Mira's Ladle

Location: SE 40th and Hawthorne
Hours: Wed-Sun, 12-7pm

The Story:

When I need a hearty soup to get me back on track, I lean towards those from eastern Europe and Russia. Having lived there for a time, something deep in my soul craves the flavors and boldness of the region. Mira’s Ladle has what a growing man needs.

Mira, a former architect, designed the cart from which she serves her Polish cuisine. The menu starts off with Leczo, a vegan and gluten free chili served over brown rice. She also serves barszcz, a traditional Polish beet soup. Purchasing locally grown beets is key to the freshness and everyone loves the bright red color. Just don’t spill it on your Sunday clothes. beet stains are hard to remove. Beyond soups, Mira griddles up potato or zucchini latkes and serves them with apple sauce and sour cream. Everything is made fresh daily sourcing ingredients from local farmers’ markets and regional farms.

The bright red cart is located on Hawthorne street around southeast 40th in a driveway between two houses. You can get the soups in a cup or take it to go in a quart. This is one of those carts you will return to for seconds. Drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

c=cup; b=bowl; q=quart

• Leczo: vegan gluten free chili served over brown rice – c, $4; b, $6; q, $10
• Krupnik: barley soup with veggies, mushrooms, shredded chicken and served with bread – c, $3.50; b, $5; q, $9.50
• Barszcz: red beet soup with veggie or chicken stock – c, $3.50; b, $5; q, $9.50
• Potato Latkes: potato pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream – $5
• Zucchini Latkes: zucchini pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream  -$6

Hours: Wed-Sun, 12-7pm
Website: Mira’s Ladle
Facebook: Mira’s Ladle

Salmon Fusion

Location: SW 3rd and Washington
Hours: weekdays, lunchtime

The Story:

Earlier in the month, a new sign appeared on a cart that has been a few different vendors in the past year. Salmon Fusion. I wasn’t sure what to expect until I read the posted menu – Smoked Salmon all day long. It felt like Christmas waiting for them to open.

Roger Mumm launched the cart this month bringing his salmon to the eaters of Portland. The salmon in all of his dishes were caught by him this past summer while he was working for Deep Sea Fisheries in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The sockeye is then smoked weekly for us to enjoy. I’m not sure if I would share my salmon with the world. Visit the cart and Roger has photos of his fishing boat and daily catch.

As stated, the cart focuses on smoked salmon dishes like chowder, pot pie, a few sandwiches and tacos. If you’re shy about salmon, Roger will give you a taste of his chowder which is served hot in a toasted cheese bread bowl. Every time I have walked by, customers are raving about the chowder sample they are enjoying. I decided on the smoked salmon sliders served on Alessio bread with a mild pineapple teriyaki sauce, baby spinach and a side of Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice. For $7.50, the sliders were a great value and came with so much tasty smoked salmon, some even fell out for later nibbling. I’m a fan of all smoked salmon and Roger’s is some of the best with a briny flavor that doesn’t come across as too salty nor too fishy. The sauce that comes atop the salmon is more of a slaw with the sweetness of apples coming through to juxtapose the saltiness of the fish. A great meal.

Smoked Salmon Sliders from Salmon Fusion

Salmon Fusion is now open on SW 3rd between Stark and Washington in the former GIN Thai cart. Roger mans the window daily and may even lean out to draw you in with a sample. Check this new cart out, enjoy some smoked salmon goodness and let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Smoked Salmon Chowder w/toasted cheese bread bowl: white whole cream chowder w/roasted corn and Yukon gold potatoes served with Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50
• Smoked Salmon Pot Pie: pot pie served in a mild jambalaya with puff pastry cooked golden brown served with Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50
• Smoked Salmon Pita Wrap: shredded lettuce, mango pieces, shaved red onion, shaved cucumber and topped with tzatziki or mango chutney and served with Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50
• 2 Smoked Salmon Sliders: on Alessio bread with a mild pineapple teriyaki sauce and baby spinach served with Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50
• Teriyaki Smoked Salmon Sandwich: teriyaki pineapple glazed salmon served with Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50
• 2 Smoked Salmon Tacos: served with sweet and spicy salsa and Hawaiian slaw and saffron rice – $7.50

Hours: weekdays, lunchtime
Phone: 503 719 9018

Local Motive

Location: SW Moody and Gaines at South Waterfront
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-3:30pm

The Story:

A few years ago, the only street food showing up at South Waterfront was the traditional sandwich trucks that roam the construction sites. These days, with the area full of new housing and an up and coming retail scene, the food carts have arrived. Local Motive has joined a few others to create their own little pod.

Local Motive is the work of Brittany Kofford and opened earlier this fall with the goal of providing lunch to the ever growing neighborhood and the construction crews working on the new light-rail line just a few blocks away. So much is happening down there is it a wonder there aren’t more carts. Local Motive focuses on NW sustainable seafood with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The cart is located under an eave with picnic tables so you can enjoy your lunch out of the rain.

Albacore Salad Sandwich from Local Motive

The menu at Local Motive focuses on sandwiches, soups, and salads with seafood being a big part. While on a cool autumn day, seafood chowder sounds simply amazing, when I saw the option for a tuna fish sandwich with albacore, I jumped at it. Starting with a great artisinal roll, the albacore salad comes with diced Honeycrisp apples, toasted hazelnuts and chopped green onions. The mix is well balanced with the sweetness of the apples and the crunch of the nuts. The albacore is a great choice also. It comes served with a side of coleslaw.

Local Motive is now open and ready to serve you. If you’re downtown, you can get there via the streetcar or there is plenty of parking available. Lately, with winter bearing down on us, they have been offering up different soups to keep you warm. Check out this cart down at South Waterfront and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Wild Oregon Mushroom Sandwich: sauteed with shallots and fresh herbs and eggless aioli – half, $4; full, $7
• Grilled Veggie Sandwich: half, $3.50; full, $6
• Oregon Albacore Salad Sandwich: with diced Honeycrisp apples, toasted hazelnuts and green onion – half, $5; full, $8
• Dungeness Crab Melt: half, $6; full, $9
• Seafood Chowder: chopped clams, dungeness crab, bay shrimp with garden potatoes and corn – small, $3.50; large, $6
• Seafood Cakes: dungeness crab, bay shrimp, housemade tartar sauce – $3
• Quinoa Salad: bay shrimp, roasted veg, scallions, fresh herbs and grape seed oil, small, $3; large, $5

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-3:30pm
Phone: 503.917.9292
Twitter: @LocalMotivePDX
Facebook: Local Motive

The Ramen Truck

Location: SE 33rd and Hawthorne – north of Hawthorne behind the store
Hours: Tues-Sat, 12-7pm

The Story:

Most everyone I know has a story about ramen from college or even younger years. “I put myself through grad school eating ramen…” But ramen is more than the packaged 10 for $1 kind you find at WinCo and The Ramen Truck opened to prove that.

While ramen is used as a catch-all term for this wonderful bowl of noodles, broth and other goodies, in Japan, there are more than 20 different regional styles. Everyone starts with the same base, but adds magic in the kitchen to create their signature dish. Some have clear soupy broths made from pork or fowl, while others are creamy without a visible broth what-so-ever. Of the main types of ramen – shoyu, miso, shio and tonkotsu, The Ramen Truck focuses on tonkotsu with a pork broth simmered for twelve hours, noodles, green onions, nori (seaweed,) and chashu (sliced braised pork.) Such a simple dish, but with mad awesome flavor.

Ramen from The Ramen Truck

I’m a child of ramen. I was even introduced to eating raw ramen noodles right out of the package with peanut butter atop. Not bad, but not good. Having recently read a new publication – Lucky Peach, I had to seek out and try some of this ramen that doesn’t come from a package with secret packets of salty death. I ventured down to The Ramen Truck and ordered up a bowl. There was a young Japanese couple with their baby in tow sitting nearby slurping at their noodles. Seeing that, I was convinced I had come to the right place. The ramen is served piping hot. Not boiling, but I needed to let it cool a bit. I mixed everything together with the chopsticks as I understand there is seasoning on the bottom you need to blend in. That first slurp of noodles was surprising. The broth had a creaminess to it I had never experienced before as if there was an extra bit of pork fat layered in. Not a cloyingness like lard, just a different textural and flavorful bit that enhanced the entire dish. While initially surprised, I came to crave that taste at every bite and slurp, taking in every drop until I tilted the bowl to drink it up. Everything in that bowl was wonderful – the homemade noodles, the pork, the egg and the broth. A soup I could eat every day.

Now that I’ve been introduced to real ramen, I seek it out everywhere. With such a rich history of the dish and so many styles, I want to see what else Portland has to offer. The Ramen Truck has set the bar pretty high. Check them out and enjoy some of their tonkotsu style ramen and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Note on ordering- 1) broth 2) size 3) add ons

Broth:

• White: homemade pork broth simmered for 12 hours
• Garlic: pork broth with blackened garlic

Sizes: small, $5; large, $7

• both sizes come with homemade ramen noodles, green onions, nori and chashu

Add-ons:

• hard boiled egg – $1
• corn, extra green onions, nori, or kimchee – 50c
• extra chashu – $1

other:

• Hiyashi-Chuuka: cold ramen salad with fresh vegetables, ham, hard boiled egg and sesame sauce – $7 (can be made vegetarian without ham)

Hours: Tues-Sat, 12-7pm
Website: The Ramen Truck
Facebook: The Ramen Truck

Ploy Thai

Location: SW 5th and Oak
Hours: Lunchtime, weekdays

The Story:

A grouping of carts has sprung up on Oak street between SW 4th and 5th around the corner from the 5th avenue carts. Among them, Cuban, Mediterranean and two Thai carts including Ploy Thai.

Ploy Thai is the work of Ploy who came to Portland after serving her brand of Thai street food at the markets in Thailand. She would create her dishes and take them to the markets for all to enjoy, experiencing why we gather – to eat and become a community. At the Ploy Thai cart you can find all of your favorites like salad rolls, Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai and more. What surprised me was some items I don’t normally see at the carts, like Garlic and Pepper, a dish served with your choice of chicken, pork, shrimp or vegetables and comes with Jasmine or brown rice and steamed veggies. I chose chicken with brown rice and it was one of the healthiest Thai dishes I have had from a cart in awhile. The chicken had been spiced with garlic and black pepper and served over brown rice, but not with a thick sauce. The flavors were bright and peppery, the black pepper coming through lightly which I love. The veggies were fresh and steamed just right to keep them crunchy. Overall, an excellent dish that I will return for.

Garlic and Pepper

Ploy Thai is a great addition for Thai food cart lovers and the rest of us. Drop on by next time you are down that way and try some of Ploy’s home cooking. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Egg Rolls – 4 for $3
• Salad Rolls – 2 for $3
• Papaya Salad – shredded green papaya, Thai chili, garlic, tomatoes and peanut with spicy lime juice – $6
• Larb – ground chicken or pork with Thai rice powder, green onion, red onion and spicy lime juice – $6
• Tom Yum soup – choice of chicken, pork, tofu, veggies or shrimp – hot and sour lemongrass soup with galanga root, kaffir leaves, lime juice and Thai chili – $5.50-6
• Moo Ping/Gai Yang – BBQ marinated pork or chicken with Thai spices and sticky rice – $5
• Ping Yang Combo – papaya salad and one of the BBQ dishes and sticky rice – $7.50
• Garlic and Pepper – choice of chicken, pork, tofu, veggies or shrimp, fresh garlic and black pepper with rice and steamed vegetables – $5.50-6
• Pad Thai – stir fried noodle with egg, tofu, green onions, bean sprouts and ground peanuts with pad Thai sauce – choice of meat – $5.50-6
• Sukiyaki – glass noodle, egg, pickled bean curd, Thai chili and green onion – $6
• Full menu at PloyThaiCart.com

Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Phone: 503 267 0849
Website: PloyThaiCart.com

Roll Plus

Location: SW 9^th and Alder
Hours: Daily for lunch

The Story:

Sushi is one of those dishes you usually do not find served from carts. Portland has a vegetarian sushi cart and a Hawaiian cart that does great rolls and now Roll Plus becomes the fourth.

We always say that when one cart closes, someone is always there to take its place and sometimes offer something new or unique. Roll Plus is in the former Pho Sam cart. I’m going to miss those Banh mi sandwiches and Pho, but am excited to have sushi options available for lunch. Upon first visit, I was a bit overwhelmed by the options. Usually, a cart will focus on just a few simple items that can be mixed and matched. Here you can get everything from fresh spicy tuna rolls with cucumber and imitation crab to edamame, seaweed salad and even Miso soup.

Spicy Tuna Shrimp Tempura Roll

I never know how much sushi to order. I’m a fan of the sushi train so I can regulate my intake and try different items made fresh. At Roll Plus you order whole rolls with either 4 or 6 pieces. I’ve had 4 pieces at restaurants that have filled me up but have also had a roll with 6 pieces that left me wanting, so at Roll Plus, I ordered two rolls – a Spicy Tuna Roll and the Spicy Tuna Shrimp Tempura Roll. For $10 I had enough to easily feed two if not three. Each roll was well prepared and put in the to-go container creating a great presentation. The spicy tuna roll came with imitation crab and avocado rolled with the rice on the outside, sprinkled with sesame seeds and topped with spicy tuna and sauce. The spicy tuna shrimp tempura roll was even larger with the tempura shrimp, imitation crab and avocado inside and the spicy tuna on the outside. I love the crunch of the tempura and the creaminess of the avocado all mixed together. On a warm sunny day sitting in the park, I sat there with a smile on my face while enjoying some amazing rolls and plenty of wasabi and ginger.

I have eaten at many of Portland’s sushi places and I have to say Roll Plus will offer some stiff competition – especially downtown with the lack of inexpensive sushi options. The food is prepared made to order and the price is unbeatable for what you get. Now open at SW 9th and Alder, drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• California Roll – 8pcs – $3.50
• Spicy Tuna  – 8pcs – $4
• Unagi Roll – 8pcs – $4.50
• Super California Roll – 6pcs – imitation crab, avocado, cucumber – deep fried – $5
• Shrimp Tempura Roll – 8pcs – imitation crab, avocado, deep fried shrimp – $5
• Spicy Tuna Shrimp Tempura Roll – 5pcs – $6
• Chicken Katsu – $4.50
• Fried Rice w/stir fried chicken – $5
• Edamame – $2
• Seaweed Salad – $3
• Yakisoba – $3
• Miso soup – $1

Hours: Daily for lunch
Contact: unknown
Twitter: @Roll_Plus_PDX

Rotissol and Greens

Location: SW 9th and Alder
Hours: M-F, 11-4

The Story:

I got an email recently about a new cart opening at SW 9th and Alder. In the last year or so, we have been getting such emails 3-5 times a week, so we usually put the cart on our list and plan a visit. The email from Rotissol and Greens though, had me thinking – I gotta visit this place sooner than later. It was part introduction and part press release with a drizzle of passion. Rotissol and Greans opened in January.

Reuben and Christina Cabrera opened their first cart in January right in the middle of the lot that defines Portland’s street food scene – at SW 9th and 10th and Alder. The cart’s full name is Rotissol & Greens Healthy Home Cooking and Reuben and Christina make everything fresh daily including roasting and rotisserie-ing their meats daily. The menu is inspired by their grandfather, a full-blooded Puerto Rican, but Reuben and Christina insist they serve American fare with Puerto Rican inspiration. Everything is locally sourced.

Puerto Rican Cuban Sandwich

At the cart you can get hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, soups or salads. Each of the meats – ham or chicken or pork loin are seasoned and marinated for 24 hours before being cooked for the day’s meals. The Puerto Rican Cubano comes with chunky ham and pork loin, Swiss and cheddar cheese, dill pickle and yellow mustard. It is a hot sandwich on a grilled pub style roll. The pork’s dry rub creates a crust with a prominent flavor of rosemary, thyme and garlic. The ham on the other hand has a sweetness from the honey and brown sugar injected prior to roasting. Add in the bright dill pickles and each bite is a tour de force of flavors. After the first bite, with a little bit of rosemary on my tongue and the saltiness of the pickle lingering in the back of my mouth, I just sat back and enjoyed it all.

Rotissol and Greens is a great addition to the pod. They will offer up some competition to the other great carts on the strip. If you’ve been wondering what that big purple cart was, now you know. Drop on by for a great sandwich or fresh salad and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Sandwiches -  $6.50; hot sandwiches served on grilled pub rolls

• Puerto Rican Cubano: chunky ham, pork loin, dill pickle, yellow mustard, Swiss and cheddar cheese
• Chicken Pesto: chicken, spinach, tomato, provolone cheese and Mama’s own herb medley pesto
• Hot Ham and Tomato: loaded with ham and cheddar cheese and tomato
• Veggie: grilled tomato, dill pickle, spinach, romaine lettuce, balsamic vinaigrette, served on a wheat roll.

Large Salads – $6.50; served with Mama’s own house croutons

• Chicken Caesar: chicken, romaine lettuce, spinach, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, garnished with lemon wedge. Dressed with Ken’s steakhouse Caesar dressing
• Veggie: romaine, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, topped with sunflower seeds. Dressed with choice of cheese and dressing

Daily soups or stews for $6.50

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-4pm
Phone: 503 505 8222
Email: rotissolandgreens@yahoo.com
Twitter: @RotissolnGreens Facebook: Rotissol and Greens

Oregon Soup Works

Location: SE 32nd and Division
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 12-8pm; Fri/Sat, 12-9pm; Sun, 12-8pm

The Story:

You may recognize this cart from summer and the name is pretty familiar to residents of the Sellwood neighborhood. Oregon Soup Works isn’t a new cart, just a winterized version of Oregon Ice Works, Kevin Bell’s cart.

Kevin Bell, Oregon Ice/Soup Works

Kevin realized last fall that Portland wasn’t eating as much of his ice as the weather cooled, so decided to move the cart closer in to the new D-Street Noshery pod and re-open as Oregon Soup Works. Kevin serves up scratch made hot soups and hot sandwiches daily with a smile. With  soups like ginger chicken, vegan chili, tomato soup and Philly roast pork along with grilled cheese sandwiches with your choice of meat, there is something for ever tastebud. And the best part? Kevin is there with a smile, a sports opinion and good conversation.

You can find more about Oregon Ice Works and Kevin from our article last year. I’m excited to have that cart closer so we can visit more once the weather warms and Kevin brings the ice back. Drop on by, enjoy some hot soup or a sandwich and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Ginger Chicken: chicken, onion, ginger, bok choy with sticky rice and sweet or spicy chili sauce – $5
• 3 Bean Chili: kidney, garbanzo, black beans, onions, tomato and rice – $5

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 12-8pm; Friday/Saturday, 12-9pm; Sunday, 12-8pm
Phone: 503 880 8229
Twitter: @OregonIceWorks
Facebook: Oregon Ice Works

Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen

Location: SW 4th and College
Hours: Weekdays 11am-3pm

The Story:

In a cart that looks more like a little bungalow with a piqued roof, you’ll find a chef creating dishes out of a the rich Cajun and French country tradition. Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen is open to serve you a different dish every time you return.

As a child, Meghann White was a fixture in her parents kitchen doing those tasks that kids love to do – grating cheese and slicing olives. This exposure to food and a family tradition to have Cajun dishes during special occasions shaped Meghann to the point when at the age of 14, she asked for and received a hand-crank pasta machine. When I was 14, all I could think about was the next Duran Duran cassette. One culinary memory Meghann shared with me was how she learned to catch yeast to make her own sourdough starter from the PBS show Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. Her mother is still feeding that starter to this day. While becoming a chef wasn’t part of Meghann’s initial plan, she continued to build these passions and skills in the kitchen and broaden her tastes into adulthood to eventually have friends to her home for regular dinner parties. The cart was the next step.

Beer Chicken Chili

Hog and Hen has an ever changing menu with two to three items available any given day. Meghann admits her food and style are influenced by Cajun cooking, yet she doesn’t want to be defined as a Cajun cart as that pigeonholes her to a few specific dishes in the minds of many. Since Cajun is truly a mix of different cultural culinary traditions that have morphed over centuries, it continues to evolve. Mix with that some of the French country flavors Meghann has embraced and you get some great dishes. On one of the wettest days of the year, I visited the cart for the Beer Chicken Chili. Tender chunks of chicken are simmered in beer with white beans, tomatoes and peppers to create a unique flavor mashup. Served in a large cup over white rice, this is a hearty dish for a cold day. The added bonus is the cornbread, a large chunk of southern goodness you will not want to put down. I normally enjoy my bread throughout a meal dipping and nibbling along the way. I was sad when I finished Meghann’s cornbread before I even was half way through the chili. Some excellent nosh.

Hog and Hen is open weekdays from 11-3 unless she runs out of food, which happens more often than not. As stated, the menu does change, so visit often for variety. Meghann was there with a smile to greet me on the worst day of the year weather wise and I appreciate that. Walk on down, get some cornbread and let her know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Beer Chicken Chili: chicken simmered in beer, white beans, tomatoes and peppers served over rice with cornbread – sm, $4; lg, $6
• Jalapeno Mac ‘n Cheese Casserole: mac and cheese with a spicy twist, topped with a golden crust of bread crumbs and served with an apple – sm, $4; lg, $6

Hours: Weekdays, 11-3pm
Website: Hog and Hen
Twitter: HogandHen

Location: SW 4th and Hall
Hours: Weekdays, 11am-2:30pm

The Story:

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