Feb 4, 2021
Right at the Fork is supported by:
Zupan's Markets: www.zupans.com
RingSide Steakhouse: www.RingSideSteakhouse.com
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