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One trend that really took the food cart world by storm was to use social media as a tool to build buzz and a loyal audience. One tactic is to announce your location via Twitter. In other cities where the carts can’t necessarily park in the same spot every day, it has become vital for the customer to keep apprised of the next location. Here in Portland, trucks like Koi Fusion and Van Schnitzels have used this method successfully. Now comes Sweet Wheels, a fully mobile van selling cupcakes.

Peter Lu launched Sweet Wheels in June with a tweet storm the first week he was open. I wish Twitter had a mapping tool so I could retrace his travels. One minute he was parked in SE and soon after that, downtown and later in the day, NE. With his smaller van, he can pretty much go anywhere at the drop of a hat. Portland has some great cupcake shops that have successfully survived the cupcake revolution of the last decade, but now, we have a cupcake only food truck. And they’re good.

We were down by PSU at SW 4th and Hall when I saw Sweet Wheels parked in the gas station. Since I knew he roamed, I jumped at the chance to get some treats. I’m not normally a sweets fan, especially after lunch, but needed to try them. His menu for the day included vanilla with chocolate, red velvet, coconut with white chocolate, chocolate with strawberry and a few others. I ordered an assortment so my lunch mates could try some. Secretly, after seeing them all, I wanted to ditch my lunch and just eat cupcakes. That first bite of the chocolate with strawberry was decadent. Sweet, creamy, moist, melt in your mouth chunk of love. These weren’t the cupcakes we made when I was a kid. Everyone else who tried one that day emphatically stated they were some of the best they’d had.

Peter and his Sweet Wheels is ironing out regular locations for the week so we don’t have to sit by Twitter waiting for an announcement. As of this week, they have been at NE 9th and Multnomah on Monday, SW 4th and College on Tuesday and Thursday and will be at SW 2nd and Oak on Friday. These are some great cupcakes. Drop on by and pick some up for you and your friends and let Peter know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• All cupcakes are $2.50
• Flavors vary, and may include vanilla w/ chocolate, chocolate w/ strawberry, coconut w/ white chocolate, red velvet and more.

Hours: 11:30am at each location
Phone: 503 87 SWEET
Website: SweetWheelsPDX.com
Twitter: @SweetWheelsPDX Facebook: SweetWheelsPDX

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We don’t have many closures of late in the food cart scene of Portland, but many were saddened when SpudLocker and their unique military cart closed this past spring. Yet, with a closure comes change in the form of a new cart. Joslyn’s Ciao Chow has taken over the ubiquitous cart on the corner of SW 2nd and Stark with a bright new paint job you can’t miss.

Joslyn worked in restaurants for many years before leaving for corporate America, yet, in the past few years, with the changes in the economy and life, Joslyn decided she wanted to get back to the kitchen and found the SpudLocker cart on Craigslist. With a background in Sicilian cooking and having lived there for awhile, Joclyn put together a robust menu offering complex Italian pasta dishes and more. From that small kitchen, she manages to crank out 20 different dishes.

The day we visited, my lunch mates were immediately drawn to the menu and began ordering with the perfect pronunciation and accent required for Italian fare. I just stood there and read the menu, asking – “What did you just order?” Luckily, Joslyn came to the rescue to explain each dish to me with simple terms like pasta with vodka sauce or meatballs with sauteed vegetables. I stayed simple with Pasta al provero, “poor man’s pasta.” Spaghetti with a generous amount of garlic, olive oil and crushed red chili flakes was just the right amount for lunch. The noodles were al dente, but not crunchy, and the garlic and red chili gave the dish a wonderful spice that had more flavor than heat. A good portion with bread for $5. Now that I’ve had a moment to take in the entire menu, I think I would order the prosciutto wrapped melon or the sliced flank steak wrapped around scallions and Fontina cheese next time. Wow, what a menu.

Joslyn’s Ciao Chow isn’t just about pasta. She offers a secondi menu which includes seared chicken breast, thinly sliced flank steak and even fresh fish. Well made pasta is a treat and we have only a few carts in the city doing it well. I’m happy to see the former SpudLocker tank reborn as it is always fun to look at the strange control panel inside the cart. Wander on down to SW 2nd and Stark and give Joslyn a try. Let her know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Antipasti

• Bruschetta classica: fresh tomatoes and basil atop grilled bread – $3
• Bruschetta di olive – grilled bread topped with homemade olive tapenade and goat cheese – $3
• Prosciutto con melone: slices of melon wrapped in prosciutto di parma – $5

Insalate

• Caprese: fresh Mozzarella layered with heirloom tomatoes and basil finished with olive oil – $5
• Rucola: arugula tossed with cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette – $5
• Babuchia: roasted red pepper stuffed with feta cheese on mixed greens with balsamic vinegar – $7

Primi

• Penne alla vodka con gamberi: penne tossed in vodka sauce topped with sauteed shrimp – $9
• Pasta al povero: “poor man’s pasta” spaghetti with garlic, olived oil and crushed red chili flakes – $5
• Cavatappi con la salsa: Cavatappi tossed in a light and fresh tomato basil sauce – $7
• Penne con Pesto: penne in fresh basil pesto with kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes – $7
• Pasta del Giardiniao: pasta with sauteed local seasonal vegetables in a light white wine broth – $7

Secondi

• Pette di pollo: seared chicken breast served on mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette – $7
• Involtini: thinly sliced flank steak wrapped around scallions and Fontina cheese – $9
• Scampi: shrimp sauteed in butter and white wine with garlic and fresh herbs – $7

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm; Saturday, lunchtime into early afternoon
Phone: 503 432 0434

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Summer is here and it brings the heat. While Portland doesn’t experience the heat like the south or the muggy conditions like the east cost, when the mercury crosses 80, we start to sweat and seek out the nearest water. Portlander’s also look for cool treats and the food carts are satisfying these needs. Oregon Ice Works opened in spring to bring Portland an alternative to the traditional dairy ice cream.

Kevin Bell is the brains behind Oregon Ice Works and the creator of the treats on the menu. He keeps it pretty simple for the ice items – fresh fruit or herbs like mint or cilantro, organic cane sugar and ice. Put it all together and you have Italian Ice, Oregon style. I understand Kevin is from Philadelphia or at least spent some time there. His Oregon Ice is similar to what the Philadelphians know as water ice, something they say can only be found there. Thank Kevin for providing Portland with our version of this cool icy pleasure.

The flavors offered by Oregon Ice Works are ever changing from lemon or blueberry to boyznberry or razzberry and even vanilla coconut or mojito, there is always something to cool you down. [his z's] We tried the bozynberry and blueberry on a hot Saturday afternoon while wandering the streets of Sellwood. Italian Ice is mostly flavor of the fruit and sugar. Unlike ice cream which has that creamy velvety texture, Italian Ice just quickly melts on your tongue and presents you that burst of sour or sweet, depending on the choice of fruit. With the boyznberry and blueberry, our mouths were tart for an hour. Both were great and half way through, we traded. I love visiting the carts with others – I get to try more items.

Sellwood is lucky to have this great cart this summer. 13th street is a busy hub of activity most weekends with shoppers visiting the antique shops that neighborhood is famous for. If you’ve never been down there, check it out and stop on by Oregon Ice Works. You won’t be disappointed. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Italian ice sizes:

• Kids: 1 scoop – $2; 2 scoops $3.50
• Adult: 1 scoop – $3; 2 scoops $4.50
• Smoothe: $4.75

Some available flavors: lemon, boyznberry, razzberry, mango-pine, passion pit, pineapple, blueberry, vanilla coconut, mojito

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday: 12:30-8pm; Thursday: 12:30-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 12:30-9:30pm
Facebook: Oregon Ice Works

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When I first heard of Wet Hot Beef, I thought it was a sandwich name and not the actual name of the cart. I chuckled and then full belly laughed to learn that it was the cart name. Ingenious! Catchy! Memorable. One of the first carts to open at the new Dreamer’s Marketplace Pod on NE MLK, Wet Hot Beef is mimicking the success model of serving up a single item done right – roast beef sandwiches.

Shane Hendren, the man behind the beef, set out to create a signature roast beef sandwich, doing beef research to find high quality meat that would satisfy his “beeftooth.” The Piedmontese beef Shane chose is known to be one of the most tender and leanest stocks available. Sourced from Montana but processed in Oregon, Shane wanted to find the best and he did. Along with the roast beef, Wet Hot Beef also offers house made potato chips with flavors tarragon vinegar or curry chocolate. Roast beef and a side of chips – a great combo.

Wet Hot Beef offers their signature sandwich in three different preparations – Naked, Dressed and Indecent. A Naked is simply sliced Piedmontese beef with au Jus on a French roll. Upgrade to the dressed with house made pickled vegetables and caramelized onions or top it all off by throwing some Swiss Béchamel sauce over everything for the Indecent. I not a fan of the au jus dipping sauce traditional to roast beef sandwiches, but Shane doesn’t do a dipping sauce. He takes the au jus and spreads it on the French roll then places the beef and other ingredients atop. He then wraps the sandwich and places it in a 12oz cup so as you eat, the juices drip down into the cup and not on your shirt or pants. A wonderful presentation and ingenious idea. I enjoyed the Dressed and was particularly impressed by the house made pickled beets and red onions. They added a nuance to the buttery roast beef that I really enjoyed. The beef was tender as described with little musculature, so you didn’t have to bite your way through the sandwich pulling to much beef out on every bite. These are large sandwiches, so be prepared. Pair it with the house made chips and sodas and you have a winner.

As stated, Wet Hot Beef is now open as one of the first carts at Dreamer’s Marketplace, a new pod on NE MLK. Situated in the parking lot of an old NE Portland bank, the building on the site is being remodeled to house a music venue and pub. Another great re-use of existing empty land and structures. Head on over to the lot to try one of these signature sandwiches and let Shane know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Naked: sliced Piedmontese beef with au jus on French roll – $6.25
• Dressed: sliced Piedmontese beef with au jus, house made pickled vegetables, caramelized onions on a French roll – $6.75
• Indecent: a Dressed with double au jus and cheese sauce – $7.50
• House Made Potato Chips – $1.25

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm
Phone: 360 609 9008
Facebook: Wet Hot Beef

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I chuckled the first time I heard this cart’s name. Happy Grillmore. What a great play on words. When I visited, I learned that Grilly Madison had been an early front runner. Granted, a cart isn’t just the name, but have a catchy name and a well prepared product and you should garner a great following. I think Happy Grillmore may have those two ingredients.

Happy Grillmore is the work of Kryse and Darren. Kryse is the brains behind the menu and Darren works the counter. The cart offers up mostly sandwiches, but they do have specials including kalua pork, spam musubi, tacos and mac and cheese. A broad menu to satisfy even the pickiest eater. Kryse and Darren are also in a prime location for the morning commute and open at 7am to serve breakfast, placing them on that small list of carts who open early.

I visited on the first day they were open and ordered one of their specials, a black bean and chipotle burger. The burger is hand made daily mixing the chopped chipotle peppers into the black bean mixture to make one tasty patty that isn’t too spicy. You may think the chipotle (a roasted jalapeno pepper) would overwhelm the palatte, but it doesn’t, giving more of a smoky flavor than a spicy one. The burger was placed with arugula, avocado and a spicy mayo on roll instead of a bun. What I loved the most was the bitterness of the arugula mixed with the spicy smoky flavors of everything else. A great mix of flavors.

Happy Grillmore is now open weekdays at 7am to feed you. Located between 2nd and 3rd ave, just west of Mother’s Bistro. Kryse and Darren were kind and welcoming and put together a quality product with a bit of humor. If you’re an Adam Sandler fan, check out the menu and play the game of figuring out which movie each sandwich comes from. I think there is a Wedding Singer reference in there somewhere. Drop on by Happy Grillmore if you’re looking for a new sandwich spot and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Breakfast:

• the Lucy: Portuguese sausage w/ rice & egg – $6
• the Nick: Spam w/ rice and egg – $5
• the Sonny Koufax: fried egg and cheddar w/ arugula – $4

Sandwiches:

• the Bernice: grilled Nutella and banana – $3.50
• the Jullian: choice of peanut or almond butter w/ bananas or jelly $3
• the Georgie: cheddar, havarti & brie grilled cheese – $4.50
• the Love Stinks: egg salad – $3.50
• the Chuck: salami and herb roasted turkey w/ havarti and arugula – $4.50
• the Chubs: 1/3lb Angus beef patty w/ cheddar and arugula – $4.75
• the Conchata Ferrell: 1/3lb beef and chorizo patty w/ havarti and arugula – $5
• full menu available at happygrillmore.com

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-2:30pm
Phone: 503 369 3981
Email: happygrill@me.com
Website: HappyGrillmore.com
Twitter: @HappyGrillmore Facebook: HappyGrillmore

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One may think we have too many taco trucks. By last count, 15% of carts are Mexican Taquerias. But is that bad? I don’t think so because each one provides something different whether it is better service, better chorizo, handmade tortillas or an item not on everyone else’s menu. For Neza, I think they provide SE Hawthorne something new – Mexican.

Neza Taqueria has been open now on SE 33rd and Hawthorne in front of House of Vintage or a few months now. In the same lot as Namu and around the corner from a few other carts, creating some stiff competition. Neza offers up a traditional Mexican menu with tacos, burritos, tortas, taco salads and horchata. They focus on their burrito options, offering up a few vegetarian options, including a spinach burrito with eggs, onions, rice, beans and sour cream. Lately, eggs and fresh spinach have been a treat for breakfast at our house. Put that in a burrito? Tasty.

I enjoyed a couple of great tacos to day I visited. Something about the way they took my order and meticulously made the tacos implied they were from a professional restaurant background. Everything was carefully prepared and layered in the tortilla. The asada and carnitas I enjoyed were some of the best I’ve had in the city. A perfect blend of meat, cilantro, grilled chopped onions and the corn tortilla.

Neza is just one of the many new carts moving to SE to create a food cart zone. Head on down to 33rd and Hawthorne and try some of their offerings and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Veggie Burrito: peppers, onion, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, beans, rice – $4
• Burrito: choice of asada, chicken or pork, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo – $4.50
• Taco: choice of meat, onion, cilantro, limes, corn tortilla – $1
• Spinach Burrito: spinach with onions, egg, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream – $4

Hours: Lunchtime and beyond, weekdays and weekends.
Phone: 503 974 2562

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Memories of childhood – the first thought I had when I saw PBJ’s Grilled at Willamette Week’s Eat Mobile! event a couple of months ago. What they offered though was much different than the PB&J I remember as a child. My parents never thought to put bacon or jalapenos in the mix. This duo has thought of most any combination.

PBJ’s Grilled is the creation of Shane and Keena who moved to Portland 18 months ago from Vegas with the mission of serving something unique and local. Shane tells us the idea for the grilled pb&j came from outside the gates of the Oregon Country Fair. One summer, a gentleman who didn’t have a ticket was outside serving up tasty treats and voila, a food cart was born. Since that first introduction, they have been busy in their kitchen putting together different ingredients in order to create the many options they have on their menu. They chose to go local for most of their ingredients with bread from Gabriel’s Bakery, cheese from Rogue Creamery, and homemade jams from Misty Meadow. Part of me wishes I was the fly on the wall the nights they had to do their taste tests.

The sandwiches offered come on fresh Challah bread that is smeared with the peanut, almond or hazelnut butter, jam or ingredient which could include bacon, jalapenos, Nutella, bananas, honey, sea salt, chocolate chips and so much more. The shear amount of jams lined up like liquor bottles on the edge of the cart is mind boggling. I was in the mood for something truly unique and even then, there were multiple choices. The Spicy Thai came with peanut butter, orange marmalade, sriracha, curry and fresh chopped basil. Upon first bite, while the peanut butter was a dominant flavor, the siracha and basil came through nicely, balancing out the myriad of flavors. The bread’s buttery crust fit nicely on the tongue at the start with the spicy sriracha leaving a little heat after every bite. Quite enjoyable. Next time I’ll get The Betty. I’m a sucker for sea salt and fresh ground pepper in anything.

PBJ’s Grilled has been open for 2 months now and is doing brisk business on NW 23rd. Seems the shoppers there love the sandwiches. Shane and Keena a great to talk to and even live just down the street from their cart. Like I said, keepin’ it local is their goal. Next time you are up in NW, or if you need an excuse to go shopping on 23rd, check out PBJ’s Grilled and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Betty: Challah bread, Gruyere, bread and butter pickles, white pepper, sea salt, PBJ’s peanut butter – $5.50
• Sweet Tart: Challah bread, unsweetened cranberry jam, white chocolate chips, PBJ’s peanut butter – $4.50
• Good Morning: Challah bread french toast, blueberry jam, apple wood smoked bacon, 100% maple syrup, PBJ’s peanut butter – $6
• The Joy: Challah bread, PBJ’s dark chocolate spread, PBJ’s coconut filling, PBJ’s almond butter – $5.50
• Spicy Thai: Challah bread, orange marmalade, sriracha, fresh basil, curry, PBJ’s peanut butter – $5.50
• Pumpkin Pie: Challah bread, pumpkin butter, Two Tarts caramel sauce, pie crust, PBJ’s peanut butter – $5.50
• Full menu at pbjsgrilled.com

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm
Phone: 702 300 7734
Website: PBJsGrilled.com
Twitter: @pbjsgrilledcom

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Simplicity may be the root of success. Pick an item you like to cook, source the right ingredients and prepare it well and you too can make it in the food cart world. Pastrami on Rye does that with their namesake sandwich.

The cart is a collaboration between a brother, a sister and their mom. I like seeing a family support each other in these types of endeavors. It tells me they are willing to put in the long hours and hard work for those they love. The day we visited, Dre was taking orders while his mother Kelly made the sandwiches. Here in Portland, when an item like pastrami is discussed, many transplants jump to the front of the line to tell you how awesome the pastrami is somewhere else – usually a deli in NYC. Well, I have never been to those deli’s so have virgin taste buds and think Portland makes some great sandwiches. A contentious issue for sure.

The sammy I devoured came either on marbled rye or what I ordered – caraway rye. Kelly commented that the cut of the meat was off and apologized, but I couldn’t tell. How could you be wrong with sliced pastrami thickness? Almost an inch of that smokey corned beef love then topped with sauerkraut and deli mustard. How can one not enjoy such a work of sandwich art. The kraut wasn’t overwhelming, allowing the pastrami to be the star between the slices. The edges of the pastrami had a light crusting with what appeared to be crushed black peppercorns and other whole spices. Just a nibble of that and I’m in meat heaven.

Pastrami on Rye is now open at SW 4th and Hall, a vintage travel trailer sandwiched between a Thai cart and an Indian cart. They serve up all things pastrami including a veggie reuben with sauteed mushrooms and onions and home made matzo ball soup. There are a lot of carts out there doing great sandwiches. Hopefully, Pastrami on Rye will meet your expectations. Check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Pastrami on Rye: choice of caraway or marble rye, sauerkraut, deli mustard and 1/4lb pastrami – $4.75
• Reuben: 1/4lb pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and homemade Russian dressing – $5.75
• Veggie Reuben: sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, tomato, sauteed mushrooms and onions with Russian dressing – $4.75
• Homemade Matzo Ball Soup: small $2.50; large $3.50

Hours: Weekdays, 11am-2:30pm
Twitter: @PastramiPDX

The Redonkadonk by FoodCartsPortland

This is a good week for Portland’s “fatty melts.” First, the Grilled Cheese Grill’s Cheezus is featured in Men’s Health and today, Health.com has BrunchBox’s Redonkadonk as one of America’s fattiest foods. Woohooo! Way to go guys. Some may not want Portland’s food carts showcased by such caloric behemoths, but honestly, they are great sandwiches. Congrats BrunchBox and The Grilled Cheese Grill.

The Redonkadonk: Egg, ham, Spam, bacon, and American cheese on a beef patty, between two grilled-cheese sandwiches on Texas Toast bread.

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There was a time, not so long ago, when there was a dearth of food carts serving the neighborhoods. Every so often, a taco truck would setup shop, but rarely would they become a mainstay. In the first decade of the 21st century, North Portland revitalized itself with new blood and new ideas, re-creating a myriad of bright and vibrant neighborhoods where there were once abandoned houses. Some of the new residents realized there were few options for eating, so they setup restaurants and bars. Another resident, David Stokamer, envisioned something totally different and opened his first food cart on north Lombard. Portland was introduced to the Dutch Taco, the first waffle sandwich.

At this point, Portland knows about the waffle as part of our daily offerings from the food carts and beyond. A breakfast item relegated to the freeway diners over the years, carts like Flavour Spot and subsequently Parkers Waffles and Wicked Waffles re-introduced it to Portland, but with pizazz. As a child I had always wondered what it would be like to mix bits of ham or sausage in with the batter of the waffle. While you don’t see that at the purveyors today, you do see the carts using the waffle where we would normally see a tortilla – wrapped around either sweet or savory fillings. Sausage. Ham. Gouda. Strawberries. Whip cream. You name it, Flavour Spot has it for their Dutch Taco.

Flavour Spot’s latest cart has opened in downtown at the new Lot 94 at SW 3rd and Ash. The bright fire-engine red cart allows for an expanded menu to include eggs and fresh fruit daily. You can take your pick of ham, 3 different types of bacon, sausage, strawberries, blueberries – you name it, they probably have it. I needed something to fill my gullet the other morning, so opted for the Sausage and Maple. Three sausages with pure organic maple spread inside a toasty crisp waffle. The maple was so thick and sweet, I don’t think I have ever actually had it pure. It mixed well with the pleasing porky flavor of the sausage. The waffle was crisp throughout, something required in my book. Overall, one tasty breakfast.

Flavour Spot is old school, having been around when food carts were just something you ate at on a whim. Yet, David has survived, grown and expanded, proving that you can make a living with a waffle. Kudos to you sir. Flavour Spot at Lot 94 is open for breakfast and lunch weekdays and on Saturday and hopes to expand to late night hours soon. When you get that craving for something sweet and unique, visit the original, Flavour Spot, and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

7″ waffles baked to order

• Sausage and Maple: pork sausage patties with organic maple spread – $5 [veggie patties available for extra $.50]
• Sweet Cream and Jam: whipped cream cheese with organic strawberry or raspberry jam – $3.75
• Sweet Cream with lemon or Nutella – $3.75
• Ham and Cheese: black forest ham with cheddar cheese – $4.50; with Smoked Gouda – $4.75
• MB9: organic maple spread, 6 slices of Canadian bacon, 3 strips domestic bacon – $6
• S’More: marshmallow fluff and Nutella – $3.75
• Daily specials featuring eggs, fresh seasonal fruit.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-1pm; Saturday, 10am-2pm
Phone: 503 282 YUMM
Website: FlavourSpot.com