Grass Roots Cafe

Location: 3503 N Mississippi, north of Fremont
Hours: Mon-Sat, 12-9pm, Sun, 12-5pm

The Story:

Mississippi avenue is bookended by food carts with venerable elder statesmen FlavourSpot at one end and Mississippi Marketplace on the other. In between, just north of Fremont, a pod has struggled to take shape and keep carts. A new cart, Grass Roots Cafe looks to be one that will be there for awhile.

Grass Roots Cafe is the work of Ellis and his partner who opened the cart earlier this year. While Ellis attended culinary school at Clark College, looking at the menu and chatting with him, the flavors and feeling of the cart have been sitting in his culinary mind for years. Sandwiches, burgers, sliders, mac and cheese – and wings. Yes, chicken wings. We have had a few carts in town doing wings, but at this time, none are open, so if you want wings from a cart, Grass Roots Cafe is your place.

Upon arrival, Ellis was there, leaning out the window welcoming me and telling me about the specials. I was intrigued by the Charles Bronson Chili, but was more in the mood for a sandwich. He offers the “Bro that’s stupid hot” Chicken burger with grilled chicken, chipotle mayo, sliced jalapenos, insane heat sauce, lettuce and tomato. It even has a note that a waiver must be signed. I enjoy spice, so ordered it. Ellis started looking for the waiver. Seriously! I stopped him. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. The sauce is made with habaneros and ghost peppers, some of the hottest on the planet. While I wanted a spicy sandwich, I opted to not include the insane heat sauce and Ellis served the sandwich up with a spicy BBQ sauce instead. The grilled chicken had a wonderful spice rub on it and paired with the chipotle mayo and jalapenos it was enough flavor and spice for my palate. A wonderful mix of flavors.

"Bro that's stupid hot" chicken sandwich

I love it that he has waivers for his hot sauce. That tells me he is proud of the heat. If you’re a heat fan, you should check it out and report back. I know I’ll be returning to try out the chicken wings – maybe on Monday nights when they are only 50c a piece. Drop on by Grass Roots Cafe, say hi to Ellis and try some of his vittles. They have covered seating and he’s open into the evening. Let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

The menu at Grass Roots is vast. Here are a few of the items offered.

• The John Bryant Pulled Pork Sandwich – $6
• Pedal Power: basil & pesto chicken sandwich – $5
• “Bro that’s stupid hot” Chicken Burger: chipotle mayo, jalapenos, insane heat sauce, lettuce, tomato – $6
• Grass Roots Burger – $3.75
• Chicken and Waffles – $7
• 2pc Chicken and Fries – $4
• Chicken wings – range from 6 wings for $4.95 to 48 wings for $38.95 and more
• Bacon Mac and Cheese – $5
• Shrooms and Mac – sauteed mushrooms and elbow macaroni – $5
• Green House Effect Salad – $4.75

Hours: Mon-Sat, 12-9pm, Sun, 12-5pm
Phone: 503 960 2623
Facebook: Grass Roots Cafe

The Gaufre Gourmet

Location: SW 9th and Washington
Hours: Mon-Fri, 7am-3pm; Sat, 10-2pm

The Story:

Some believe that opening a cart in the dead of winter in Portland is a bad idea, yet, there have been a few very successful launches in the last couple of years that are still going strong. Portland appreciates their carts and supports them even during the cold and rain. The Gaufre Gourmet is one of those carts that has that confidence.

Gaufre is French for waffle. Charline Wesler and Michael Susak are the chefs creating these amazing treats. The Gaure Gourmet focuses on liege style waffles made with a brioche style dough mixed with pearl sugar they import directly from Belgium. Pearl sugar is just what it sounds like – sugar in the form of little pearls. These aren’t the traditional waffles you get at your local diner, they are smaller, but thicker and fluffier. The cart is located on the corner of 4th and west Burnside at the Chinatown gate and the entrance to old town. I asked Michael if they had experienced any issues being in Old Town and surprisingly enough, they hadn’t. During the dead of December, when business was both slow and the weather was colder than normal, they decided to offer up free waffles and coffee to the area residents as a way to give back during Christmas week. That goodwill has resulted in them being welcomed into the community.

The Original

Michael stated that in Europe, the liege style waffle they serve are like snacks on the go. The Original, about the size of one’s hand, is a single waffle topped with powdered sugar. With the pearl sugar, some melts and some doesn’t, so you get a sweetness throughout and bits that didn’t melt to create a sugary crunch. One thing I will warn you about – don’t breath in while taking a bite or you get powdered sugar down your throat. If this is snack food for the French, I gotta respect their choices. While the liege style waffle is the cart’s specialty, they expand on it by adding local ingredients to create either sweet or savory concoctions. The Porklandia is a cornbread jalapeno liege style waffle topped with pulled pork, cabbage and apple slaw. You definitely need a fork for this one.

The Porklandia

I enjoyed visiting the cart for lunch, but after enjoying that simple waffle, I now want to put it on my morning routine. They even serve up coffee drinks using illy brand coffee. Charlene and Michael have something new to offer the cart world and even the late night clubbers of old town. If you’re looking for a new treat, small or large, head on down to The Gaufre Gourmet and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Update, June 2011: Gaufre Gourmet has moved to NE 20th and Everett and will be open there as of June 21.

Update, October 2011: Gaufre Gourmet has moved to SW 9th between Alder and Washington and no longer offers late night nosh.

Sample Menu:

• The Original: liege style waffle with vanilla powdered sugar – $2.50
• Belgian Chocolate: liege style waffle drizzled with chocolate – $3.25
• Maple Bacon: bacon, need they say more  -$4.50
• ABC Waffle: arugula, bacon, Camembert and fig – $6.50
• The Milk and Honey: goat cheese mousse, pistachios, balsamic caramel sauce – $6
• Banana Split Waffle: bananas, 3 ice creams, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, whipped cream, toasted almonds – $6.50
• Porklandia: pulled pork on jalapeno cornbread waffle with cabbage and apple slaw – $6.75
• Coffee and Espresso from illy – all kinds.

Hours: Mon-Fri, 7am-3pm; Sat, 10-2pm
Phone: 503 888 2333
Website: The Gaufre Gourmet
Twitter: @gaufregourmet Facebook: The Gaufre Gourmet

Big Top Waffles

Location: Mississippi Marketplace, N Mississippi and Skidmore
Hours: Wed-Sun, 10am-8pm

The Story:

As Portland’s food carts expanded eastward in the last couple of years, it seemed the neighborhoods of southeast Portland took a bit of time to discover their love of street food. Yet, when they did, the growth was fast with three new pods in the last year. There is a new lot taking shape at SE 52nd and Foster and Big Top Waffles was one of the pioneers helping get it off the ground.

Big Top is the hard work of Josh and Katya who saw an opportunity to dish up breakfast to an underserved neighborhood. Living just a couple blocks from the lot where there cute little red and tan truck is, Josh did his research and discovered there were few options for waffles in that part of SE Portland.  He and Katya decided they would be the ones to bring the love of waffles to the Foster-Powell neighborhood.

Fire Eater Waffle

Big Top Waffles offers up both sweet and savory options when it comes to waffles. With three different waffle options, you can either build your own or choose from any one of their creations on the menu. I was initially drawn to the Amazing Fun Guy, a waffle with sauteed mushrooms, sausage, garlic and alfredo sauce over a savory 10 grain waffle. Mmmm, sausage and waffles, who could resist. The Fire Eater, though, is what we chose. A cornbread waffle is the base for this dish which is topped with chili, either meat or vegetarian, and finished with grated cheddar cheese. Even after reading the menu and subsequently ordering, it took the first bite to make that connection between the chili and the cornbread.  Always a wonderful combination and putting chili on a waffle would have never crossed my mind. An excellent and flavorful dish presented in a new way.

Josh and Katya were kind and welcoming, coming out of the cart to chat with us and tell us about their cart and the future plans for the lot. They seem to be the early ambassadors for the area. The truck, with its circus/clown theme is a fun reminder that you can serve great food and also be a bit whimsical. Take a trek down to SE Portland and give Big Top a visit and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

[Updated: Cart moved in Feb 2011]

Sample Menu:

Waffle types available – Savory (10 grain); Cornbread; Belgian (yeast raised waffle)

• Big Top: savory waffled topped with cream cheese, spinach, tomato, chives and two eggs over easy – $6
• Fire Eater: cornbread waffle topped with chili and shredded cheddar (vegetarian chili available) – $5
• Grand Cheesy: grilled cheese between two savory “sandwich” waffles – $4
• Amazing Fun Guy: sauteed mushrooms, sausage, garlic and alfredo sauce over a savory waffle – $5
• Tattooed Lady: Belgian waffle topped with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate drizzle – $4
• Magician: Nutella spread over Belgian waffle topped with bananas, coconut drizzle and whipped cream – $4
• Ring Leader: Belgian waffle topped with spiced pear, Greek yogurt and drizzled with honey – $4

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-8pm
Twitter: @BigTopWaffles
Facebook: Big Top Waffles

Awesome Cone

Location: SE 32nd and Division, D-Street Noshery
Hours: T-T, 12-8pm, Fri/Sat, 12-10pm

The Story:

We’ve been hearing about Awesome Cone for a few months now. They were hard to find off SE Hawthorne, but now that they’ve moved to D-Street Noshery, you can’t miss them. If you’ve never had a meat cone, you need to visit this cart.

Many tease me because I use the word awesome too much in my daily vernacular. I won’t apologize. Its a great word and Gus thinks so too as that is what he decided to include in the name of his cart. Gus serves up what can only be described as “meat cones” – waffle cones filled with meat or other savory items. I think if someone handed that to me and asked me to name it, I too would choose Awesome Cone. The vegan batter, a Gus original, is squirted onto the hot griddle to start, but before setting up fully, Gus removes it to a heavy duty waffle cone creator he picked up online. That kitchen gadget has the patina of decades past, but works perfectly for what he is creating.

Fungus Cone

The first cone I saw on the menu was the Pig Cone, sweet and tangy pulled pork with a scoop of slaw. Sad though, because the day we visited, they were sold out. Gus seemed to sense my need for pork, so offered up a small version of the pig cone with what little pulled pork he had left. A baby cone I would say. The first bite of the cone was sweet and tricked my mind into thinking of ice cream, but then we got to the pulled pork and all bets were off. Some of the best pulled pork I had tasted and one of the most ingenious vessels. The other cone we enjoyed was the fungus cone, sauteed button mushrooms with a rosemary marsala glaze. The rosemary came out strong, but was sweetened by the marsala. A large cone with enough shrooms to feed two people.

Awesome Cone has a good thing going here with an excellent way to serve hearty, stick to your bones food. Open everyday except Sunday and Monday, Gus is there to deliver one of his signature dishes. Check them out, enjoy a cone and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Oh, Pioneer Cone: wagon wheel pasta in creamy vegan pasta sauce – $5
• Fungus Cone: sauteed button mushrooms in a rosemary marsala glaze – $5
• Pig Cone: sweet and tangy pulled pork with slaw – $6
• Chicken and Dumpling Cone: exactly what it sounds like – $5

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 12-8pm; Friday/Saturday, 12-10pm
Website: AwesomeCone.com
Twitter: @AwesomeCone Facebook: Awesome Cone

Brother Bob's Roving Bakery

Location: N Killingsworth and Greeley
Hours: T-S, 8am-dusk, Sun, 9am-6pm

The Story:

Remember when it was “time to make the donuts?” The early morning hours are owned by the baker creating tasty items for us to enjoy after we sleep in. Brother Bob is that baker and his roving bakery (which doesn’t roam,) offers up some true delights for morning, noon and night.

Marion Berry Bavarian Cream Turnover

Bob the baker greets you with a smile and a hearty “Good morning” as if you’re a long lost friend,  son or brother. With his expertly quaffed white mustache and the blue beret a bit off kilter, you know Bob has some stories to share. The roving bakery landed at North Station earlier this year, the first to open on the lot and still going strong. Bob has even seen some carts come and go that were in direct competition with his breakfast baked goods. That tells me something about Bob’s business sense.

Cinnamon Rolls

I was craving something sweet the other day, so dropped by to grab a cinnamon roll. The size of a heavyweght fighter’s glove and covered with an inch of frosting, these aren’t for the faint of heart. Yet, upon arrival, I saw the case full of turnovers, tarts, sticky buns, cookies and even bagel sandwiches. What to eat? I skipped the roll in favor of a marionberry/bavarian cream turnover, a lox, capers and cream cheese bagel and a key lime tartlet. Yep, that was breakfast, lunch and a desert snack for later. The turnover was brilliant with the flaky crust, tart berries and sweet cream. The bagel with the lox was equally good with a good amount of capers. Later that evening, it hurt me that I had to share the key lime tart for desert. Another flaky crust with a custardy light flavor of the key lime; not too sweet, yet not overwhelmingly tart.

Brother Bob’s Roving Bakery has something for everyone and is at the lot daily except for Monday’s. Bob is a true baker, making his tasty items fresh daily for us to enjoy. Take a break from standing in line for the local hip restaurant and give Brother Bob’s a try and let Bob know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Cinnamon Rolls – $3.50
• Sticky Buns – $4
• Turnovers – numerous flavors – $2
• Brownies – $2
• Tartlets – apple, key lime, pumpkin, others – $3-$4
• Funnel Cake – $5
• Elephant Ears – $5
• Bagel/Lox – $4.50
• Chocolate Croissants – $3.50

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8am-dusk; Sunday, 9am-6pm
Phone: 503 780 8212
Other: Debit/Credit carts accepted

Volkswaffle

Location: SW 5th and Harrison
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm

The Story:

Get a few friends together (6) who like breakfast food, purchase and outfit an 1980′s Volkwagon camper van into a functioning food cart and you have Volkswaffle.

I admire that six friends are close enough to open a food cart together. With the hours the cart is open, it would need some dedication. I just wonder how they all fit inside… Volkswaffle isn’t just another waffle cart. They are doing a Belgian style waffle served on a plate instead of the sandwich style we find elsewhere. The key to Volkswaffle’s waffle is their batter which creates a light and fluffy base which can be topped with an assortment of toppings including home made jams and fresh fruit. They even offer the hard to find chicken and waffle combo.

The day we visited, a sunny fall lunch, the grill was hot and we splurged for a dessert style meal – a Belgian waffle with Nutella, whipped cream and sliced bananas – The Priscilla. My first bite was to snag a banana and dip it in the whip cream as if it may be taken away at any moment. Something about whipped cream reminds me of sneaking spoonfuls of Cool Whip from the tub in the fridge as a child. The waffle was crispy and fluffy, just as described. Nutella! Do I need to even describe it? I could put Nutella on almost anything. The hazelnut chocolate flavor with the waffle, cream and bananas made us smile.

Volkswaffle is open most days at 8am and stays open late into the night along with the other couple of carts on the lot. Having a sweet fruit covered Belgian waffle while sitting around the campfire on the lot sounds like fun on a cool fall evening. Go visit Volkswaffle, say hello, and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

[Update Feb 2011 - now located at PSU on SW 5th and Harrison]
[Update Feb 2011 - updates to hours, phone, menu]

Sample Menu:

See website for expanded menu:

• Classic Belgian Waffle: powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup – $4
• Breakfast Waffle: butter, maple syrup, 2 eggs any style – $5
• Elvis: peanut butter, bananas and honey – $4
• Priscilla: Nutella, bananas and whip cream – $4
• PBFF: peanut butter and fresh seasonal fruit – $3.50
• Chicken and Waffles – $7
• Create your own: $2.50 with additional toppings $.50 or $1.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-3am
Phone: 503 477 1966
Website: www.VolksWaffle.com
Twitter: @VolksWaffle Facebook: Volkswaffle

Location: N Williams and NE Tillamook

The Story: This cart’s mission is an attempt to accomplish several things at once. It’s partially solar powered, sources most of its food from within a 200 mile radius, serves all manner of sweet and savory waffles to hungry Portlanders, and  is also a non-profit training program for at risk youth in the community. Whew! From the Solar Waffle Works menu:

The SWW is a non-profit operation run in partnership by Portland Pubic Schools’ Community Transition Program and the SolTrekker non-profit. It is a vocational training program is socially responsible business and entrepreneurship, designed and operated by young adults in the community transition program. All proceeds go to support local education!

We are currently sourcing the majority of our food within a 200 mile radius. Our goal is to source it ALL within that radius within six months. We currently us 400-watts of solar modules to run about 50% of our electrical loads. We hope to add a total of 900-watts within 18 months.

Ambitious? Yes. Flavorful, substantial waffles? Most definitely. Vegan and Vegetarian friendly, and of course Solar Waffle Works is open for breakfast/brunch on the weekends.

Maple Bacon Waffle

Sample Menu: (Most waffles can be “veganized” for $1.00, and Buckwheat Waffles are an additional $1.00)

• The Wiffle Waffle – $2.50 Topped with butter and your choice of powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar.
• The Old Fashioned Waffle – $3.00 Pure Maple Syrup Spread Caressing a Golden brown waffle. Deelish! One of our most popular waffles.
• The Luft-Waffle – $3.00 All natural peanut butter and your choice of jellies
• Becka’s Blueberry Pie Waffle – $4.00 Blueberry jam on top of cream cheese spread
• Make Your Own Waffle $2.50, plus $0.50 per topping. Nutella, Blueberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Blueberry Syrup, Fig Spread, Chocolate Syrup, Toasted Hazelnuts, Whipped Cream, Mallow Fluff, Peanut Butter, Maple Syrup
• The Real Gouda $4.50 Garlic herb butter topped w/ veggie sausage and smoked Gouda cheese. Green onions optional. Add mushrooms $0.50
• The Good Gravy – $5.00 White gravy with your choice of veggie sausage, mushrooms, Gouda cheese, or any combination
• The Maple Bacon – $5.00 Five strips of apple wood smoked bacon on top of a maple spread.

Beverages – Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Juice Spritzers ($0.75 to $1.75)

Hours: 10:30-2:30 M-F

Phone: 503-351-4657

Email: soltrekker.outreach@gmail.com

Locations: North Lombard and N. Brandon & N. Mississippi and N. Fremont

Description: The cutest little waffle stands in North Portland. Heck, the only waffle stands in Portland. Yet these are no mere waffles. These are waffles elevated to a new art form. Imagine large round “old school” waffles made fresh to order (the thin kind with the small indents, not Belgian waffles), stuffed, spread and folded into a type of giant burrito-sandwich hybrid with all kinds of inspired fillings both sweet or savory. Or both.

The Sausage and Maple waffle is dangerous stuff: a slight crunch from the outside of the waffle, then the slight saltiness of the sausage patties, then the sweetness of maple syrup combined into some kind of new food of the gods. ($4.00). A more savory choice is the Ham and Cheese with either cheddar or smoked Gouda ($4.00). The heat of the waffle makes the cheese melt perfectly into the ham while the waffle holes soak it all up for one giant comforting breakfast or lunch sandwich that is sure to keep you satiated for hours.

Sweet waffle choices include the basic Butter and Powder Sugar ($2.00) or the Peanut Butter & Jelly ($3.50). Or try one of the more complex and decadent things like the sugar coma inducing Black Forest with Nutella and Blackberry Jam ($3.50) or the S’More that comes with sweet as sin Mallow Fluff and more of that excellent Nutella ($3.50).

Beverages include all your usual espresso drinks or coffee (12 oz coffee is only 1.00!), Italian sodas, good old fashioned egg creams, and a limeade drink. They even serve my childhood favorite Ovaltine, either solo in milk or mixed in their signature Maltball Mocha ($3.00 for a 12 oz).

The location is a bit off the beaten track for some, the ambiance is very strip mall parking lot and there is only one uncovered picnic table for dining which makes Flavour Spot not the easiest choice. No matter, I’d happily brave traffic down Interstate Ave. to eat a Flavour Spot waffle sitting on the wet pavement in the pouring rain. Yes, they are that good.

Sample Menu: Please refer to the Flavour Spot Website for their whole menu.

Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30-3:00, Saturday 8-3, Sunday 8-3

Phone: 503-289-YUMM

Website: www.flavourspot.com