Fifty Licks Ice Cream

May 31, 2011 by 6 Comments

Fifty Licks Ice Cream

Fifty Licks Ice Cream

Location: SE 43rd and Belmont
Hours: Tues-Sun, 12-9pm

The Story:

Everyone remembers the ice cream man and the truck roaming the streets of your childhood neighborhood shilling sweat cold treats. While Fifty Licks isn’t roaming your local street, they do seem to be at many events throughout the city and now have a permanent truck at Good Food Here to sate your sweet-tooth.

I first tried Fifty Licks almost two years ago when they debuted at the Mississippi Street Fair with their now famous Stumptown Coffee ice cream. With just a table and a few tubs of their craft, they made their mark on that crowd and Portland has been talking about them ever since. Chad Draizin, the owner and creator of the unique flavors, picked up a truck in 2010, outfitted it and launched both a roaming business along with sales of his ice cream in stores. He even made a splash at Eat Mobile this year by wearing a custom suit from local designer Duchess while serving almost 2500 samples to the patient eaters. Chad won the style award for that.

Maple Bacon Ice Cream

Maple Bacon Ice Cream

Fifty Licks doesn’t do plain. If you want basic ice cream, head over to Safeway. If you’re one who always orders the same flavor, you’ll take a second glance at what they offer – Tahitian Vanilla, Stumptown Coffee, Caramelized Apple and the ever popular Maple Bacon. I have tried bacon mixed with many unique dishes and usually, you get the flavor of the bacon without the actual bits. This isn’t the case here. Right off the bat, you see little chunks of bacon mixed in with the maple ice cream. That first bite was like stacking a strip of bacon between some pancakes and dipping it in maple syrup, but ice-cream cold. I had to eat it slowly as it was one of the richest desserts I have had in a long while. Truly a work of art. I can’t wait to get back for the other flavors.

Beyond ice cream,Fifty Licks also serves sorbets and has two different cone offerings-  sugar or handmade waffle cone. If you get a chance to try some of Chad’s creations at an event, you may get to try the Slabtown Whiskey, a creation made with Portland’s very own House Spirits small batch libations. You can find Fifty Licks permanently at Good Food Here, but also roaming to different events and catering gigs throughout the city. Don’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy a more mature version of a childhood treat. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample menu:

Sugar cones are 1 scoop and $4;
Handmade waffle cones are 2 scoops and $6

Flavors:

  • Tahitian Vanilla
  • Caramelized Apple
  • Stumptown Coffee
  • Maple Bacon
  • Coconut Lemon Saffron Sorbet
  • Passionfruit Sorbet

Hours: Tues-Sun, 12-9pm
Phone: 954 294 8868
Twitter: @FiftyLicks Facebook: Fifty Licks

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Filed Under: Dinner, Ice Cream & Gelato, Late Night, Lunch, SE 43rd and Belmont, Southeast-Portland, Weekends

Sheish Kabob

May 27, 2011 by 4 Comments
Sheish Kabob

Sheish Kabob

Location: SW 10th and Alder
Hours: M-F, 10-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm

The Story:

In a month when SW 10th and Alder added a few new Thai carts and a burger cart, they also added a new Mediterranean cart – Sheish Kabob.

Sheish Kabob opened in April in an area where there are already a couple competitors serving up similar food. That scenario hasn’t seemed to halt the growth of Thai carts, so I think Sheish Kabob will find its customers. A menu of Mediterranean dishes including salads, sandwiches and the ubiquitous grilled sheish kabob in either lamb, chicken, beef or kafta offers up something for everyone.

Chicken Gyro

Chicken Gyro

The shawarma sandwich, otherwise known as the Gyro is the like the fast food of the region. Everyone sells them and they become a barometer for me of how good a cart is. The chicken shawarma sandwich from Sheish Kabob is flatbread stuffed with marinated and grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and drizzled with tahini sauce. The menu states “traditional seasoning” used. I sometimes ask what those are so I can learn more about how the complex flavors are created, yet the chefs rarely divulge. In this sandwich, the seasonings for the chicken had a hint of cumin, but also that ghost flavor of cayenne or another spicy pepper that just tickled the back of the mouth. A wonderful sandwich. Just remember, with the tahini sauce, it can get messy at the end.

Sheish Kabob is now open on SW 10th and Alder for lunch and dinner. They are open on Saturday till 5pm for you weekenders. Drop on by, check it out and maybe sample some kabob. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Kabob Plates: meat grilled and served with Basmati rice and grilled tomatoes: lamb, $7; beef, $6; chicken, $7; kafta, $6
  • Shawarma Sandwiches: bread stuffed with meat, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and tahini sauce; chicken, lamb, beef or kafta – $6-$6.50
  • Falafel Sandwich: bread stuffed with falafel, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and tahini sauce: $6
  • Mediterranean Salad: cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mint, mixed with lemon juice and olive oil – $5
  • Tabouli Salad: parsley, onions, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, mint – $6

Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm
Phone: 971 998 9435

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Filed Under: Dinner, Downtown, Falafel, Gyros, Lunch, Mediterranean, SW 10th and Washington, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Big-Ass Sandwiches off to San Francisco

May 25, 2011 by 1 Comment
Big-Ass Sandwiches

Big-Ass Sandwiches

You voted, all 2666 of you, and in the end, Big-Ass Sandwiches was chosen as the cart to represent Portland in San Francisco at the National Street Food Festival in August. I believe Lisa and Brian Wood, the owners and mad scientists behind the Big-Ass Sandwich will do Portland proud and show the nation that we truly are the best city for street food. I can’t wait to see the lines.

Congrats to Big-Ass Sandwiches and thank you everyone for voting and supporting your favorite cart.

Final Totals:

Big-Ass Sandwiches – 905 votes
Euro-Trash – 527 votes
Whiffies Fried Pies – 405 votes
DC Vegetarian – 259 votes
Nong’s Khao Man Gai – 233 votes
PDX671  – 218 votes
The People’s Pig – 119 votes

Filed Under: CART CULTURE

Vote to send a cart to San Francisco

May 20, 2011 by 37 Comments

Want to see one of Portland’s favorite food carts represent the city nationally? We were contacted last month from La Cocina, a non-profit incubator in San Francisco’s Mission District and the organizers of the National Street Food Conference, to see if Portland would like to send a representative to showcase what we do best – street food. “Heck yeah!” was the official answer and so we reached out to some carts to see if they would be interested and could be away for a weekend and now want you, the eaters to decide who you want to go.

The festival in August will bring together street food vendors from San Francisco and six other cities throughout America, Portland, Austin, Seattle, Madison, LA and NYC. The organizers have seen exponential grown over the last five years and estimate that 50,000 people will show up to try everything that is offered. We’re so looking forward to seeing one of Portland’s carts at the event to show everyone how we roll. La Cocina and the National Street Food Conference will sponsor the travel for the cart owners/chefs and provide them with a fully functional truck and staff for the weekend so they don’t miss out on a weekend of sales. How awesome is that?

For the next 5 days, we’ll have this poll up for you to vote. Who should represent Portland’s street food scene in San Francisco? Polling closes 5pm Wednesday the 25th.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

Filed Under: CART CULTURE

Twisted Sistas

May 20, 2011 by 18 Comments
Twisted Sistas

Twisted Sistas

CLOSED 10/2011
Location: SW 10th and Alder
Hours: Weekdays and Sat, 7:30am-3pm

The Story:

A few years ago, you couldn’t find a good hamburger for a good price in downtown Portland. Yeah, you could visit McDonald’s or Carls Jr of go upscale and hit up The Heathman or Higgins, but there wasn’t a middle ground for both quality and price. The carts changed that with the opening of BrunchBox and the exposure of Chopollos and The Burger Jerk and a few others. Now we have a couple of great ladies joining in the mix with Twisted Sistas.

The lot at SW 10th and Alder has the most carts in the city, yet none of them offer hamburgers. Twisted Sistas, Janae and Denise, changed the game last month when they opened offering a wide range of burgers with more toppings than you can count for around $5.50 a piece. You can get bacon or mushrooms or cheese or a fried egg all atop a fresh grilled burger. The cart even offers breakfast for those of you out early.

Southern Burger from Twisted Sistas

Southern Burger from Twisted Sistas

Interestingly enough, the first item on the extensive menu isn’t a simple hamburger or cheeseburger, but the Bacon Burger. This is an example of how the Twisted Sistas roll. I think you can order a plain burger “off menu,” but the idea here is that you order what they have decided is their menu. After reviewing the menu wondering if I wanted a burger and a chicken breast or a fried egg atop bacon, I decided to go all out and get a burger with a hot link, bacon and a fried egg. Truly a decadent, over the top choice, but when there isn’t an option for a plain old hamburger, I lean towards the direct opposite. Served with fries, this burger was a great choice for lunch. That first bite with burger, egg, hot link and a bit of veggies was an indication that I would enjoy this meal. Well made.

Twisted Sistas already has a following with lines every time I wander by. I guess the patrons who normally visit 10th and Alder were craving a burger option. Drop on by either for breakfast or lunch and even on the weekends and enjoy some of what they offer. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

All burgers come with fries and are $5.50

  • Bacon Burger: mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, red onion, picke, bacon, cheese
  • Breakfast Burger: bacon and fried egg
  • Beef n Bird Burger: burger and chicken breast, mayo, lettuce, tomato
  • Cajun Chicken burger: cajun seasoned chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, pickle
  • Southern Burger: burger, bacon, fried egg, hot link
  • Mushroom and Swiss: grilled mushrooms and Swiss
  • Inside Out: cheeseburger with the cheese on the inside

Breakfast:

  • Biscuits and Gravy: two biscuits topped with housemade gravy or sausage gravy – $5
  • Chicken and a Biscuit: fried chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese – $5.50
  • Breakfast Biscuit – $5 – your choice of egg, meat and cheese
  • Breakfast Bowl: numerous choices with hashbrowns, eggs, sausage, peppers, onions, spinach and more – $6

Hours: Weekdays and Saturday, 7:30am-3pm
Facebook: Twisted Sistas

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Filed Under: CLOSED CARTS
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