Tribute to closing carts

Tears Shed For Closing Carts

“Sorry we’re closing, because we want to move on to bigger adventures.” A phrase no carter wants to hear. When the sad day comes when a food cart closes it doors, windows, and delicious food, a tear may cross my face. With over two hundred food carts gracing the streets of Portland, closing carts are bound to happen. It is all a carter can do to hold it together, and make their way over to the closing cart to enjoy the last tastes of delicious food.

No More Waffles From A Waffle Cart

This was the case when my mom and I attempted to visit Parker’s Waffles and Coffee. We were in the mood for some waffles that were either sweet or savory. Online, the location I found was on Alberta. As we made our way there, we were met with a hole in the wall serving waffles. Parker’s Waffles and Coffee on Alberta is a window that is still open and serving. The cart that use to be on 4^th and Hall closed down in August. This was unknown to me, and we were greatly disappointed. However, being the cartaneers we are, we were able to find another cart to visit for our morning breakfast.

*For my whole year with Portland’s food carts, I am only wanting to visit food carts, so while Parker’s looked delicious and offered various kinds of delicious waffles, the window serving waffles does not fit the guidelines of a cart.

No Breakfast For You

            On the beginning of the extreme carting day, my mom and I were on our way downtown to 2^nd and Oak, to enjoy our first meal from The Lovin’ Spoonful. As we arrived, we were met with a sign proclaiming that The Lovin’ Spoonful was closed, and the owners were on their way to bigger things at the coast. I was looking forward to a home-style breakfast, but when the carts close down, what are you going to do. Again, being knowledgable about Portland’s food cart scene comes in handy, for we were able to find a different breakfast in a matter of minutes.

The Best Sinister Waffle Around

            Sitting amongst other carts at North Station, on the corner of Killingsworth and Greeley, is Wicked Waffles. An adorable food cart of green and white, with matching over hang, serving waffles of different varieties. While there, my mom and I enjoyed an original vanilla bean waffle with cinnamon and a berry with whipped cream waffle. The base for the waffles were a corn waffle. I actually was able to eat a corn kernal, and might I say it was good. While the day was rainy and cold, the atmosphere of North Station was friendly and warm. For rainy or sunny days, North Station offers indoor seating, but enjoying waffles in the rain with your mom could not be more fun.
            As many carts do, their time comes and it is time to shut its doors. We were lucky enough to visit Wicked Waffles. Had we not, I would have missed out. I can only hope to find another vanilla bean corn waffle as good as the one I had.


Parker's Waffles

Location:

1805 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97015 · Get Directions

Hours:

Fri:	8:00 pm	-	2:00 am
Sat:	8:00 am	-	2:00 pm
	8:00 pm	-	2:00 am
Sun:	8:00 am	-	2:00 pm

Closed for the winter as of October 17, 2011


For more information:
http://www.parkerswaffles.com
facebook.com/parkerswafflesandcoffee

Far but friendly

A Friendly Evening on the Town

A new place popping up with carts is on the far east side of Portland. At SE 102^nd and Stark, near the Mall 205 shopping mall, and not too far away from Ya Hala, The Academy Theatre, and The Bipartisan Café, is a pod of carts featuring so many different types of food, my mind was all over the place. Philippine, Pacific Islander, Indian, Thai, and Mexican food were all featured in the pod of carts, that is sitting on the outskirts of an empty parking lot.

As we walked up to the pod of carts, a women standing within her Philippine food cart instantly welcomed us. Offering up her daily special, and variations for us vegetarians, before we had even made it to the window, the feeling she gave us, would soon be copied as we walked through and studied all of the various menus. As we walked by a cart offering Pacific Islander food, we studied the menu that happened to be written on the side of the shiny silver cart. We were saddened by the fact that every dish being served happened to be meat. Nonetheless, we were welcomed by a women who waved hello.

When we had finally decided which carts we were going to dine at, Shalimar Café and Thai Garden, we had to decide what dish out of the plethora of foods. We went up to Shalimar Café, and were again welcomed, by the owner, who began spouting off the meal of the day. Dal, Lentils, freshly made naan, and basmati rice. Delicious, and without another minute of consultation, we had ordered, and watched. It is not very often that you see your bread come to life, but tonight I witnessed dough to bread, as the naan we would later eat was being made. I saw the dough rolled out, and placed into the baker. Extremely fresh bread, that was quite delicious.

When we stepped off the deck of Shalimar Café, we immeditely headed over to Thai Garden. While the well-known Pad Thai is always a good choice, tonight we decided to go for something else, Pra Ram. A combination of broccoli, rice, other vegetables, tofu, and of course, my personal favorites, peanut sauce.  When the dish came to the window, we opened it up, and unfortunately what we saw was chicken. A mistake about type of protein, but unfortunately we had to ask for the food to be remade. Hopefully that dish would have been able to eaten by someone else. It did not take long before our dish had been remade with tofu. As we opened up the container, a burst of steam came out, and the smells of spices and delicious Thai food burst out.

Instantly we dug in, I first with the Thai food, and my mom with the Indian food. It happened to be that the meals we were eating, either due to the small sizes of the food, or the fact that the food was so delicious that we were shoveling such food into our mouths, ended up all over the table. This is when we began using the lids of the containers as our nets for catching food, so that we would not leave the table covered with food.  

 As we came to the point in the meal where we were able to no longer place food into mouth, we decided it was time to head out, and take what was rest, home. Easily making tomorrow's lunch. We said goodbye, and headed onto our next destination. Over on Hawthorne, to a place visited once before, for a variation of an old favorite. 

When we arrived to Hawthorne, we took the first spot we could find, a bit far from the initial destination, but walking on Hawthorne is always nice on a nice Portland evening. We began walking. Walking past, Cha Cha Cha, Swirl, American Apparel, and while passing Road To Tibet, my mom stopped, and bent over to look at some very fine wool products. The sign posted above read 50% off. When she found some wool socks that were absolutely the best things, we had to go inside to ask the price. We brought two pairs in, and at a final price of $15, the purchase was made, and we were on our way back to Chili Pie Palace. 

Chili Pie Palace happens to be right next door to House of Vintage, the best place to find sweaters, but we were on a mission. When we arrived to the yellow and white cart, we were in line waiting, behind another customer, but when it came to be our turn, we were able to order a: Chocolate cookie with homemade cookies and creme ice cream. All completely vegan. When we had visited Chili Pie Palace before, we had ordered another vegan treat, a gingersnap cookie, with mango curry ice cream. For both of these treats, the cookies have both been soft and pleasant. Separated by a tasty blob of ice cream. It was the perfect way to end both of those nights out and dining.  

We made our way back to the car, wool socks in hand, and not stopping by Road To Tibet again, and headed home, one of us was going to bed, the other, going to listen to music and play tetris.