Food carts take me places……. all of them good! We have in this town a staggering variety of cuisines available at these mobile islands of good taste; whether it be street food from a foreign land, comfort food that reminds us of our youth/home, or amazing flavor mash-ups that make us smile and nod.
The promise of a cart I haven’t yet tried has prompted me to travel to virtually all neighborhoods of our city in my ongoing foodie quest; and before or after chowing down, I invariably stumble upon several other unexpectedly great discoveries: a photo op, a quirky small business, a new street or row of storefronts to check out on foot or bike.
I love the spirit of entrepreneurship that the carts represent. Some operators are young kids just starting out, some are retirees pursuing a passion they’ve always wanted to follow, and some are reinventing themselves, whether by choice or economic necessity, somewhere in the middle.
I also love the concept of inexpensive food freshly prepared on the spot, right in front of me, when I order….. by someone who must by definition be resourceful enough to create his/her magic within the cozy confines of their “culinary cockpit”. Cart folks keep it simple……. and keep it real. They put themselves “out there”, unswayed by public opinion and unafraid of failure, like people who grow vegetables in their front yard or ride their bikes in parades in the nude. That’s Portland, people!
In short: food carts ARE Portland: unique, DIY, inclusive. Through them, I feel an even deeper love and connectedness with this city. They make *me* try harder. I’m proud of us, Stumptown —– and the carts are a perfect example of why I feel that way!
An ongoing series of essays from our readers as to what they love about food carts in Portland. The preceding essay was from David Shirley. Thank you David.
Well put, David, I couldn’t have said it better. It really is another thing on a long long list of things that make PDX the best city in the world to live in!