#446 Patrick McKee - Estes
Right At The Fork
Chef Patrick McKee joins us for the third time on the podcast, sharing his journey of opening Estes through its popup iterations to now, his brick and mortar restaurant in the heart of a great restaurant block. We talk about his influences from Italy and family and of course, his mentor Vitaly Paley, and his vision for creating a space that honors heritage and community. We touch on how overcoming adversity shaped his character, and is a lesson to anyone that they can recover from extreme devastations. Also, Patrick talks about marriage and the...
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RATF Classic: #374 Don Bourassa - International Adulting and Inaugural RATF Guest
Right At The Fork
We flast back to January 2024 and our conversation with Don Bourassa. Original post: 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...
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#445 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 2 - Harlow, Country Cat, solpdx and their son's football journey
Right At The Fork
In the second part of our interview with a couple with deep roots in the Portland food world, Jackie and Adam Sappington share their insights on the state of Portland's food scene and the socio economic factors that affect it. Adam shares that he remains focused on their own businesses and personal goals rather than the city as a whole, while still being aware and doing their best to serve their communities. They talk about their much healthier practices now, with some moderation. They share their unique and fascinating family journey which includes two very athletic sons...
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#444 Jackie and Adam Sappington Part 1 - Harlow and The Country Cat
Right At The Fork
We are thrilled to have two of the legends of the current Portland dining scene on the podcast with us, Jackie and Adam Sappington. Back in 2007, they left Wildwood to create The Country Cat, which was one of the staples of Portland's restaurant heyday. They eventually opened The Country Cat at the airport, pioneering the idea that a great local restaurant could succeed serving people coming and going from PDX in a very special way. 8 years ago, the Sappingtons bought Harlow restaurant, a plant-based restaurant. So interested that Adam, who was such a down home Ozark...
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RATF Classic: #438 Dominic Finzo - The Screen Door
Right At The Fork
This week, we look back to our conversation with Dominic Finzo of The Screen Door. ORIGINAL POST: Dominic Finzo from The Screen Door restaurant in Portland joins us to talk about the iconic restaurant's 20th anniversary, which they will commemorate in 2026. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Dominic’s earliest memories are steeped in the comforting rhythm of Southern life—where supper was always on the table, and love was served warm by the hands of his grandparents who raised him. It was in their kitchen that Dominic first felt the magic of food—the way a meal could bring people...
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#443 Althea Grey Potter - Bar Nouveau
Right At The Fork
Althea Gray Potter shares her journey of opening Bar Nouveau, a restaurant in St. John's, Portland. She discusses her initial reluctance to open a restaurant, how it all came about, how she financed it along with the support she received from loved ones and the community\, and the significance of having a great General Manager, Heather Wallberg and how they met and agreed about the match. Althea emphasizes the significance of community and connection in the culinary world, and we touch on "authenticity" when it comes to menus, and what that means in 2026. Fun to hear some of...
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#442 Judiaann Woo - Food Industry Consultant
Right At The Fork
We are pleased to have been able to spend time with Judiaann Woo on our podcast. Judiaann has her pulse on the food world, which comes from a multi-faceted background and perspective, She shares her journey from a childhood passion for food to her move to New York, where she went from the French Culinary Institute to various high level pastry chef positions, eventually realizing that the kitchen wasn't going to be the place where she would thrive. She made some adjustments, while also accommodating her relationship in New York, to become a prominent...
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#441 Bill Oakley - Bill Oakley Culinary Events
Right At The Fork
Here we are again with the awesome and fun Bill Oakley. Chris and Bill discuss the evolution of The Simpsons and the rise of adult animation, reflecting on how perceptions of cartoons have changed over the years. They delve into Bill's culinary events, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement and the unique opportunity to explore regional dishes without traveling. The discussion shifts to the future of airline food events, highlighting Bill's upcoming event at Loyal Legion at PDX, an innovative approach to recreating iconic airline meals. Sponsorships and...
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#440 Jason French - Open Kitchen (formerly of Ned Ludd)
Right At The Fork
In this conversation, Jason French shares his journey of navigating the culinary landscape post-pandemic, reflecting on his experiences in Lake Oswego and the evolution of his career. He discusses the challenges of sustaining a business in the food industry, particularly the shift towards digital platforms and the need for chefs to adapt to changing consumer expectations. Jason emphasizes the importance of purpose in his life and work, revealing how he has been weaving together various income streams while pursuing his passion for cooking and writing. We touch on the changing dynamics of the...
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#439 Edouardo Jordan - His story of his journey to the apex of the Seattle food world, the fall, and the recovery
Right At The Fork
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,...
info_outlineHere we are again with the awesome and fun Bill Oakley. Chris and Bill discuss the evolution of The Simpsons and the rise of adult animation, reflecting on how perceptions of cartoons have changed over the years. They delve into Bill's culinary events, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement and the unique opportunity to explore regional dishes without traveling. The discussion shifts to the future of airline food events, highlighting Bill's upcoming event at Loyal Legion at PDX, an innovative approach to recreating iconic airline meals. Sponsorships and collaborations are also explored, particularly with Alaska Airlines, as they discuss the potential for expanding these culinary experiences to other cities.
The conversation wraps up with a look at the Portland Steamies and the local food scene, as well as the impact of social media on culinary experiences, emphasizing the shift towards real-life engagement over online interactions.
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