Recorded 23 March, 2020   We continue our coverage of the COVID-19's affect on the Portland restaurant industry with one of the key operators in the city, Kurt Huffman.  Kurt's ChefStable Group is dealing with the fallout from the Coronavirus on 20 separate fronts, as over 700 employees and their livelihoods are in limbo.  Kurt discusses how he made the decision to close all of his restaurants in conjunction with his separate partners at each establishment, what the dire cash flow numbers look like, and what he sees the restaurant industry might look like when and whether restaurants will be able to reopen. This is a special Right at the Moment edition of our podcast with host Chris Angelus operating out of his home.    www.chefstablegroup.com   Right at the Fork is supported by:  Toro Bravo Inc:   www.torobravoinc.com Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com  RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingsideSteakHouse.com  

#236 Right at the Moment: Kurt Huffman of ChefStable

Think Portland, Oregon is all VooDoo Doughnuts and "put an egg on it?"  One of Portland's most prominent "food sherpas" and Portland Food Adventures' founder Chris Angelus along with co-host Cort Johnson invite the region’s most prominent and up-and-coming tastemakers to pull up a chair and talk about the craft of food & beverage in their own words.  This is “Right at the Fork.”

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Sandi Wilkens is the proprietor of both the Portland restaurant Quaintrelle, and also the Willamette Valley's Abbey Road Farm.  We talk about the virtues of both and what helped them to drive through the pandemic to be beacons in their respective worlds today.     Sandi talks about her recent trip to Japan and what she saw there that inspired her.     We also talk about how her places weather the current challenges with food and labor costs.    Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com   Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com  Capitola Coffee: www.CapitolaCoffee.com  

#384 Sandi Wilkens - Quaintrelle and Abbey Road Farm

Rob Sample joins us on the podcast.  He's the Chief Schmoozing Officer at Mother’s Bistro, where his wife Lisa has been well known as the chef and restaurateur since 2002.  Lisa just won the area's "Most Remarkable Woman" award on KOIN and we thought there was no one better to talk about why that's an apt designation for Lisa than Rob.  Rob has lots of Portland stories to tell, and also stores of raising two young kids with Lisa after tragedy struck a few years ago.  So, we talk about that and hear what a remarkable and wonderful couple Rob and Lisa are. Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com  RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com   Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com  Acre Forge Knives: www.AcreForge.co (use code: CUT25 for 25% off your first order)

#383 Rob Sample - Mother's Bistro

From July 2023:   Joel Stocks has found a new home at his new restaurant/wine bar L'Orange with business partner Jeff Vejr, also of Las Caves.  We discuss what L'Orange is all about, including the visions both he and Jeff had when opening their wine bar/restaurant in the former Willow space.  Joel has worked at some of the best restaurants in Portland, and the world.  Arzak, Alinea, French Laundry to name a few, and of course Holdfast Dining in Portland.  We'll hear how Joel targeted working at the French Laundry long before he got a gig there, and now that happened.  Joel will also discuss how his prior experiences influences his cooking.  We'll also talk travel ideas, especially Spain. 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: #357 Joel Stocks - L'Orange

 Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com    Kyo Koo joins us again on the podcast to talk about Warsugai, his new restaurant that opened in February of this year.  Kyo is a Portland native who grew up with frequent exposure to the Asian food world in Portland at the time of his childhood.  Kyo has had key roles at Clarklewis and Bluehour, before embarking on commanding his own restaurants and consulting for others.   To hear his more extensive backstory, please listen to our first interview with Kyo:   https://rightatthefork.com/shows/2019/7/11/207-kyo-koo-danwei-canting 

#382 Kyo Koo - Warsugai

Listen in as Chef and restaurateur Louis Lin takes us from his childhood to his cooking career to Portland, where he and his partner Jolyn have created a beautiful spot that celebrates the idea of a first generation American serving casual food one might find in a late night setting. Louis also addresses pricing out menu items and some of the joys of owning his own business in Portland.   Also, he shares a great list of his favorite spots in Portland. Make sure to stay tuned!     Right at the Fork is supported by:  Zupan's Markets: www.Zupans.com RingSide Steakhouse:  www.RingSideSteakhouse.com Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com 

#236 Right at the Moment: Kurt Huffman of ChefStable

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