Portland food carts, how do I love you?
November 12, 2009
Portland food carts, how do I love you?
I love you in the sun. Cranberry duck confit on chewy baguette, the perfect complement to dappled shade in the South Park Blocks. A crisp salad roll, cool with a splash of mint. Lunch on the waterfront canât be beat.
I love you in the rain. Huddled under the awning, I await a steaming vat of pho. Hurrying back to my office, I donât give it time to cool before slurping noodles. The chicken broth and spices keep my head clear all winter long.
I love you in a hurry. A giant burrito I can eat while I walk, it keeps me full all afternoon no matter how busy I get. A couple of tacos; a minute to make, a minute to eat, oh so tasty.
I love you on a leisurely family lunch. My father chats in Polish while we eat pierogies flavored with the old country. Little buttery pockets of Babciaâs kitchen. My brother, missing the Far East, prowls the bahn mi selection. Silly me, I thought it was a French roll; what a difference a little rice flour makes.
In truth I cannot count the ways. Every day some new flavor, some new place. I have never had Bosnian food before. Is it a soup day? A sandwich day? A day for barbeque or curry or pad thai? Gyros or bigos or kim chi? I am spoiled; how ever did I get through a work day without the friendly yummy carts nearby?
The winning entry by Elisabeth Flaum