Right at the Fork

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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/