahav in Philadelphia and Ava Gene's in Portland. He has a talent and great resume helping restaurants get off the ground, contributing to the success of ventures like Spirit of '77, Ava Gene's Tusk, Sweedeedee, and Yaowarat. He was also recognized as a 2018 Portland Rising Star by StarChefs. Sam also reveals his favorite Portland places. Photo credit: Thom Hilton/Eater Portland Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Join host Chris Angelus for a lively conversation with his cousin Jimmy Angelus, proprietor of San Francisco's Cole Valley Tavern and Bacon Bacon. Jim's history, which he talks about here, includes accolades from Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, criticism from Martha Stewart, mentions on Saturday Night Live, a Chopped! appearance and a host of fun stories about the fun people in his family and circle of friends, some of whom with whom you may be familiar. The most fun anecdote just may be his story of his Dad's fame as NYC's PAR-KING. You have to hear that one. Check out Jim's restaurants in SF and SFO as well as @colevalleytavern and @baconbaconsf. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

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 people, and taking them to the best Portugal has to offer, rather than just writing about them. Eventually she met her husband Vitor, and as things happened, eventually they landed in a beautiful vineyard and winery owned by Portugal's benchmark Kopke wines, where Vitor developed a restaurant to serve the local bounty that complemented the wine. And his deep contacts in the industry in turn, became Sandra's as well. Sandra is uniquely positioned to be the foremost authority on food and wine in Portugal. To that end, she designed a wonderful itinerary that our podcast host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures is offering in May of 2025, on which food and wine loving folks can travel with St. Jack chef Aaron Barnett to Porto, the beautiful Douro River Valley and Lisbon to take bites and sips of the varied histories and customs of the beautiful country. The trip features two hotels and inns from the folks at Kopke as well as dining with solid Michelin-star chefs throughout the region, as well as some pub food curated by expat Don Bourassa, former Portland Yelp Community Director. This podcast is a fun journey outside of our area, but with Portland connections to keep us grounded! The Portland Food Adventures Portugal trip is here: https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/portugal-with-kopke Sandra is here on Instagram: @simply_b_sandra Podcast with Don here, where he talks about moving to Portugal: https://rightatthefork.com/shows/2024/1/5/374-don-bourassa-international-adulting-and-inaugural-ratf-guest Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

We are delighted to have Mary Cressler and Sean Martin on the podcast to talk about their venture, Vindulge. We talk about how it came about and evolved, especially through the pandemic, when their business model had to change. Vindulge is a wife and husband team who create delicious ways to enjoy cooking and entertaining outside with family and friends. Combined, they have two decades of experience in recipe development, entertaining, education, writing, and professional cooking. Mary Cressler: Mary Cressler is a wine, food, and travel writer, executive editor of the award-winning blog Vindulge, and co-author of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and upcoming Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza (publishing spring 2025). Mary writes about BBQ and wine on her website, Vindulge, which received an IACP nomination for Best Recipe-Based Blog in 2020 and 2017. Mary is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, recipe developer, and food and wine writer with credits in Wine Enthusiast, Serious Eats, Weber Grills Online, Barbecue America Magazine, Big Green Egg, Oregon Wine Press, and many more, and is a frequent judge for wine competitions. Sean Martin: Sean Martin started with a career in property casualty insurance. He’d always enjoyed cooking and helped co-found Ember and Vine catering in 2014. After being awarded one of Oregon’s best wine country caterers in 2015, he continued to work with Mary on recipe development and ways to create approachable outdoor cooking recipes and helped co-author both books. Sean works with the culinary and beverage partners of Vindulge like Big Green Egg, Alfa Forni Pizza Ovens, and Federalist Wines. They teach classes on wine, grilling, barbecue, and outdoor pizzas and are featured chefs at events throughout the country. They live on a small farm in Oregon wine country with their twin boys. You find explore hundreds of recipes at www.vindulge.com and follow them at Vindulge at all their socials. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

After experiencing the new Portland airport (PDX), we revisit our recent interview with Kurt Huffman of ChefStable who talks about the ins and outs of having multiple restaurants at PDX, from Grassa to Loyal Legion. Chris and Cort express how this first impression visitors will have of Oregon and Portland is key to the area's growth. And... For the first time in the Right at the Fork's 10+ year history, Chris and Cort decide it's time to talk politics on the podcast, but from the perspective of travel and how the world not only looks at our country, but how history may repeat itself for generations that never experienced fascism. Chris shares his travel experiences and how insightful he thought Rick Steves' recent episodes covering both facism taking hold in Europe and the importance of travel to open one's mind up to a larger picture. Basically, while issues are important, democracy is at stake in this election and Rick Steves does a masterful job presenting a case for thoughtful voting. While long, highly recommended programs to watch and share!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp6keXi0Ca0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ELvxuKMUQ Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdvent With the news that Berlu Bakery is closing (to relocate), following the perminant closure of Berlue last November - we wanted to revisit our conversation with Vince Nguyen just after his James Beard Foundation award win (Best Chef NW). Original post This 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 and the labor situation in Portland. We will also hear some glimpses about how Vince would like to expand Berlu and what that would take. Enjoy this talk with Vince, who surely will endear himself to you and make you want to enjoy his talents at Berlu, if you haven't been already. And make note of his Venmo handle. It just may be a way to get a table!! :-) (That's said tongue in cheek)

This classic episode comes from September of 2023, when Nat West was shutting down his business of 12 years. He's now one of 100 candidates on the ballet for one of 12 city council positions for the new Portland city government. Original Post We 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 the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

We are honored to have Bill Oakley guest host this episode of Right at the Fork, featuring Nori De Vega - one of Portland's most prominent food and restaurant video creators on Instagram and TikTok. Nori De Vega was born in Manila, Philippines, and currently lives with her husband and two basenjis in Portland. Her immediate family originally immigrated to Reno, Nevada in the 90’s before everyone but Nori decided to relocate back abroad in the early 2000’s. Nori spent her formative years in the US during the school year and in Manila during winter and summer breaks. Her passion for food comes from traveling all over the globe since she was a baby and her affinity to connect with other cultures through cuisine. Nori is a small-business advocate, tastemaker, and trusted voice in the food, wine, and hospitality space. She's the founder of Tikim, a collective that focuses on the advancement and celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Find Nori on Instagram @nomnom_nori Photo by Maynard Villaflores. About Bill Oakley: 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. Check out Bill's apparences on Right at the Fork: Episodes #313 and #372. Connect with Bill: Instagram: @ThatBillOakley https://www.patreon.com/steamedhamssociety Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

With news that L'Orange has made the New York Times list of America's Best Restaurants, wanted to return to our conversation from July 2023 with Joel Stocks. Original post: 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 working at the French Laundry long before he got a gig there, and now that happened. Joel will also discuss how his prior experiences influences his cooking. We'll also talk travel ideas, especially Spain. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Right at the Fork's most frequent guest, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie), joins Chris on the podcast to discuss his favorite most recent experiences in the Portland 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

Jamal Hassan is a seasoned beverage consultant and the owner of Ice Cold Co., a Portland-based company specializing in clear craft cocktail ice. With over 20 years of experience in the beverage and hospitality industry, Jamal has developed and overseen bar programs at award-winning restaurants such as Ox, Tasty N’ Alder, and Mediterranean Exploration Company. A founding member of Sesame Collective Restaurant Group, he served as their Chief Marketing and Beverage Officer before transitioning to consulting full-time. Jamal Hassan - @ironsheikh Ice Cold Co.- @icecoldpdx Beverage Business Consulting - @beveragebusinessconsulting Fav. places mentioned in this episode: Ox - @oxpdx Scotch Lodge - @scotchlodge Palomar @palomarpdx Pacific Standard - @pacificstandardpdx Bellwether - @bellwetherbarco Kachka - @kachkapdx Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Kurt Huffman, one of the most influential and key people in Portland's food world, joins us to discuss his company ChefStable's forays into the airport dining circuit with new restaurants in PDX's brand new terminal. Kurt informs us about what it takes to apply and gain entry, and what the metrics appear to be for the new Grassa and Loyal Legion spaces. We also touch on where things are hot and not right now in Portland, namely the suburbs of Portland, as downtown continues to languish in the wake of the pandemic and the social protests of 2020. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

With the opening of Bar RBC in Bend, we return to our conversation with Garrett Peck from August of last year... following the opening of RBC... and the talk of what would become Bar RBC. Original Post: It'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. There, they connected with some of Portland's other most successful restaurateurs, who also found central Oregon more to their liking. In 2022, the three opened RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) with other investors. Now with a year under their belts, RBC is lauded as one of the states most successful restaurants, outside of Portland. Garrett shares with us some of the joys of central Oregon life, as well as the growth of Bend as a living and dining destination. Listen to the end for some of his faves in the area. www.rbcbend.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

Get to know Javier Canteras from his original interview on Right at the Fork. From June 21, 2017: Javier Canteras' roots are planted in Madrid, but now he's blossoming as a chef at Urdaneta, the sweet Alberta Street restaurant he owns with his wife, Jael. He's putting out some of the most interesting food in Portland now, which was not his original goal when moving here from Oklahoma to take part in Portland's music scene. He stops by to talk about Spain, life in the midwest, and where you can find him playing his guitar at his Portland gigs. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

With the news that Ken's Artisan Pizza has opened in downtown Bend, we return to our conversation wtih Peter Kost from November of 2023. ORIGINAL POST: Peter 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 evolved to the point where Peter became the only one Ken had in mind when he was ready to pass his iconic Ken's Artisan Pizza on to a new generation. We will hear how Peter is determined to honor the legacy Ken built and get a hint of what his plans are going forward.. https://kensartisan.com/pizza https://www.carinalounge.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

Tommy Habetz is one of the most significant people in the Portland food world. Having learned his craft from the likes of Mario Batali and Bobby Flay, he made his way out to Portland and found himself in the middle of an exciting time in the early days of Portland's burgeoning food scene. He worked with Naomi Pomeroy at both Ripe and Gotham Tavern along side some other chefs and restaurateurs who would go on to accomplish great things as Portland became a hotbed of culinary talent. Now, over 20 years later, Tommy owns and has built some of the city's most notable spots: Bunk Sandwiches, Bunk Bar, and Pizza Jerk. In December of 2022, he suffered a brain aneurysm, which landed him in the hospital for four months. He still hasn't returned to work at his restaurants, and isn't sure when and if he will. Tommy was gracious in agreeing to come on the podcast with us to share his memories of Naomi Pomeroy, not long after her tragic death in a rafting accident. He also talks about his big health scare, how it's changed his life and outlook as well as what he's up to and what's important to him now. Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

We catch up with Farmer Evan Gregoire again, while he's on vacation in the San Juan Islands. Even operates an urban farm, from where he supplies veggies to consumers and the restaurant industry, as well as an opportunity to purchase seeds for those growing their own. Chris and Evan we talk about some of the joys and challenges that come with that. We also discuss some of Evan's favorite chefs and places. From Evan's Heirloom Seedhouse website: At the heart of the Seedhouse beats a passion for nurturing nature’s bounty and preserving its precious gifts. We dream of cultivating a diverse array of specialty vegetables and flowers, not just for their culinary delights, but as living legacies of resilience. Our mission stretches far beyond the fields; it’s a commitment to safeguarding these resilient varieties for generations to come. As we gaze into the future, we see a changing landscape, both in our region and our climate. It’s a call to action, urging us to deepen our understanding and connection to our local food systems. Through the simple act of planting and saving seeds, we can weave a tapestry of resilience, rooted in the soil of community and nourished by knowledge. In our journey, education becomes our guiding light, illuminating the path towards a more sustainable tomorrow. We invite our community to join us, to learn, to grow, and to sow the seeds of change together. For in this shared endeavor lies the promise of a brighter, greener future, where every seed planted is a testament to our collective stewardship of the Earth It’s through the valuable input of growers, chefs, and our community that we can continually refine and elevate the flavors of our vegetables. By listening to their insights, preferences, and suggestions, we not only enhance the taste of our produce but also cultivate a strong demand for these unique varieties. So, let’s keep those lines of communication open and thriving, because together, we can cultivate a truly exceptional culinary experience! Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com