Carlo Lamagna of Magna Kusina. | Thom Hilton The Portland chef is opening a new Magna restaurant in Denver, Colorado, but here are his hometown favorites Welcome to Dining Confidential, a column in which local chefs talk about their favorite restaurants, bars, and cafes in Portland, highlighting their own restaurant’s ethos and sharing fun personal takes. Know of a chef you’d like to see featured? Let us know via our tip line. For Carlo Lamagna, 2024 has been a year of gathering inspiration to start fresh. In May, his Beaverton lechonería Magna Kubo quietly closed after less than a year of service. The restaurant opened in the increasingly crowded downtown area of the Portland suburb, where, he says, logistical difficulties and a lack of engagement ultimately made the project unsustainable. “There were challenges,” says Lamagna. “Parking was a pain. We were excited, but it went neglected, to a certain degree.” Rather than despair, however, Lamagna kept faith in expanding his horizons, accepting that, while Kubo may have been ahead of its time, he shouldn’t give up on future, riskier projects. Perhaps that’s why, after spending much of the year traveling to India, Ireland, and across the United States with his wife, Lamagna decided to open his first iteration of Magna outside of Portland. “It’s inspiring to see the world outside of Portland and our little bubbles,” says Lamagna. “Travel breathes new life into you.” Starting this week, reservations are available for Magna Kainan, a new restaurant in Denver, Colorado, based on an idea that Lamagna’s been simmering for a decade. “I was approached by a friend of mine that was out there already,” he says. “For the past 10 years, every year, he’s called me like clockwork, asking if I ever think about coming to Denver. We went to check it out and the stars aligned.” Lamagna compared the presence of Filipino food in Denver to how he thought Portland looked about 10 years ago. Since then, Magna Kusina was named The Oregonian’s 2021 Restaurant of the Year, has been featured on Netflix, and earned Lamagna inclusion in Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2021, as well as a James Beard nomination in 2022. With the national attention he’s brought to Portland’s growing Filipino-American food scene, anticipation is high for the chef’s impact on Colorado. We caught up with Carlo Lamagna at Magna Kusina to chat about his role in Portland’s restaurant community, where he eats with his partner and kids, and the joys of being spoiled by a neighboring pastry chef. Where do you and your partner like to eat? Are you regulars anywhere? Carlo Lamagna: I love Urdaneta. That’s a special date night thing. Everybody out there, from chef to server, is fantastic. You can’t go wrong with the jamon or the pulpo a la brasa. Oh my God, they’re so good. Libre, of course, I’m fortunate because I can just walk across the street. Gabi Martinez is a sweetheart and probably the most talented pastry chef in the city right now. I love going to Bing Mi. Jacky [Ren] works wonders over there. The jianbings, the scallion oil noodles, the spicy peanut appetizer, the chili oil wontons. The way he operates and how he does business, his values are something amazing. When it comes to values, are there other restaurants or food carts in Portland that you feel are especially aligned with the Carlo Lamagna mindset? I would say there are two that really align with my philosophies, not just satisfaction of the belly. First, Kim Jong Grillin. Han [Ly Hwang] is one of the kindest, most outspoken and honest individuals you’ll ever meet. What he does for the community is really big. He speaks very highly of his community and supports all of us. His food’s fantastic but he really does a great job in being who he is and being unapologetic about it. That’s the best part. How could I not mention L’Orange? Joel [Stocks] and I go way back. Before I moved to Portland, we met at a friend’s apartment in Chicago and I reconnected with him here. He does fantastic food — he’s amazing at what he does, and a super kind individual. Any time food can evoke those feelings of community, it’s always really, really special. Especially in Portland. People put so much heart into stuff. It’s very true, just like all the Filipinos. Baon Kainan, TJ Cruz and Ken Tran over at Sun Rice, all these different types of Filipino stuff. If I want comfort food and to not cook, I’ll go to those places. I have a hard time eating my own food, just because I’m around it all day. A lot of nights, I just wanna go get pizza or a burger. Where do you get pizza? I rock Baby Doll Pizza a lot and I love the slices at Escape from New York. They’re great. Having gone to school in New York and spending a lot of time in Manhattan, I want to get a slice done right: pick it up, fold it, and it doesn’t flop. A lot of people talk about the pizza scene here. It’s great. If I’m feeling fancy, bougie pizza, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty is right by my house. Double Mountain Brewery does a good job, too. Thom Hilton And what about burgers? Tulip Shop Tavern. I worked in Germany for a bit and their fried pork cutlet sandwich reminds me of a good schnitzel sandwich. They probably have my favorite onion rings in the city. And the wedge salad is always a fantastic accompaniment. Let’s talk about sweets. What do you get at Libre? I’ve been lucky enough to taste all iterations of the menu. Whenever Gabi’s testing something, she always pops by to say “Hey chef! What do you think?” It really is an honor she considers my palate at all. Biscoff cookie cheesecake… That’s definitely my go to, and the mole milk punch. Jinju Patisserie’s my jam, too, they’re [Kyurim “Q” Lee and Jin Caldwell] wizards. That’s in your neighborhood, too. I don’t mean to sound like an old curmudgeon. I’ll drive around for good food. I go to Sugarpine Drive-In quite a bit. Ryan Domingo and Emily Cafazzo, they’re just fantastic. Don’t sleep on any of their savory stuff. My kids love their waffle grilled cheese — they’re spoiled on it. It’s ruined grilled cheese for me, because whenever I make it, they’re like, “This is good, but it’s not Sugarpine.” This interview has been edited for clarity.