Friday Night Dinner – August 4, 2023
Chef Carlo Lamagna of Magna Kusina with Say She She
Possible Meal Ideas: Filipino community cooking

“Carlo Lamagna wants to bring Filipino food into the spotlight in Portland. The Philippines-born chef spent three years at former downtown restaurant Clyde Common, quietly introducing Filipino dishes onto the menu, and he also ran a Filipino pop-up off and on for close to a decade. In the spring of 2019, Lamagna branched off to open his own eponymous restaurant, Magna, in Southeast Portland. The pressure of this opportunity hasn’t been lost on Lamagna. “This is our chance to define us as: one, a cuisine to be reckoned with and, two, to know there are many different aspects of Filipino food,” Lamagna said. “We don’t have to put all our eggs into that ‘cheap food’ basket. We have a chance to really showcase the entire profile of what Filipino food could do.”
-Travel Portland

The female-led discodelic soul band Say She She – named as a silent nod to Nile Rodgers (C’est chi-chi!: It’s Chic!”) – will transport you with their dreamy harmonies, funky basslines, catchy hooks and up-tempo grooves. Their debut album Prism was released last fall and earned 5 stars from The Guardian, raves from NPR New Music Friday, Wax Poetics, Ones To Watch, Brooklyn Magazine, The Talkhouse and key live performances with KEXP, NPR LIVE and and WNYC Soundcheck. KCRW named Prism #1 on their Top 30 albums list. Say She She made their National Television debut this year with a performance for CBS Saturday Sessions.

Magna Kusina: Instagram | Website
Say She She: Instagram | Website