Food Cart News February 2012

February 13, 2012 at 3:51 pm by
3 Comments

Some items from the news bin:

New Carts that have opened in the last month or so:

  • Okie Rogie Pierogis – Sellwood
  • Beijing House – SW 9th and Alder
  • Love My Bento – SW 9th and Alder
  • Taste of Fiji – SW 10th and Washington
  • Prickley Ash – Mississippi Marketplace

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Some cart closures and moves:

  • Fiefs’ Gourmet Dogs at North Station is for sale
  • 100 Miles will not reopen and is for sale
  • Ali Baba’s Turkish is closed for a bit. The cart will re-open as a new vendor for the time being.
  • Herb’s Mac & Cheese will be closed until April when they re-open at Good Food Here on SE 43rd and Belmont.

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Nong Poonsukwattana of Nong’s Khao Man Ghai doesn’t seem to sleep. Shortly after opening her 2nd cart by PSU, she announced the opening of a location in southeast Portland. Her kitchen at 609 SE Ankeny st., Suite B now has a take out window so you don’t have to cross the river for her famous Khao Man Ghai. Hours are Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm. Hat tip to Eater PDX for the heads up.

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We received sad news last week that Captain Rick Willis passed away. Rick opened Captain Rick’s Seafood on the corner of SW 3rd and Ash a few years ago, but moved on from owning and managing a cart to building them. There are many carts of his making throughout the city. If we learn of any public memorial, we will pass it along. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Have a great week.

Posted in CART CULTURE |

Thai Garden Food Stand

February 13, 2012 at 7:15 am by
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Thai Garden

Thai Garden

Location: SE 102nd and Stark
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm

The Story:

The lot at southeast 102nd and Stark has become the go to spot for the areas eaters. With food choices ranging from Indian to Salvadorian to Mexican to Phillapino, you can traverse the culinary world by only walking about 20 feet. Thai Garden is there to fill that gap.

Thai Garden serves up authentic Thai cuisine with a menu of curry and stir fry dishes. This is one of those carts that has explicit ordering guidelines – 1. Select Food; 2. Choose chicken or tofu; 3. How Spicy?; 4. White or brown rice? I love that. It makes it easy and simplifies the decision process. The menu here includes noodle dishes, fried rice, curry or stir fry. The day we visited, it was fried rice with tofu, egg, onion, broccoli, peas, carrots and tomatoes. Fried rice is a dish I love unconditionally as it is simple and full of crunchy vegetables. You can eat it hot or cold and it gets better in the fridge for leftovers. Thai Garden’s fried rice was well done.

Basil Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Thai Garden is open weekdays and Saturday for lunch and dinner and has attracted a large following. Check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Salad Rolls – $3
  • Egg Rolls – $3
  • Pad Thai – $5
  • Pad Kee Mao – $5
  • Fried Rice – $5
  • Basil Fried Rice – $5
  • Pineapple Fried Rice – $5
  • Mussaman Curry – $5
  • Yellow Curry – $5
  • Pra Ram Stir Fry – $5
  • Spicy Basil Stir Fry – $5

Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm
Phone: 503 887 5935

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Thai, Vegetarian Options, Weekends |

Sushi PDX

February 10, 2012 at 6:25 am by
1 Comment
Sushi PDX

Sushi PDX

Location: SE 43rd and Belmont
Hours: Tue-Sun, 12pm to 3pm; 5pm to 8pm

The Story:

Sushi has gained greater acceptance in American culture over the years. There are now countless variations of this delicacy, using multiple meats, fish, vegetables, and sauces. The best part: sushi is an ideal street food. People likely use chopsticks, but it is OK to pick the sushi up and eat it with your hands.

Toshi, a sushi chef for over 20 years, opened Sushi PDX about eight months ago. Each piece of sushi and bowl of udon soup exiting his cart showcases the skills he acquired over the years. I visited Japan on a summer study abroad nine years ago, so Toshi and I briefly talked about our experiences there. He’s originally from Japan, but has only been back twice in the last quarter-century.

Sushi PDX

Sushi PDX

The DST Roll is one of the top-selling items. No, probably not what you’re thinking, either. It’s shorthand for double ST, or spicy tuna and shrimp tempura. Crab salad is also added inside the roll. I salivated imagining the crunchy tempura, the mild spicy tuna kick, and the creamy crab salad. The sushi is rolled perfectly, with a generous helping of seafood in the center. The tempura is crispy, contrasting with the other ingredients and the fresh fish is comforting and satisfying. The pickled ginger and wasabi, both served on the side, each add that extra zing to the experience.

There are some vegetarian items on the menu as well. If you’re not a big sushi lover, Toshi offers five different udon noodle soups at dinner time, perfect on a cold, rainy evening. Oh, and Sushi PDX now delivers, using Pegasus Delivery to get food to your home or office (hand rolls not included, likely because it loses its freshness en route to its destination). Head over to Sushi PDX and try Toshi’s food. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya!

Sample Menu:

Various sushi rolls ($3 to $8.50); includes:

  • Vegetable Roll – $4.50
  • Spicy Tuna Roll – $5.50 (add 50 cents for avocado)
  • DST Roll – $6
  • Crunchy Roll – $6.50
  • Soft Shell Crab Roll – $8.50

Various hand rolls – $3.25 each, two for $6, three for $8.50

  • Choices include spicy tuna, California, salmon skin, vegetable, and spicy scallop

Udon Soup (dinner only)

  • Kake (plain) – $5
  • Sansai – $6
  • Niku (with Pork or Chicken) – $6
  • Tempura – $6.50 (two pieces tempura); $7.25 (three pieces)
  • Curry (with pork or chicken) – $7

Miso soup – $1.50

Hours: Tue-Sun, 12pm to 3pm; 5pm to 8pm
Website: SushiPDX.com
Twitter: @SushiPDX
Facebook: Sushi PDX

Posted in Dinner, Japanese, Lunch, SE 43rd and Belmont, Soups, Southeast-Portland, Sushi, Vegetarian Options, Weekends |

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

February 8, 2012 at 7:59 am by
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Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

Location: SE 52nd and Foster
Hours: Tue-Thu, 11am to 8pm; Fri-Sat, 11am to 9pm; Sun, 11am to 6pm

The Story:

Several cart owners in Portland have taken their treasured family recipes to launch successful businesses. At Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian, which opened last August, Jesse comes armed with his century-old family recipes. Jesse’s nana wanted everyone to experience great Italian cooking and many of the recipes come from her mother (Jesse’s great-grandmother). Endless love is poured into each item, from the Sicilian meatballs and sauce to the classic cannoli.

Jesse has always wanted to open a restaurant, but for now, a food cart is his best option. His girlfriend, Tami, helps with the cart’s day-to-day operations. Jesse said the meatball sub and the cannoli are the two most popular items. Deciding to go just a bit lighter on my choices – and not wanting to play favorites – I opted for a meatball slider instead, adding a classic cannoli for a small dessert. For the meatball slider, Jesse starts with a slider bun, spreading pesto mayonnaise on the bottom half. A hefty meatball comes next, making me do a double-take. After laying a piece of provolone on the meatball, Jesse takes the top half of the bun and lightly dips it in a temperature-hot marinara sauce. The heat slowly melts the cheese and the sauce reinforces those amazing Italian flavors. A simple, yet genius move. The meatball is well-seasoned, lightly packed, and hearty. The soft bun and semi-melted cheese intensify this soulful experience. Each of the recipe’s 100+ years bombarded my taste buds with happiness.

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

For the cannoli, Jesse took an empty shell and filled it with the classic Amaretto filling. For an extra fifty cents, I requested chocolate chips on the ends. Because it was made to order, the shell retained its slightly crunchy texture, contrasting with the light (yet satisfying) filling. The chocolate chips just sent my thoughts into overdrive. Jesse and Tami will regularly rotate four cannoli fillings, so you may get to try something new on your next visit.

Head over to Holy Cannoli and experience a wicked, comforting meal. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Meatball Sub – $7; add peppers and onions for $1 more
  • Sausage and Peppers Sub – $7
  • The Godfather – $10; meatballs, bacon, sausage, provolone, peppers, and onions
  • Meatball Sliders – one for $3; three for $7.50
  • Tots – $2
  • Meatball with sauce – $2
  • Cannoli – $2 each; rotating fillings, add 50 cents for chocolate chips

Hours: Tue-Thu, 11am to 8pm; Fri-Sat, 11am to 9pm; Sun, 11am to 6pm
Website: HolyCannoliPDX.com
Facebook: Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

Posted in Dinner, Italian, Lunch, SE 52nd and Foster, Southeast-Portland, Weekends |

Food Carts and Liquor Licenses

February 7, 2012 at 10:45 am by
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One of the predictions for 2012 was that alcohol will come to the carts beyond the current beer options offered by Captured By Porches and Rogue Brewing. It looks like that time may have come sooner than later. Mayor Sam Adam’s Twitter stream blew up yesterday with comments and concerns regarding food carts getting liquor licenses. According to his initial Tweet, the Oregon Department of Justice has asked the city to see how they can accommodate for this change.

Today, the owners and managers of Cartlandia off 82nd sent an open letter to the Mayor and Commissioner Amanda Fritz arguing their case for a permit. Items such as reclaiming an empty lot, securing it and creating opportunities for 18 small businesses were some of their points.

It seems the conversation has just started. City Council is holding a public hearing on a resolution asking OLCC to set rules before granting license applications this Wednesday, Feb 8 at City Hall. More details and the agenda can be found on PortlandOnline.com. Resolution from Amanda Fritz and more details from the OLCC here: (PDF)

Posted in CART CULTURE |

Thai Garden Food Stand

Posted on February 13, 2012 by dieselboiLeave a comment

Location: SE 102nd and Stark Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm The Story: The lot at southeast 102nd and Stark has become the go to spot for the areas eaters. With food choices ranging from Indian to Salvadorian to Mexican to Phillapino, you … Continue reading →

Sushi PDX

Posted on February 10, 2012 by aaron_jd1 Comment

Location: SE 43rd and Belmont Hours: Tue-Sun, 12pm to 3pm; 5pm to 8pm The Story: Sushi has gained greater acceptance in American culture over the years. There are now countless variations of this delicacy, using multiple meats, fish, vegetables, and … Continue reading →

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian

Posted on February 8, 2012 by aaron_jdLeave a comment

Location: SE 52nd and Foster Hours: Tue-Thu, 11am to 8pm; Fri-Sat, 11am to 9pm; Sun, 11am to 6pm The Story: Several cart owners in Portland have taken their treasured family recipes to launch successful businesses. At Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian, … Continue reading →

Food Carts and Liquor Licenses

Posted on February 7, 2012 by dieselboiLeave a comment

One of the predictions for 2012 was that alcohol will come to the carts beyond the current beer options offered by Captured By Porches and Rogue Brewing. It looks like that time may have come sooner than later. Mayor Sam … Continue reading →

Wayang House

Posted on February 7, 2012 by dieselboi5 Comments

Location: SW 9th and Alder Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime The Story: The other day I was asked why I write about the food carts the answer is easy – I get to try something new every single day. Wayang House Indonesian … Continue reading →