The Sugar Shop

January 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Sugar Shop

The Sugar Shop

Location: NE 52nd and Sandy, Rose City Food Park
Hours: Mon-Sun, 11am-8pm

The Story: Instead of grabbing a gyro or a burger or a bowl of Pad Thai, why not go down the sweet train and get something from The Sugar Shop for lunch. I remember something as a kid about eating dessert first when I was an adult.

The Sugar Shop is one of the few mobile vendors out there serving up sweets and baked goods like cookies, cakes and cheesecakes. Autumn and Shannon attended OCI together where they both studied in the baking and pastry program. After school, in jobs they admit weren’t taking them anywhere, brainstorming over Margaritas on Cinco De Mayo, the cart plan was born. They had the chops to pull it off and the cart is darn cute. Red seems to be the color of sweets.

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownie

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownie

If I lived closer to The Sugar Shop, I would probably gain a few pounds. I’m not the one to order dessert after dinner nor grab a frozen yogurt as a snack, but cookies are my downfall. Put out a platter of well made cookies and I can’t turn away. Here you can get white chocolate stuffed snickerdoodle or oatmeal cranberry or dark chocolate and bacon, cookies mom never made. I asked Autumn and Shannon what their favorites were – cheesecake and anything with caramel. I picked up the peppermint cheesecake brownie, a thin slice of decadence. Chocolate and peppermint and swirl. Just what I needed after spicy Indian. Looking at the menu, they put together flavors that simply intrigue me – salted caramel or whiskey caramel with a pecan crust.

The Sugar Shop isn’t all sweets. They offer savory choices with chicken pot pie or spinach, mushroom and feta hand pies. Open every day from lunch past dinner, there is no reason not to stop by and pick something up to sate that craving you know you have. Drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Cookies – multiple options – $1.50
  • Cakes – $3.50 – bourbon cake w/milk chocolate buttercream; red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, lemon cake with tart lemon glaze and more
  • Cheesecake – $3.50 – classic; housemade Nutella swirl; cheesecake bar with pecan crust and whiskey caramel topping
  • Mousse – $3.50 – chocolate honey; triple chocolate; vanilla honey
  • Brownies and Bars – $3.50 – salted caramel stuffed gooey brownies, lemon bars

Hours: Mon-Sun, 11am-8pm
Website: TheSugarShopPDX.com
Facebook: The Sugar Shop
Twitter: @TheSugarShopPDX

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Coffee & Espresso, Dinner, Gluten Free Options, Lunch, NE 52nd and Sandy, Northeast - Portland, Sweets, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Potter’s Kolaches & Coffee

October 3, 2012 by 4 Comments
Potter's Kolaches & Coffee

Potter’s Kolaches & Coffee

Location: SW 3rd and Ankeny
Hours: Mon-Sat, 6am-12pm

The Story:

For awhile there, it was difficult to get some great early morning eats from the carts. Luckily, the fried egg sandwich people have helped fill that gap, but sometimes you want something simpler, yet still full of flavor. Potter’s Kolaches & Coffee will soon become your new morning destination.

Andrew Potter opened the cart this past summer and has been serving his signature Kolaches to the neighbors. Kolaches are a sweet pastry, almost biscuit like, filled with breakfast fillings. Originally from eastern European countries, mainly Poland and Czechoslovakia, this creation can be found most anywhere due to emigration and movements of people over the years. Andrew’s inspiration for his kolaches actually came from the Polish and Czech influences out of Texas. They replaced the sweet filling with bacon, ham, sausage and jalapenos. After a few years working in advertising after college, Andrew realized that the happiest times he had at a job were in the kitchen and launched his cart.

Kolaches from Potter's

Kolaches from Potter’s

At Potter’s you can get a simple sausage kolache for 99c and that would be plenty for many of us. These little guys are, well, amazing. I opted for the Picquant with egg, sausage, cheese and jalapeno and a Robustuous with egg, cheese, tomatoes, onions and peppers. That first bite into the Picquant burst with flavor including the mild heat from the peppers. The breading surrounding the filling is a bit flaky, but sweet and savory and holds together well. For $1.96 each, these are the best bargain in town for something so flavorful. Pair with a cup of coffee from Cafe Mom and you’re set.

Potter’s Kolaches is open Monday to Saturday from 6am-noon. You can park in the lot while you grab your breakfast. The orange and red cart is hard to miss. The kolaches are made fresh daily and ready to serve when you get there. Drop on by and let Andrew know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Sausage – 99c
  • Sausage & Cheese – $1.25
  • Stawberry Jam – $1.25
  • Egg & Cheese – $1.55
  • Picquant – $1.96
  • Robustuous – $1.96
  • Hot Coffee – 12oz, $1.25; 16oz, $1.50

Hours: Mon-Sat, 6am-12pm
Website: KolachesPDX.com
Facebook: Potter’s Kolaches & Coffee

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Breakfast Foods, Coffee & Espresso, Czech, Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Eastern European, Lunch, Polish, Sandwiches, SW 3rd and Ash, Weekends Tagged With:

Olé Latte Coffee

September 14, 2012 by 1 Comment
Ole Latte Coffee

Ole Latte Coffee

Location: SW 10th and Alder
Hours: Mon-Fri, 6am-5pm; Sat, 8am-5pm

The Story:

In a city with coffee shops on every corner and almost as many micro roasters as micro breweries, there are few mobile vendors who take on the barista challenge. There are plenty of coffee carts throughout the city for your morning drive, yet if you want a perfectly drawn espresso with just the right crema and be able to sit down and enjoy it, check out Olé Latte Coffee.

Todd Edwards opened his coffee cart earlier this year bringing the number of coffee carts in Portland’s food cart pods to four. Originally, Todd’s passion was wine. With the change of OLCC regulations here in 2012, having a wine cart is a possibility, but for Todd, during his research, he discovered a taste for coffee and dove in, learning that coffee beans and wine grapes are grown in similar climates and both offer complex flavor profiles. Sophia, Todd’s beautiful La Marzocco FB70 espresso machine, was even purchased before the cart.

Todd admits freely that he was a regular at Starbuck’s only six months ago. I think we can all admit that we’ve drank some less than stellar coffee in our day. Heck, I became a fan of truck stop coffee after awhile on a long road trip. In Todd’s coffee journey, he found and embraced Ristretto Roasters, one of Portland’s darlings in the coffee roasting arena. I’m a fan also, so even though it was 4pm, I asked for a single espresso to check out his mad skills. Amazing! A perfect draw with just the right amount of crema. I never thought of coffee having a sweetness until I began tasting different varieties in espresso form. I don’t add sugar. No need. That little ounce has more than enough flavor to satisfy me including a little bit of fruitiness.

Todd is the lone coffee cart on the lot and beyond espresso drinks he brews his own cold pressed coffee and has pastries to pair with your drink. Open daily in the mornings throughout the afternoon, Todd is there to create the perfect drink for you. Drop on by and let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

[Ole Latte moved to their new location in 01/2013]

Sample Menu:

  • Espresso – $2.50
  • Macchiato – $3
  • Con Panna – $3
  • Cappucino – $3
  • Americano – $2.50
  • Drip Coffee – $1.75-2.25
  • Latte – $3-4
  • Mocha – $3.50-4.50

Hours: Tues-Sat, 8am-6pm; Sun, 9am-3pm
Phone: 971 221-6318
Twitter: @OleLatteCoffee
Facebook: Ole Latte Coffee

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Coffee & Espresso, Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Downtown, Lunch, SW 10th and Alder, Weekends

The Honey Pot

April 13, 2012 by 10 Comments
The Honey Pot

The Honey Pot

Location: SE 43rd and Belmont; Good Food Here
Hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-Dark

The Story:

I had just finished a great cubano sandwich from another cart in the lot when I had a craving for something sweet. The Honey Pot was calling my name with their slices of pie and other delights.

Mary Sheridan opened The Honey Pot last month after moving up from Bend where she had her own baking business. She wanted to bring her favorite recipes to Portland and after you try some, you’ll be glad she did. Having grown up baking, Mary won her first competition at the county fair at age 13. After some forays into liberal arts studies, she eventually became a classically trained pastry chef with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. The cart, crafted out of a vintage Airstream Silver Streak, is a thing of beauty and harkens back to a childhood kitchen where one learns from their mother.

Pendleton pie from The Honey Pot

Pendleton pie from The Honey Pot

At The Honey Pot, you can get sweet and savory pies along with tarts, galettes and puff pastries. My sweet-tooth was throbbing on that sunny day, so I picked up a slice of the Pendleton. Dark chocolate and pecans are mixed with Pendleton Whiskey custard and baked with a chocolate shortbread crust. Did I mention there was chocolate in there? With fresh whip cream on the side, the slice was a decadent treat. A caramel hint from the whiskey came through and with the pecans created a brilliant combination.

The Honey Pot is the real thing and you should check it out. While I purchased a slice, you can also get whole pies and even just some fresh pie dough to make your own. Head on down to Good Food Here and let Mary know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Pendleton: dark chocolate and pecans in Pendleton whiskey custard and a chocolate shortbread crust – $4.75/slice; $22/whole pie
  • The Ginger: walnuts, freshly grated ginger, butterscotch morsels in a rum custard – $4.25/slice; $20/whole pie
  • The Boyfriend: peach pie with coconut milk, brown sugar, nutmeg in a flaky double crust – $3.75/slice; 18/whole pie
  • Fun Guy: hand held galette of crimini and wild mushrooms, goat cheese and savory streusel – $5.50
  • The Aristocrat: all natural pork, spinach, sage, onions, garlic and Parmesan cheese rolled in puff pastry – $3 or 2 for $5
  • Pie dough for 9″ pie – $2.50

Hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-Dark
Phone: 541.317.2951
Website: TheHoneyPotBakery.com
Facebook: The Honey Pot

INSERT_MAP

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Lunch, Pie, SE 43rd and Belmont, Southeast-Portland, Sweets, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

GF Chef

January 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
GF Chef

GF Chef

Location: NE 20th and Everett – Green Castle
Hours: Wed-Sat, 7:30am-8pm; Sun, 9am-4pm

The Story:

Over the past few years, the term gluten-free has become more prevalent when discussing food as more people, both young and old, learn they have an intolerance to gluten. Executive Chef Jim Adams and his wife decided to create a food cart that catered to those needs but also served some amazing food and GF Chef was born.

GF Chef opened last summer at the now shuttered Green Castle food pod. After the closure, Jim and his wife Bonnie regrouped and moved the cart to the ever expanding Cartlandia pod. No one likes to move a cart and so it took them a week or so to get situated, but now that they are open, they have garnered a loyal following. Jim is the executive chef of the cart and has his own recipes for most of the items. He bakes three different gluten free breads daily – rye, herb and white – and even has some signature pancakes for the morning crowd. Every week he is coming up with new an interesting baked goods like bagels or biscuits or french bread.

Reuben from GF Chef

Reuben from GF Chef

The rye for the Reuben had just come out of the oven. A hefty loaf with an aroma that began to spread throughout the pod and turn heads. What makes a Reuben special for me is the quality of the corned beef and the Russian dressing. Jim creates his own dressing from an classic German recipe which includes caviar. The bread is first toasted then the Swiss cheese and corned beef are added and finally the sauerkraut and dressing. One excellent sandwich. The bread with a crunch from the toasting melts in your mouth. The dressing, always a treat for my taste buds cemented a memory that I’ll dredge up as a comparison every time I try someone else’s Reuben. The ferment of the sauerkraut topped it off.

Jim and Bonnie are fun to chat with and love what they create and will answer any question you may have. Their focus is to create some great meals gluten free which one would normally not be able to get – including corndogs. Jim has his own batter. GF Chef is open from breakfast through dinner and offers specials daily. If your gluten intolerant or even if you aren’t, check this cart out for some great food and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Breakfast sandwiches with ham, bacon or sausage, egg and cheese – $3.75
  • Pancakes – 2 for $5.25
  • Grilled Cheese – $5.50; add meat, $6.50
  • Turkey, Ham or Corned Beef Sandwich – $7.50
  • BLT – $7.50
  • Reuben Sandwich – $8
  • Corn Dog – $3.75
  • Onion Rings – $4.50
  • Hand Cut Fries, Belgian Style – sm, $3.75; lg, $6

Hours: Wed-Sat, 7:30am-8pm; Sun, 9am-4pm
Phone: 503 927 9880
Facebook: GF Chef

INSERT_MAP

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Breakfast Foods, Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Gluten Free Options, Lunch, NE 20th and Everett - Green Castle, Northeast - Portland, Sandwiches, Weekends
«Older Posts