#468 Carter Vaughn - RingSide Steakhouse

Meeting a chef can often feel like stepping into a flavorful narrative that’s rich with experiences and lessons learned behind the kitchen doors. In this conversation, Chris catches up with Carter Vaughn, the Executive Chef at Ringside, who shares his journey from washing dishes in a suburban Atlanta bistro to leading a kitchen in Oregon.

A Journey Begins

Vaughn’s culinary story kicked off unexpectedly. As a teenager, he found himself in front of a bistro, skateboarding with friends, when the restaurant manager asked for help washing dishes. Little did he know, this would be the first step in a lifelong passion for cooking.

"That night they paid me under the table, and at 14, that was pretty good. I was like, you know, fuck it. Let's do this."
— Vaughn

The Allure of the Kitchen

As Carter transitioned from washing dishes to working his way up the kitchen ranks, he quickly fell in love with the culinary world. The vibrant atmosphere, the camaraderie among the staff, and the thrill of creating delicious food ignited a passion that would shape his career.

"You learn all kinds of great stuff about life that has nothing to do with cooking," Vaughn reflects, emphasizing the life lessons learned in the fast-paced restaurant environment.

Finding a New Home

After years of cooking and gaining experience, he made the move to Oregon. He shared how his childhood trips to the area fostered a love for its beauty and community.

"I love how everything is in close proximity — foraging, the beach, mountains. It has everything you want out here."
— Vaughn

Culinary School and Beyond

The early experiences in the kitchen shaped him, he also recognized the importance of formal training. Attending culinary school allowed him to deepen his knowledge and refine his skills. He balanced this with the reality of making a living, stating, "I can pay bills with this. I can support myself."

Reflections on Passion

Vaughn’s journey serves as a reminder that culinary paths are often winding and filled with unexpected turns. His love for cooking was sparked by a chance encounter and nurtured through hard work, resilience, and a bit of rebellion.

As he continues to navigate the challenges and joys of being an Executive Chef, Vaughn remains grounded in his journey, always eager to learn and grow.

If you want to hear more about Vaughn's journey and the insights he shares from his experiences in the kitchen, listen to the full episode here.

FAIR DISCLOSURE:  RingSide Steakhouse, Carter's employer, has been a long-appreciated sponsor of this podcast.  That does not mean we treated this podcast any differently than any other, except we blend our usual add into the interview.

www.ringsidesteakhouse.com

@cartertvaughn

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 

#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 

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 

#466 Kurt Huffman - ChefStable Part 2

It's Part 2 of our conversation with Kurt Huffman... and by way of transparency, 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

#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

#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

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

#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 

#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 

#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 

#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 

#459 Oswaldo Bibiano - Bar S7ete and Smart Donkey

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 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.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

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

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

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

Right at the Fork is supported by: 

Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com 
RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com 
Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#457 James Malarkey - The Malarkey and Hawkeye & Huckleberry

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code.

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

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

#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 

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 

#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

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 

#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

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 

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

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 

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