#437 Gary Okazaki - Gary the Foodie's 25 Most Significant PDX Restaurants This Century | Part 2
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 future of Portland's food scene, concluding with thoughts on the lasting impact of these establishments. In this engaging conversation, we explore the evolution of...
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#436 Gary Okazaki - Gary the Foodie's 25 Most Significant PDX Restaurants This Century | Part 1
Right At The Fork
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 establishments. In this engaging conversation, we explore the evolution of Portland's food scene, highlighting influential restaurants, chefs, and the unique culinary ethos that defines...
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#435 Keoni Wachsmuth - Dan & Louis Oyster Bar: Part II
Right At The Fork
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 touches on the historical context of the oyster bar and the changing landscape of Portland's dining scene. In this engaging conversation, Keoni Wachsmuth discusses the intricacies of running Dan and...
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#434 Brady Stephens - Fancy Baby
Right At The Fork
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 locally farmed, preserved, and fermented foods through a creative elaboration of French, Italian, and Spanish Mediterranean cuisines We talk about his journey and his responsibilities now at Fancy...
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#433 Michelle and Keoni Wachsmuth - Dan and Lous Oyster Bar, Part 1
Right At The Fork
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 everything from the ongoing difficulties facing the downtown area—which they've referred to as the "downtown depression"—to the financial strains of operating a historic, full-service establishment....
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#432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria
Right At The Fork
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 professional difficulty, including high-profile restaurant closures, a severe depression, and a series of unfulfilling jobs that left him feeling burnt out and disconnected from the food he wanted to cook....
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#431 Amanda Cannon-Windquist and Judson Windquist - Sunday Sauce and Normandie
Right At The Fork
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 they now live with their two children. Amanda previously served as the wine director at Q (formerly Veritable Quandary). Her primary venture is Normandie, which she co-founded and opened in...
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RATF Classic: #414 Joel Gunderson - Heavenly Creatures: The affects of threatened tariffs, restaurant sustainability, James Beard nomination and superior hospitality
Right At The Fork
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 how things have just begun to bounce back in Portland. We also touch on what it takes to become one of the most celebrated people in the industry nationwide, and some of the ways...
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#430 Faith Dionne - Dappled Tonic
Right At The Fork
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 community, the state of the Portland food scene, and the need to honor culinary legends while also embracing new talent. Right at the Fork is made possible by: DU/ER: Zupan's...
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#429 Jeff Shinrock - Bridge 13
Right At The Fork
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 also touches on the metrics for success, community engagement, and future aspirations for expanding the initiative beyond Portland. Right at the Fork is made possible by: ...
info_outlineThis 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 Portland's now most iconic brands and restaurants, Salt & Straw. Now with locations cornering the continental US, Tyler and his cousin Kim have made some serious noise in the ice cream world.
In this episode, Tyler talks about the longshot pitch to Disneyland to be their official ice cream vendor, and how quickly the folks at Disney decided they wanted Portland's Salt & Straw vibe over some of the big, more well-known ice cream brands, like Ben & Jerry's. Tyler talks about the process of building the store and all that was involved with that with the input from Disney.
Also, Tyler talks about the business of building and using the Salt & Straw brand to its advantage, and what that has meant for growth.
We cover sampling, flavors, staffing, as well as some of the places Tyler loves to go in Portland right now.
This is our third interview with Tyler and that's because he's one of the good guys who has represented the Portland psyche so well.
Right at the Fork is made possible by:
DU/ER: www.shopduer.com/fork
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com