Graffiti Sandwich

May 22, 2013 by 2 Comments
Graffiti Sandwich

Graffiti Sandwich

Location: SE 48th and Woodstock
Hours: Wed-Sun, 11-7

The Story: What’s the definition of graffiti? Is it art or mischief? I’ve seen some amazing graffiti out there – a mishmash of styles and colors almost indiscernable as either a word or name or object. At Graffiti Sandwich, the chef takes traditional style sandwiches and paints his own creations.

Travis, the sandwich chef, worked his way up the restaurant food chain from sous chef in Montana to head chef in Idaho to owner of The Tartan in Coeur d’alene before coming down to Portland and building out a superb cart and opening in Woodstock. He and his wife Maureen have known each other since high school and even then were crafty. Fast forward 20 years and the cart was born. Travis needed to get back in the kitchen. Looking at the menu he offers, you see familiar looking sandwiches you may have enjoyed in the past, yet then there are subtle differences and you think to yourself – “I never thought to do that with pork belly”. His Ono Chicken sandwich, for example, started as a Japanese-Hawaiian pasta dish which he tweaked and put on a bun. Fermented black beans mixed with cream cheese and garlic soy marinated chicken. Oh, and the buns from Fluer de Lis bakery here in town are some of the best. I honestly don’t mind getting that light bit of flour from the top of the bun all over my dark shirt.

Da Nang Pork Sandwich from Graffiti Sandwich

Da Nang Pork Sandwich from Graffiti Sandwich

The Da Nang Pork is Travis’ version of a banh mi. Pork meatballs, Vietnamese slaw, cilantro, sriracha may and hoisin peanut butter make up this creation. The bun is chewy and moist, a perfect delivery device for the savory pork mixed with the spice of the sriracha and the sweet of the hoisin butter. I have enjoyed many traiditional banh mi sandwiches over the years and this modified version stands out. The flavors are so diverse and so well managed, it truly is art, not just someone throwing paint on the wall.

Graffiti Sandwich is a new player in the gourmet sandwich game here in Portland. Why Graffiti? Here is their explanation from their website:

Why graffiti? Well, we both like graffiti. We like the way it sounds. We like its double f’s and every other i and just one t. We like to take pictures of graffiti anywhere from Bushwick to Boyle Heights. And, well, Portland doesn’t really have graffiti. Until now.

Well said. I challenge you to head out to Woodstock and see for yourself the magic Travis does. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 11-7, there is seating in the pod and plenty of parking in the area. Drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Smoked Ham & Egg: smoked ham, bacon onion jam, chive cream cheese, deviled egg and Tillamook cheddar – $7.50
  • Da Nang Pork – $8
  • Medianoche: braised pork shoulder, smoked ham, bacon onion jam, Graffiti pickles, Swiss, yellow mustard – $7.50
  • Guisado Pork: stewed pork shoulder, caramelized onions, black beans, jack cheese, lime crema and pickled jalapeno – $8
  • Dan Nang Cauliflower: spiced roasted cauliflower, Vietnamese slaw, cilantro, sriracha mayo, hoisin peanut butter – $7.50

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11-7
Phone: 503.819.5827
Website: GraffitiPDX.com
Facebook: Graffiti Sandwich

Filed Under: Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Lunch, Sandwiches, SE 48th and Woodstock, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

La Sangucheria

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
La Sangucheria

La Sangucheria

Location: SW 3rd and Ash
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 10:30am-3:30pm, Fri/Sat, 12-7pm

The Story: I comment regularly about how one can taste the flavors of a region by visiting the different mobile vendors here in the city. Falafel and salad rolls are perfect examples. La Sangucheria does Peruvian, allowing us now to expand our tastes to South America.

La Sangucheria translates to sandwich shop in Peru. Mary, the owner, has a catering business in Peru and came to America about four years ago with her family and opened her cart here in Portland at the end of 2012. The sandwiches on the menu are traditional items you would eat daily in Peru and Mary pointed out they like to add potatoes to everything.

Chicharron from La Sangucheria

Chicharron from La Sangucheria

La Sangucheria focuses on Peruvian sandwiches. The Saltado is a sauteed beef tenderloin served with sauteed onions, tomatoes, cilantro and fries. The Chicharron, which I enjoyed, stars with a well made sandwich bun and then sweet potato fries are laid down and topped with a generous amount of deep fried pork disks. The sandwich is topped with honey and red onion salsa and your choice of sauce. I initially thought of chicharron made with deep fried pork skin, but in Peru, they deep fry the pork disks and call it chicharron. An excellent sandwich with a breadth of flavors. I opted for spicy which paired well with the savory of the pork and the sweet of the potato. A rather large sandwich for a hearty eater.

La Sangucheria may be known to you by now. They won the Judge’s Award at the 2013 Eat Mobile festival. Their cuisine is top notch and worth the visit. Next time you have a craving for something from the southern hemisphere, drop on by La Sangucheria and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Saltado – sauteed beef tenderloin, sauteed onion, tomatoes, cilantro and fries – $8
  • Chicharron – deep fried pork, sweet potato fries, hone and onion salsa – $8
  • Pachamama – smoked ham, bacon, grilled chicken, fries and cheese sauce – $8

Phone: 503 957 2410
Facebook: La Sangucheria

 

Filed Under: Lunch, Peruvian, Sandwiches, SW 3rd and Ash, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Guero

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Guero

Guero

Location: SE 28th and Ankeny
Hours: Tues-Sun, 11am-9pm

The Story: A food cart born of passion, travel, friendship and…well…good cuisine. I give you Guero Tacos and Tortas.

Over the years, I have met food cart owners who are parents or boyfriends and girlfriends or fathers and sons. While most of these small businesses are single owners, many are the hard work of a few who have banded together to pursue a dream. I have fond memories of younger years when I and friends worked together to fullfill a collective dream. Granted, none were as ambitious as a full service restaurant on wheels, but I know the hard work it takes for people to come together for a single focused idea. At Guero, the three partners – Alec, Mike and Megan – all share in the duty to create the best cuisine they can. The idea behind Guero came from Alec’s time spent travelling and living in Mexico and then a transition to Burlington Vermont where he partnered with his mates and launched a mobile taco business named Taco the Town, a short lived service of delivering tacos by bike. When an opportunity to transition to a full service food cart, they jumped at it and opened Guero. But don’t fret, the delivery by bike is still a passion and may return.

At Guero, you can get tacos, tortas and bolos. Tacos are my crutch. When I see a chef hand pressing a masa tortilla, I’m blinded, seeing nothing else on the menu but the taco. The day we visited offered three different tacos – Carnitas el Guero, Cochinita Pibil and Jitomate. Each one’s description activated my tastebuds, but in the end, I chose the latter two. The Cochinita Pibil is a specialty from La Riviera May with pork slow cooked in achiote with shredded banana leaf and served with pickled onion. Take a bite and enjoy the savory pork, the acidity of onion along with the moist of the freshmade tortilla. Divine. The Jitomate taco is habanero-tamarind stewed tomato atop pinto beans and topped with crumbly Mexican cheese and a slice of avocado. I read it as a stewed habanero, so was expecting a spicy bite, yet it was a tomato with so much flavor, I couldn’t easily describe it. Another amazing example of the craft and care Guero takes with every single item they produce.

Tacos from Guero

Tacos from Guero

As stated, Guero was born from a taco bike delivery service, so these guys know what Portland eaters seek. Located at SE 28th and Ankeny at a lot with covered seating, a London bus to hang out in and three other food vendors. The lot boasts Captured by Porches so you can enjoy a microbrew with your taco or torta. Drop on by, grab something new and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Menu may change daily or weekly. Be adventurous, visit and try something new.

  • Carnitas al Guero Taco – $2
  • Cochinita Pibil – $2
  • Tortas – all served with cilantro aioli, cabbage, avocado; carnitas; cochinita pibil, huarachi – $7

Phone: 503 593 8846
Twitter: @GueroPDX
Facebook: GueroPDX

Filed Under: Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Lunch, Mexican, SE 28th and Ankeny, Tacos, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

El Taco Yucateco

May 9, 2013 by 1 Comment
El Taco Yucateco

El Taco Yucateco

Location: SW 3rd and Stark
Hours: Weekdays, lunch

The Story: Elloy Martin makes an amazing panucho. Simple, satisfying and oh, so flavorful. Elloy Martin has been making Mexican street food magic in his cart El Taco Yucateco for a couple of years and now comes to serve the downtown eaters.

I first met Elloy a year or so ago when he was at Green Castle. I made the mistake of assuming his cart was the same as a similar named vendor out east. Lucky for me, it wasn’t a huge error as it was his brother’s cart I had visited. After some ups and downs at Green Castle, Elloy moved the cart downtown this year and opened up on SW Stark between 2nd and 3rd. The menu at the cart is what you would expect from most Mexican vendors – tacos, burritos, quesadillas and tortas. All fresh, made to order with pride. What stands out here are the panuchos, a special type of taco. Elloy has to go as far as Sandy to source his special masa paste for the tortillas. A panucho is different than a taco and served open face like a tostada. He makes a tortilla then quickly fries it, puffing it up. Elloy then pulls it out, slices it open and stuffs it with black bean paste. Back in the pan to finish up, he then tops it with lettuce, cabbage, shredded and seasoned chicken, pickled red onion, tomato and avocado. A panucho, done right, is one of those dishes you don’t want to eat – so beautiful. If I could, I would take it somewhere so they could preserve it for all time. Each bite is a treat from the avocado mixing with the marinated onion and the creamy beans. The tortilla isn’t hard, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking up in your hand. A couple of panuchos and a Jarochita on a sunny day is all this boy needs to make him smile.

Panuchos from El Taco Yucatecos

Panuchos from El Taco Yucatecos

While waiting for my order, a few other patrons came along for burritos. One woman came up proclaiming that the cart “had the best taco salad in town.” I’ll have to try that next. Elloy is one of those vendors who smiles and engages his customers whether he’s busy or not and I enjoyed chatting with him about Mexican street food. Makes me want to take a trip. Drop on by El Taco Yucateco next time you have a craving for something new. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Panuchos – $2
  • Tacos – beef, chicken, cactus – $1.50
  • Quesadilla-  $3, add beef or chicken for $1
  • Tamale – $3
  • Taco Salad – beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, your choice of meat – $7
  • Burritos – $5
  • Tortas – $5

Phone: (503) 901-0768
Facebook: El Taco Yucateco

Filed Under: Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Go Box, Lunch, Mexican, SW 3rd and Stark, Tacos, Vegetarian Options, Weekends Tagged With:

Kargi Gogo

May 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Kargi Gogo

Kargi Gogo

Location: SW Washington and 10th
Hours: Weekdays and Saturdays, lunch- late afternoon.

The Story: Grab your passports and your geography books, Kargi Gogo serves a cuisine we rarely see in Portland and they do an outstanding job of it too: The foods of the Georgian Republic. No, this is not fried chicken, grits, okra and peach pie found in the Southern United State of Georgia. This is food from the COUNTRY of Georgia. Located on the Black Sea, nestled under Russia, and surrounded by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Georgia is a culturally and geographically diverse country with a diverse cuisine to match it.  In Kargi Gogo’s own words:

Georgians make food that combines elements of Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines, resulting in fresh, flavorful dishes.

You’ll find Khachapuri – melted blend of cheeses in a flaky light crust. Then there’s Badrijani – cooked eggplant strips stuffed with ground walnuts, garlic and Georgian spices. Light but satisfying, and vegan and gluten free to boot. Yet, it’s the Georgian dumplings named Khinkali that really win us over. Think of generous fistfull sized tender and boiled wontons stuffed with a mixture of meats, garlic, herbs and broth. They are a Georgian obsession and highly addictive, and pro-tip provided by the owners of Kargi Gogo and the way the Georgians eat them – grab the dumpling by the top, turn them upside down, then bite in. This keeps the hot broth inside the dumplings from exploding all over your nice clean shirt.

Kargi Gogo,  literally translates  to Good Girl in the Georgian language and their cute little white cart with the quirky cartoon girl logo (the good girl) is a nice introduction to Georgian food.  Kargi Gogo has put a lot of thought into their design and menu, including descriptions and photos of their food as well as making sure there are offerings for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. They even have some gluten free foods. This commitment to education about their food is really helpful in choosing what mouth-watering treats to try.

Kargi 2

Kargi Gogo’s Supra Feast sampler plate

A great introduction to sampling  Kargi Gogo’s menu is their “Supra Feast”, describe as:

A Georgian supra is an epic feast with an abundance of delicious food. Indulge with a slice of Khachapuri, a slice of Lobiani, two Khinkali, two Badrijani and Peasant’s Salad.

Sean and McKinzie are the two affable young Americans who own Kargi Gogo. They were both stationed in Georgia for two years in the Peace Corps, met there, and decided to introduce Portlanders to this fantastic cuisine. Food Carts Portland salutes Kargi Gogo for their efforts and excellence. Or, as the robust and friendly Georgian people might say, Gemrielad Miirthvith! (Enjoy your meal!)

 

Sample Menu:

 

  • Khachapuri – Georgian Cheese Stuffed Bread – $6
  • Lobani – stuffed Bean and Onion Bread – $6
  • Khinkali – meat stuffed boiled dumplings – $6
  • Badrijani – eggplant, garlic and walnut rolls – $6
  • Peasant Salad – tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, onions in a walnut-garlic dressing – $6
  • Supra Feast – a large sampler of all menu items – $8

 

Phone: 503- 489-8432

Website: kargigogo.com

Facebook: Kargi Gogo PDX

Twitter: @kargigogopdx

 

 

 

Filed Under: Eastern European, Georgian Republic, Gluten Free Options, Lunch, Mediterranean, Snacks, SW 10th and Washington, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends
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