Episodes

  • #452 Piyanut (PJ) Sampaotong - Hua Hin
    Jun 12 2026
    We are joined by Piyanut of Hua Hin to discuss his journey toward opening and operating his fresh new Thai restaurant on Hawthorne Blvd. PJ talks about his mother's influence on his career, as well as some instances in Vancouver, BC that led to his professional growth. We enjoy a glimpse into the kitchen and Piyanut's philosophy for creating an atmosphere positive for both team members and guests. Instagram: Huahinpdx

    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

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • RATF Classic: #450 Jaco Smith - Lechon
    Jun 5 2026

    It's an instant classic with Jaco Smith! Listen for details on how you can travel with Chef Jaco and Chris Angelus to South Africa.

    ORIGINAL EPISODE POST:

    In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him?

    Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure. And then consider a trip of a lifetime.

    https://www.lechonpdx.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

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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • #451 Gary Okazaki's Happy Hour Roundup
    May 22 2026

    At a time when budget dining is becoming less possible, Gary Okazaki (@garythefoodie) joins us once again to review his latest Happy Hour finds in Portland. As always, the conversation wafts into the unexpected and surely provides us with a list of places to try. We also talk about some Summer openings in Portland.

    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

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    51 mins
  • #450 Jaco Smith - Lechon
    May 15 2026
    In our first episode where we discuss the influence of Apartheid on a guest, Jaco Smith talks about his remarkable journey from South Africa, where his mother cooked for diplomats when he was a child, to cruise ships and high end hospitality in the USA deep south, to Portland and Lechon. If anyone is interested in going deeper into this podcast, why not travel with Jaco and have HIM take you to the places that mean so much to him? Yes, there's a trip with host Chris Angelus' Portland Food Adventures to Cape Town, the Winelands and even a safari in September of 2027 with Portland Food Adventures. Listen and discover insights on hospitality, food culture, and the exciting plans for a South African culinary adventure. And then consider a trip of a lifetime. https://www.lechonpdx.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

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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • RATF Classic: #431 Amanda Cannon-Windquist and Judson Windquist - Sunday Sauce and Normandie
    May 8 2026

    In this classic episode of Right at the Fork, we head back to November of 2025 and our conversation with Amanda Cannon Windquist and Judson Windquist of Sunday Sauce.

    ORIGINAL POST:

    In a fun interview, we welcome Amanda Cannon Windquist and husband Judson to the podcast, just after they opened their newest venture in Portland, Sunday Sauce. We talk about their journey and inspiration for Sunday Sauce, as well as their other restaurant, Normandie.

    Amanda and her husband, Judson, met while working in bars in Hoboken, NJ before moving to Portland in the early 2000s, where they now live with their two children. Amanda previously served as the wine director at Q (formerly Veritable Quandary). Her primary venture is Normandie, which she co-founded and opened in 2018. She co-owns the restaurant with Judson and Executive Chef Heather Kintler. Normandie has earned a spot on Portland Monthly's Top 50 Restaurants list and is celebrated for its wine list, which is exclusively focused on women-made wines.

    The Winquists have since opened a second restaurant together, Sunday Sauce. This new venture was originally conceived as a pop-up event held at Normandie in November 2024 before becoming a permanent establishment. Sunday Sauce marks the second restaurant collaboration between Amanda and Judson.

    www.sundaysaucepdx.com

    @sundaysaucepdx

    Right at the Fork is made possible by:

    DU/ER: www.shopduer.com/fork
    Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
    RingSide SteakHouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
    Portland Food Adventures: www.PortlandFoodAdventures.com

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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • #449 Christopher Czarnecki - The Joel Palmer House
    Apr 24 2026
    Christopher Czarnecki, is the chef-owner of Joel Palmer House in Dayton. a fourth-generation family restaurant specializing in wild mushrooms, now based in a historic 1857 house in the heart of Oregon wine country. The restaurant is well-known as a must visit destination while visiting the wine country. We talk with Christopher about his family's roots in Pennsylvania, why they moved to Oregon, and Christopher's experiences on the way to, and after taking over the restaurant, including his military service. Chef Czarnecki cites huge credit to his GM, Levi, and we talk about what he brings to the table. 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
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • RATF Classic: #432 Jake Martin - Daphne / Astoria
    Apr 17 2026

    As warmer weather approaches, many of us are heading to coast. Make sure Daphne in Astoria is on your list of to-dos. Here's our conversation with Jake Martin from last November.

    Original Post:

    Jake Martin began his culinary journey at 15, washing dishes in Northern California before moving sight unseen to Seattle in 1999. There, he taught himself the craft, working his way up through kitchens like Union and Maria Hines' Tilth. He moved to Portland in 2007, eventually running acclaimed restaurants Carlyle and Fenouil. This success was followed by a period of intense personal and professional difficulty, including high-profile restaurant closures, a severe depression, and a series of unfulfilling jobs that left him feeling burnt out and disconnected from the food he wanted to cook.

    ​After hitting a low point, his partner, Silqet, urged him to stop working for others and create his own vision. With her support and help from the Small Business Development Center, he wrote a business plan and secured a loan to open their new restaurant, Daphne, in Astoria. Today, his focus is hyper-local, sourcing nearly all ingredients from within a 75-mile radius. He champions a philosophy of simplicity, letting high-quality ingredients speak for themselves, and aims to educate the community on the exceptional produce, meats, and seafood their own region provides.

    www.daphneastoria.com

    @restaurant.daphne

    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

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • #448 Maylin Chavez - Nacar and Travel to Oaxaca
    Apr 10 2026

    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/
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    1 hr and 25 mins