A Guide to Food Carts in Portland Oregon
Pulehu Pizza Pod 28
Location: SE 28th and Ankeny, Pod 28
Hours: Wed-Sun, 11:30-8pm
The Story: Annebelle and Pierre opened a second food cart earlier this year at Pod 28 in SE Portland. Pulehu Pizza focuses on handmade thin crust barbecued pizza. Sourcing local ingredients and crafting some amazing concoctions like Mushroom and White Truffle Oil or Prosciutto and fig. Find them for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
Website: PulehuPizza.com
Facebook: Pulehu Pizza
Ash Wood Fired Pizza
Location: Fully mobile for events and catering
The Story: A few years ago, a food truck the size of a shipping container debuted with a wood fired pizza oven. Huge! Yet, you don’t have to go big to create a quality product. Ash Wood Fired Pizza has a wood fired pizza oven inside their diminutive food truck and still have room for two people to craft the magic.
Ash Wood Fired Pizza opened last month in the Sellwood district at one of Portland’s oldest east side food cart pods. The owners, Ted and Alexandra Scharpnick traveled as far as B.C. to pick up the truck already outfitted with the yellow tiled wood fired pizza oven. The truck is eye catching- smaller than the behemoths that roam the streets of many cities with a flat black finish and their welcoming logo. I see a lot of trucks and Ash Wood Fired is one of the best. Ted let me in on how they make their dough. Using grapes, water and flour, he created a starter. The yeast is all wild and the starter continues to grow to create a unique and changing flavor in the dough. Pretty cool. I’ve heard of using vodka in pasta, but not grapes in dough.
Margherita from Ash Wood Fired Pizza
Ash Wood Fired has a great list of pizza options and offers up specials daily. On my visit, the ubiquitous and always amazing Margherita topped the menu. Other options included mushroom and garlic with pesto and maitake mushrooms or mustard greens and zucchini with a house made marinara. I’m a sucker for the Margherita, a clean, uncomplicated pizza with fresh lively flavors and at this time of the year, fresh basil. A single pizza is great for one person, so get two and share with a friend. I hadn’t planned on finishing it, but suddenly and surprisingly, I was devouring the fourth slice. Excellent crust.
The pod in Sellwood has five different vendors with Ash Wood Fired right on the corner. They have covered seating and a welcoming atmosphere. If you’re down on antique row, drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
[Ash Wood Fired moved to The Gantry in 2015]
Sample Menu: menu changes daily, so check their Facebook page
Website: Ashwoodfired.com
Facebook: Ash Wood Fired Pizza
Maiale Di Volo
Location: Roaming & Uptown Market in Beaverton on weeekends
Hours: Varies, Uptown Market, Thurs-Sat, 12-8pm
The Story: I’ve seen a wood fired oven inside a food cart before, yet not on the back of a 1937 Dodge Truck. Maiale Di Volo, otherwise known as “The Flying Pig” is one of the newest pizza slingers to bring us the goods.
Maiale Di Volo
Brett Tuft took a vintage flatbed truck and over the back axle built a wood fired oven to cook his pies. He’s the chef, the owner and the Pizzaiolo at the truck. Over the summer, he had taken the truck to different events throughout the city, but on the weekends you could find him set up at Uptown Market on Scholl’s Ferry, a bottle shop and taproom. What’s better than wood fired pizza and a cold beer? Brett looks to source locally first when he can which includes the freshest organic produce, small farm artisanal cheeses, and high quality multi-grain organic flours from Bob’s Red Mill. You can taste it in the end product. After 20 years working in the food service industry including attending Le Cordon Blue WCI, Brett has fulfilled his lifelong journey to bring healthy, great tasting pizza to the people.
Margarita Pizza from Maiale Di Volo
Wood fired pizza is really a treat. Using different hardwoods including red and white oak, cherry and alder, the scent from the wood infuses into the pizza ever so slightly. Brett has even sourced some Russian red oak used for packing from a local shipyard. Each pie only takes about 5 minutes to make – 2 minutes to create from scratch, then 2 minutes in the oven. For me, the ever so flavorful Margarita was the pizza of the day. Tomato sauce, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella make up one of the simplest yet amazing pizzas one can order. The crust was charred just right and paired with a local IPA, we dove in and didn’t look back. A 10″ pie is enough for 1 or great to share.
Maiale Di Volo is a passion. You can tell by the choice of truck Brett used to the quality of the pie he produces. Find him on the weekends at Uptown Market or during the week at different events. You can have him at your event also. Drop on by for a pie and let “The Flying Pig” know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
10″ Pies made fresh to order
Website: MaialedivoloPizza.com
Facebook: Maiale Di Volo
Twitter: @Maialedivolo
Pulehu Pizza
Location: SW 3rd and Stark
Hours: Weekdays, lunch; Fri/Sat late night
The Story: A few years ago, a friend told me about a new pizza he was making at home on his gas grill. I just couldn’t picture putting a pizza on a grill. Wouldn’t it stick and burn? Fast forward to this week and I was able to see how it is done at the newest pizza cart in Portland – Pulehu Pizza.
On The Grill
Pulehu is the work of Pierre and Annebelle who originally hail from Maui. Pierre was a chef at the Four Seasons for eight years and both wanted to escape their jobs, so while camping among waterfalls, the idea of grilling pizzas was hatched. After trying their concept at a block party, the idea grew into a full service catering and concession operation. In Hawaii, they didn’t have a cart or food truck and were forced to carry everything to their events. They earned the right to be inside a box here in Portland. Pulehu – slang for grill.
The grill used is a large outdoor style gas grill you would see permanently installed for your outdoor kitchen. Pierre makes fresh pizza dough which is rolled out for either an 8″ or 12″ personal pie. He quickly grills one side and then waits for your order. I chose the Truffle Mushroom which comes with mushrooms, grana padano, garlic, truffle oil, cracked black pepper and other seasonings. Pierre tops the grilled side then slides it onto the grill to finish the crust. After a bit, once the crust is just right, he removes it onto a pie pan and closes the lid to cook the toppings and melt the cheese. After some final seasoning and slicing, they hand it over. I love truffle oil on pizza, it adds a fruity flavor that is amazing and subtle. This pie was right up my alley. The crust, thin and crisp enough you could pick up a slice without it getting all floppy. Simple toppings and simple prep made for a wonderful meal.
Truffle Mushroom Pizza from Pulehu Pizza
Pierre and Annebelle now call Portland their home and have opened their doors to be one of only a few pizza vendors in food carts. They have a diverse menu of pizzas along with salads for the non-pizza eater. They are open late night on the weekends for your fourth meal cravings. Drop on by, welcome them to the Rose City and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
Phone: 503 915 6869
Website: PulehuPizza.com
Twitter: @PulehuPizza
Facebook: Pulehu Pizza
Kindle Kart
Location: NW 27th and Wilson across from Montgomery Park
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm
The Story:
A year or so ago, I learned of a new wood fired pizza cart opening off N Mississippi. Kindle Kart was doing something new and exciting, yet when they left Mississippi, I lost track of them until now and I’m saddened that I haven’t been able to enjoy their amazing food this whole time.
Kevin Hutchinson is a pizza guy having built and opened Wildfire in NE Portland a few years ago. The wood fired oven he built by hand is still being used by Ned Ludd to this day. A work of art. Kevin wanted a food truck, so outfitted a Boyertown stepvan with a smaller version of the oven inside and opened Kindle Kart. Originally on Mississippi, Kevin eventually moved to northwest across from Montgomery Park. To create the pizza, Kevin leavens the dough which uses no yeast. Pretty difficult to do in a restaurant let alone a cart, but he does it and does it well. Upon my visit, close to the closing bell, he stated he normally sells out after just four hours.
Jalapeno Burger and Pomme Frites
While Kindle Kart is famous for its pizza, I was directed there to try the brisket burger. Yep, I skipped the pizza for a burger. Dumb of me? Maybe, but I’m glad I did. If I had started with the pizza, I may have never even tried his other items. Kevin bakes his own brioche buns in the wood fire oven and they are indeed fresh and tasty. The burger, double ground brisket with a bit of seasoning added is one of the best I’ve had from a cart. I chose the Jalapeno burger with mixed greens, grilled onions, jalapeno sauce, a grilled chili pepper and cheddar cheese. Wow, a stunning sandwich. Everything dripped with flavor and the bun brought it all together. Pair with some excellent crispy fries with a bit of truffle oil ketchup and your done.
Kindle Kart is one of those gems you travel to just for the nosh. I know I will be making the side trip to NW more in the coming months just to try different items. Kevin has plans to expand, so keep watch for a second cart. Drop on by, enjoy some pie or a burger or maybe just fries and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.
Sample Menu:
Pizzas are made fresh with fermented dough and cooked in a wood fired oven. 10″ pies:
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm
Website: KindleKart.com
Facebook: Kindle Kart
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