Right at the Fork

Our guest this week is Kathy High from Bay City Kitchen.

Kathy High is a former Connecticut yankee and current pie enthusiast, with childhood training in why currants belong in jam and how Mark Twain handled conversation flow at dinner parties. Like most classically trained professional bakers, she cut her teeth in careers as a trainer for Borders Books and Music and multiple positions in museum education. After a stint in Atlanta battling kudzu and the challenges of catering in Georgia, a chance encounter with a craigslist ad brought her and her partner to the Pacific Northwest. Ten years, one million bagels, multiple tryouts for team USA for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie and a pandemic later, she and her professional partner, chef Derek McCarthy, opened Bay City Kitchen on Tillamook Bay. Kathy spends her time making more pastries, lavishing affection on her cats, fostering native plants and exploring the joys of coast time. .When in doubt, she brings the pie.

@baycitykitchen

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're looking back to March of this year, and our conversation with Ben Edmunds - Brewmaster at Breakside Brewery in Portland - where he oversees the company's production brewery and at the time, two pub breweries.

Since this interview, they've opened up a location in Lake Oswego, Astoria - and their long talked about Beer Garden and Beer Hall in Beaverton.

We talk about his background, growing up in the mid-west, to what ultimately inspired him to change careers as a high school teacher and go into brewing. Under Ben's guidance, Breakside has won many medals at national and international competitions - including 8 World Beer Cup Awards.

Hear the behind the scenes decision making moments that have made Breakside what it is today - including the introduction of a new year-round witbier. Plus - where does Ben eat and drink when he's not at Breakside.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Our conversation this week is with Sylvan Mishima Bracket, chef and owner of Rintaro in San Francisco's mission district. Sylvan went to college in Portland, attending Reed College, and then began working at Portland area restaurants, including Genoa with Cathy Whims.

In 2007, Sylvan first started a catering company turned bento shop - before opening his acclaimed Rintaro in late 2014.

Hear about Sylvan's upbringing in Northern California, his time in Portland and how he created Rintaro the restaurant and in turn, Rintaro the cook book.

His new book: Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California comes out October 10th.

And don't miss Sylvan at book event at Powell's Books on October 14th at 3pm.

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

Fall means doughnuts, at least for Cort.

Here's a look back to May 2023 and our conversation with Chris Schultz, CEO at Voodoo Doughnut.

Chris Schultz, CEO of Portland's iconic brand Voodoo Doughnut, joined the company in 2017 to bring his 30+ years experience in the restaurant industry to the company. Prior to taking over the leadership of Voodoo, he helped Mod Pizza expand nationwide and before that, worked at Starbucks during its rapid expansion. Since coming aboard, he's helped Voodoo expand into new markets and weather a pandemic. We talk about bringing Voodoo and its Portland ethos to new markets, what the criteria is, and how it's been accepted. Chris drops hints at new locations and also announces a new paintjob for their flagship store, taking place as we spoke.

We get to know a bit about Chris, too. Where he eats in Portland, what he thinks of Blue Star, as well as his love of the Pacific Northwest after transplanting here from Southern California 20 years ago.

We interviewed co-founder Tres Shannon just before he brought Chris on to run the company in 2016. One of our favorite episodes: https://rightatthefork.libsyn.com/85-tres-shannon-voodoo-doughnut

https://www.voodoodoughnut.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

Looking back at August 2022 and our conversation with Tyler Malek:

For the first time in 7 years, we bring the positive vibe of Tyler Malek to our guests through a fun conversation about what motivates Tyler at Salt & Straw, and how things have evolved as the company has grown from 2 employees to over 1000 in a handful of states around the country.

We'll talk about how becoming a father has changed his perspectives in life and business, and then we discuss the company's new product, ice cream specifically for your beloved dog-- how that came about, and what he wanted to accomplish.

You can find prior episodes with Tyler on the podcast by searching for episode 54. His cousin and co-founder, Kim, joined us on episode 126.

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 were able to catch up with Nat West, founder, president and cidermaker at Reverend Nat's Hard Cider.  Nat announced the closing of his business after over a dozen years building the business from scratch.  Nat tells us what led to the close and the decision to do it, the challenges and joys he experienced, and what he plans going forward.  Also, we will hear how an agnostic named his company Reverend Nat's!   Nat shares some of his favorite drinking spots in PDX as well.  

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

Native Portlander Ricky Bella's culinary career started when he offered to fill in washing dishes for another high school dropout friend who sucked at the job. From there, he landed at a pop-up, wondering what the hell world that was; multi course meals with cooking methods and ingredients he had no idea existed. Eventually he landed in the kitchen at Paley's Place to learn from the best.

Ricky reveals who's the best cook he's ever seen and why in our discussion. Now he's running the show as Executive Chef at Palomar, making the most interesting food he's had the opportunity to call his own. He's also begun writing about his career and craft at https://substack.com/@rickybellspdx. W

e found him to be one of the most interesting guests we've talk to in a long time. (Except for the fact that he's an Atlanta Braves fan.)

 

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 always a pleasure to have Garrett Peck on our podcast.  For years, Garrett was at the center of the Portland food world as GM and host at some of Portland's most prolific restaurants.  He managed the Heathman, later Headwaters, as well as The Paley Group's other hotel properties, Imperial, Rosa Rosa and The Crown.    When turmoil of 2020 put beyond a damper on the viability of those restaurants, Garrett and his wife Jonie sought greener pastures, which led them to Sisters, OR.  There, they connected with some of Portland's other most successful restaurateurs, who also found central Oregon more to their liking. In 2022, the three opened RBC (Rancher Butcher Chef) with other investors.  Now with a year under their belts, RBC is lauded as one of the states most successful restaurants, outside of Portland.   Garrett shares with us some of the joys of central Oregon life, as well as the growth of Bend as a living and dining destination.  Listen to the end for some of his faves in the area. www.rbcbend.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 

This week, we return to March 2023, and our conversation about places to eat on Oregon's Northern Coast .

 

Our host Chris Angelus takes us on a culinary journey from Astoria to Yachats with his favorite spots to eat, along with a couple of other places to see and go. Chris has over 10 years of experiences to share with listeners.  If you're heading the the northernmost 180 miles of Oregon Coast, this episode is a must! 

Places we cover in this episode include:

• Astoria

• Cannon Beach

• Manzanitta

• Nehalem/Wheeler

• Rockaway Beach 

• Garibaldi

• Tillamook

• Newport

• Yachats

Right at the Fork is supported by:

Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

John Denison joins us at a time of big changes in his life.  Having just opened his seafood bar, Câche Câche, he's on the cusp of marriage to a woman he met in Paris four years ago while working at Verjus.  We will follow John on his culinary journey from the Portland Meat Collective and St, Jack, where he met Kate Hill and found a way to follow her to her beautiful Camont in Gascony.  It was there  where French cuisine got into his soul.  He moved over to Barcelona and the world-famous Tickets to gain key experience in that kitchen before heading to France for four years.     Just as the pandemic started, John and Maddie decided to jump from France to Portland, where they both landed jobs at notable restaurants, St. Jack and Nostrana, respectively.     Now at Câche Câche, John fuses his love of French food with his background growing up in the DC area, delving into the foods of the mid-Atlantic coast.   cachecachepdx.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