#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/

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#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

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#459 Oswaldo Bibiano - Bar S7ete and Smart Donkey

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We are pleased to have caught up with Chef Oswaldo Bibiano upon the opening of his latest venture, Bar S7ete.  We discuss his very popular former restaurant, Autentica, and how much of that menu and vibe he's bringing to Bar S7ete.  Also host Chris Angelus and Oswaldo touch on some of the challenges of serving elevated Mexican cuisine, and how Chef Bibiano balances his new menu to appeal to as many people as possible in 2026 and beyond.

Oswaldo muses about his days at Pazzo, what he learned there, and the roots that restaurant planted in the Portland food ethos, with so many chefs there going on to create great kitchens.  Including him!!

https://www.instagram.com/bars7ete/

RATF Classic: #448 Maylin Chavez - Nacar and Travel to Oaxaca

We look back at our conversation from earlier this year with Maylin Chavez.

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It's a pleasure to have Maylin Chavez join us again.  This time, we talk about her latest venture, Nacar, and how she enjoys doing pop ups now versus owning her own brick and mortar restaurant.

Maylin goes into her background starting in the Baja region in Mexico, what life was like as a child there, and then studying to go into social criminology, until she realized her passion was cooking.

The last half of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion on Maylin's love of travel, and specifically here, Oaxaca, as host Chris Angelus and Chef Maylin are curating a trip there next January, through Chris' venture, Portland Food Adventures.

https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/oaxaca2027

https://www.nacaroysters.com/

#458 Chris' Fish and Chips Update

Host Chris Angeles revisits his favorite fish and chips spots along the Oregon coast, sharing updates and new favorites after a decade. Discover the best places to enjoy fresh seafood, explore coastal towns, and plan your next coastal trip.

Listen to the whole episode for a rundown of a over a decade of Chris' faves.

ORIGINAL POST

Host Chris Angelus loves his fish and chips, and has a few faves ranging 330 miles up and down the Pacific Northwest coast from Port Orford, OR to South Bend, WA.  He shares a half dozen,  but recommends three places he deems worthy of a day trip from Portland, for those who travel to eat well. One's a nice restaurant, another a dive, and last but not least, a food truck.

Locations mentioned in this podcast include:

Linda’s  - South Bend, WA
Bowpicker - Astoria, OR
Ecola Seafoods -  Cannon Beach, OR
Old Oregon Smokehouse  - Rockaway, OR
J’s - Lincoln City, OR
Gracie’s Sea Hag - Depoe Bay, OR
Local Ocean Seafoods - Newport, OR
Geno’s Ocean Bleu - Newport, OR
South Beach Fish Market - Newport, OR
LunaSea - Yachats, OR
Crazy Norwegian - Port Orford, OR

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RATF Classic: #409 Lalo Camarena - Now at The Malarkey, when he was at República

We look back at our conversation with Chef Josa Lalo Camarena - now at the Malarkey, when he was at República.

Original post from February 2025.

This is a must-listen.  Chef Jose Camarena, Executive Chef at Portland's highly regarded República, may just be the youngest guest of over 400 on our podcast.  But you wouldn't know it if we hadn't drawn attention to that fact.  At just 24, he's in a position few others are at his age, and it's easy to see how he got as far as he's gotten at such a young age.

We talk about his family Sunday dinners, how he became interested in the food industry and how his family lineage of hard work in horse grooming instilled in him the grit to work hard to reach success in a tough industry 

We cover some of the places he's worked, who Lalo's Portland mentors have been, including chef Lauro Romero, who passed away two years ago, leaving a huge hole in many hearts.

Chef Lalo will be appearing at Steelport Knife Company on 2/22 in the first of a series of knife skills classes Steelport is putting on at their Sandy Blvd factory, where you can meet him and learn some helpful knife skills.  Stay tuned to Right at the Fork for interviews with more Steelport chefs.

We also talk about his Mazatlan favorite places, as well as his faves in Portland.  And we wish him well with his wedding coming up in March!

https://www.mexico-forward.com/

@lalocamarena_

@republicapdx

@steelportknifeco

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#457 James Malarkey - The Malarkey and Hawkeye & Huckleberry

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A fun interview, James Malarkey joins Chris to discuss his family history from his great grandfather's lumber company beginnings, which led to Portland's Malarkey Roofing, to now, the opening of The Malarkey in the former Oba! space in the heart of Portland's Pearl District. 

James talks about his celebrity-chef brother's culinary journey. which has its roots planted in culinary school in Portland.  From there to San Diego, with a bevy of restaurants, to Bend, when James began partnering with his brother and now The Malarkey, opening the last day of July, 2026.   

James also brings us through the chronology of events in Portland that led to opening this quite large undertaking—a 285-seat restaurant in the midst of a very competitive and vast restaurant city—including the hiring of former Republica chef Lalo Camarena.  James also shares some of the details that will play to the Portland theme of the restaurant.

We also talk about another venture of James', Portable Dwelling Company and how he's building that.

 Host Chris and James are connected through James' mother-in-law, who is also Chris' girlfriend. :-) (This connection happened outside of Chris' involvement in the food world, and it's also touched on here.)

 James has led quite an interesting life.  You'll get a taste of that here. 

web: themalarkeypdx.com

Insta: @themalarkeypdx

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#456 David Sigal - Gabbiano's & James Beard Public Market

Gabbiano's and Gabby's David Sigel takes some time to share his journey from studying Chinese history at Lewis and Clark, and then his experience working at a club in Beijing. After his eyes opened to the food scene with visits to places like Clyde Common and Olympic Provisions, he was drawn bac to working at and opening restaurants in Portland.  We talk about what's changing in restaurant economics, including a shift from cocktails. Since David is on the Board of the James Beard Public market, he shares his enthusiasm and some details about what's exciting about that project, and how it may revitalize the downtown area. 

gabbianospdx.com

@gabbianospdx

jamesbeardpublicmarket.com 

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#455 Carrie Welch - Where is she now? Professor | formerly of Little Green Pickle and Feast Portland

A blast from the past! Carrie Welch—former owner and operator of the PR firm Little Green Pickle and co-founder of Portland's world-class food festival, Feast Portland—joins us from Camillus, New York, to talk about her new career in academia.

After leaving Portland when COVID-19 hit and closing her businesses, Carrie is now an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. In this episode, she discusses her early thoughts about becoming a teacher, and now living out that dream with her wife Jannie and two children outside of Syracuse, and what she misses most about the Portland food scene. 

We also dive into what she's teaching at Syracuse and her take on the current state of social media and AI.

There's pizza, lobster rolls and a good dose of media to hear about.

https://www.carrietwelch.com/

@Carriewelchlikethegrapejuice

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXXV8N7P?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

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#454 Richard Matusow - Carioca Bowls

We welcome Richard Matusow to the podcast to talk about his eye-opening journey to Rio de Janiero at the turn of the century, where he discovered the wonders of the superfood açai.  That led to a new career.

 On his way to opening Carioca Bowls in Portland, he learned what he could about a

açai, working for a premier company in the industry.  Now, Carioca Bowls on Alberta, has a loyal following of healthy customers.

 Richard also fills us in on the celebration of his 11th year in business with a big party at the restaurant on June 28th.

A week later, Carioca Bowls and Richard participate in the Portland Waterfront BluesFestival.  Richard fills us in on some of the particulars for the Festival taking place July 2-4.

Richard also shares some of his favorite Alberta haunts, and others in the area. 

www.cariocabowls.com

@cariocabowls

waterfrontbluesfest.com

@waterfrontblues

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#453 - @GarytheFoodie and Portland's 2026 James Beard Award Winners

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Friend of the podcast Gary Okazaki joins us once again to lend his thoughts about the current Portland (and elsewhere) James Beard Award winners.  No one is better qualified to discuss this than Gary, especially since two of his favorites in Portland won, Ryan Roadhouse of Nodoguro for Best Chef Northwest / Pacific and Scotch Lodge got the nod for Best Bar in the USA.  We talk about those two places and their proprietors and also how the JBF Awards have changed over the years.

@thenodoguro @ryan.nodoguro @elena_roadhouse @scotchlodge

#452 Piyanut (PJ) Sampaotong - Hua Hin

We are joined by Piyanut of Hua Hin to discuss his journey toward opening and operating his fresh new Thai restaurant on Hawthorne Blvd.

 PJ talks about his mother's influence on his career, as well as some instances in Vancouver, BC that led to his professional growth.  We enjoy a glimpse into the kitchen and Piyanut's philosophy for creating an atmosphere positive for both team members and guests.

Instagram: Huahinpdx

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RATF Classic: #450 Jaco Smith - Lechon + Travel to South Africa

It's an instant classic with Jaco Smith!  Listen for details on how you can travel with Chef Jaco and Chris Angelus to South Africa. 

ORIGINAL EPISODE POST:

In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith  talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him? 

Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure.  And then consider a trip of a lifetime.

 https://www.lechonpdx.com

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#451 Gary Okazaki's Happy Hour Roundup

At a time when budget dining is becoming less possible, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie) joins us once again to review his latest Happy Hour finds in Portland.  As always, the conversation wafts into the unexpected and surely provides us with a list of places to try. 

We also talk about some Summer openings in Portland.

Right at the Fork is made possible by:

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#450 Jaco Smith - Lechon

In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith  talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him? 

Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure.  And then consider a trip of a lifetime.

https://www.lechonpdx.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 

RATF Classic: #431 Amanda Cannon-Windquist and Judson Windquist - Sunday Sauce and Normandie

In this classic episode of Right at the Fork, we head back to November of 2025 and our conversation with Amanda Cannon Windquist and Judson Windquist of Sunday Sauce. 

ORIGINAL POST:

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 2018. She co-owns the restaurant with Judson and Executive Chef Heather Kintler. Normandie has earned a spot on Portland Monthly's Top 50 Restaurants list and is celebrated for its wine list, which is exclusively focused on women-made wines.

The Winquists have since opened a second restaurant together, Sunday Sauce. This new venture was originally conceived as a pop-up event held at Normandie in November 2024 before becoming a permanent establishment. Sunday Sauce marks the second restaurant collaboration between Amanda and Judson.  

www.sundaysaucepdx.com

@sundaysaucepdx

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#449 Christopher Czarnecki - The Joel Palmer House

Christopher Czarnecki, is the chef-owner of Joel Palmer House in Dayton. a fourth-generation family restaurant specializing in wild mushrooms, now based in a historic 1857 house in the heart of Oregon wine country. The restaurant is well-known as a must visit destination while visiting the wine country.  We talk with Christopher about his family's roots in Pennsylvania, why they moved to Oregon, and Christopher's experiences on the way to, and after taking over the restaurant, including his military service.

 Chef Czarnecki cites huge credit to his GM, Levi, and we talk about what he brings to the table.

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RATF Classic: #432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria

As warmer weather approaches, many of us are heading to coast. Make sure Daphne in Astoria is on your list of to-dos.  Here's our conversation with Jake Martin from last November.

Original Post:

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.

​After hitting a low point, his partner, Silqet, urged him to stop working for others and create his own vision. With her support and help from the Small Business Development Center, he wrote a business plan and secured a loan to open their new restaurant, Daphne, in Astoria. Today, his focus is hyper-local, sourcing nearly all ingredients from within a 75-mile radius. He champions a philosophy of simplicity, letting high-quality ingredients speak for themselves, and aims to educate the community on the exceptional produce, meats, and seafood their own region provides.

www.daphneastoria.com

@restaurant.daphne

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#448 Maylin Chavez - Nacar and Travel to Oaxaca

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It's a pleasure to have Maylin Chavez join us again.  This time, we talk about her latest venture, Nacar, and how she enjoys doing pop ups now versus owning her own brick and mortar restaurant.

Maylin goes into her background starting in the Baja region in Mexico, what life was like as a child there, and then studying to go into social criminology, until she realized her passion was cooking.

The last half of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion on Maylin's love of travel, and specifically here, Oaxaca, as host Chris Angelus and Chef Maylin are curating a trip there next January, through Chris' venture, Portland Food Adventures.

https://www.portlandfoodadventures.com/oaxaca2027

https://www.nacaroysters.com/

#447 Meg Cotner - Bridgetown Bites April '26 Update

With the recent sale of Portland Monthly, local media's coverage of the Portland food scene is surely less voluminous.  But there is one person and her small team, Meg Cotner, publishing her Bridgetown Bites, online and via email push multiple times each week.  We took the opportunity once again to talk to Meg about what's new and upcoming in Portland.  Also, we have a discssion of the business of Bridgetown Bites as well.

Key topics in this episode:

Portland's culinary landscape
Bridgetown Bites and local food coverage
James Beard Awards and local recognition
Challenges of food journalism and AI misconceptions
Upcoming restaurant openings and food events


Website - https://bridgetownbites.com/

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
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