RATF Classic: #266 Mike Aldridge - Mid City Smash Burgers

With the recent news that Mike Aldridge was talking his Mid City Smash Burger to Bend, we felt it appropriate to bring back our conversation with Mike about the origins of Mid City. ORIGINAL POST: Chef Mike Aldridge has been on quite a career and personal journey over the past couple of years. Mike, a native North Dakotan, has cooked in some of Portland's well-known restaurants, including Urban Farmer, Imperial and Headwaters, among others. He became chef at the coastal restaurant, Salmonberry Saloon in 2017 and garnered lots of press for making hay in a region not known for great dining. After leaving there, he started his own pop-up, Ope, in Portland, with the goal of opening up a place near Mt. Hood, where his heart as a winter enthusiast had always drawn him. His love of New Orleans drove him to expand his horizons there in early 2019, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, his plans were derailed, as restaurants struggled through yet another calamity in that city. To make ends meet, he started making burgers at home and offering them to friends and neighbors. Before he knew it, he was sold out each time he put his burger party together. Now, we talk to Mike about his adventure back to Portland, and the opening of Mid City Smash Burgers as a food cart. Mike talks about his plans to expand that business and realize his dream of a brick and mortar restaurant on this episode. @midcitysmashburgers on Instagram Right at the Fork is supported by: Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com