YEAR OF THE CARTS: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Off The Griddle and Coffee Can Cafe

November 11, 2010-A New Face In The Crowd

50^th and Ivon, a bit farther than normal when going on a carting adventure, but for both my mom and I, that that is the name of the game. As we pulled up to the sidewalk, we welcomed the opportunity of having another guest with us when carting. My sister was coming along, not that we weren’t happy to have her, but because her boyfriend happened to be out of town for a couple of weeks.

A la Carts, the pod on 50^th and Ivon has a plethora of foods to choose from and enjoy. The destination in mind, Off The Griddle, a vegetarian and vegan food cart making DELICIOUS garden burgers. It was not until I actually devoured the burger that I would come to the realization of the delicious tastes that were created by Ashley and Dan.

The absolutely great thing about Off The Griddle, is the fact that while many meatatarians have many options of burgers around town like BrunchBox on 5^th and Oak, and Rollin’ Etta on 43^rd and Belmont., vegetarians and vegans have less of an opportunity at eating delicious burgers that are equally teeth sinkable, and devoured in less than 15 minutes. Thus the creation of Off The Griddle is all but hailed by me and many others, vegetarians and meatatarians alike, who have already been able to experience the cart.

As I looked at the menu, the tough choice of choosing what to get hit me, much like always, but when my eyes settled on the list of ingredients for the Messy Bessy, I knew it was the one. An O.T.G. patty piled high with organic cage-free egg, Tillamook cheddar, organic avocado, grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, spicy tofu-avocado sauce and finally a layer of house-made potato chips. Seasoned and served with a fork. The fork and many napkins to go along with the very adeptly named burger are very much recommended.

As we waited for the burgers to be made, we happened to notice the cart sitting right next to Off The Griddle. Coffee Can Café. A very nice, wooden food cart café, that serves up all your espresso needs. While normally I would go for my usual LOVE, a mocha, when the holiday menu, written on a piece of cardboard, and tacked to the side was noticed, I knew that a Pumpkin Steamer would be heading my way. The pumpkin steamer was great for the chilly weather of Portland, and possibly the best holiday drink I have had. Even more than peppermint mochas some cafes offer. Also, while so many flavors combining might often times seem daunting and too much, the steamer and burger went together fabulously.

Since the weather in Portland has quickly been changing, it was after careful consideration, and a quick check to see if the heat lamps were on in the heated and covered seating area, that all three of us decided to hit the road and eat at home. Disappointing I know, and not very much like a true carter should be like, but non-adequate dressing seemed to negatively impact the experience.

When I was buckled in, and a napkin placed to my side, I opened up the box, keep in mind the fact that other burgers are served wrapped in tin foil, picked up the burger, and sank my teeth in. Absolutely delicious! As I sit here writing, and about five times a week do I think about this burger, and anxiously await the next visit to Off The Griddle. The Messy Bessy is a true genius of combination. All the grilled vegetables, fried egg, tofu, and sauce created a delicious dinner, that I cannot stress how delicious this burger was.

After getting home, we were all able to dig in, and of course share bites of each others burgers. As I sit there devouring the burger, I knew that I would indeed see Off The Griddle again.

Grilled Cheese Grill and Nuevo Mexico

Similar, Yet Completely Opposite

In northwest Portland, the is PBJ’s serving fabulous unique creations of the traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In Northeast Portland, up on Alberta, is the Grilled Cheese Grill, serving new takes on the famous grilled cheese sandwich.

On Alberta and 18^th, lying by itself, in what was once a old lot, now a nice hangout and eating spot, is the Grilled Cheese Grill. Before beginning “Year of the Carts,” the extent of my sandwich knowledge was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and caprese style sandwiches, I knew of grilled cheese, but was not a fan. Over the course of what is going on three months of carting, I have come to enjoy many more types of sandwiches, some of which I never knew were possible to be created.

When you walk up you are met with tables and chairs, umbrellas included, and an old, orange, green, blue striped, school bus that customers can sit and dine in, that is also playing music. All tables are equipped with trivial pursuit cards, so either while waiting or dining, a game can be played.

As you walk up to the actual cart, a silver trailer with its window open, and a big sign stating the name of the cart, the chef is waiting for your order. It took a minute look at the menu to decide on what sandwiched were going to be eaten. It was decided that we would order the Southsider, a combination of artichokes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella on grilled sourdough, substituting red onions for the mushrooms, and the special of the day.

It took about four trivial pursuit cards (not many questions actually answered) until our sandwiches were ready. We grabbed a few napkins, and headed into the old bus to chow down.

Pure deliciousness was what came to my mouth as I sank my teeth into the freshly grilled, crispy but not burnt, crust and bread of the sandwich. I could instantly tell that I would completely enjoy the entirety of what I was eating. The tomatoes were delicious, the mozzarella was perfectly melted over the whole sandwich, and the artichokes made everything come together. The onions were grilled nicely and gave the rest of the sandwich a bit of pop.

When my mom and I go out on a carting experience, we always try to share two different dishes. In this case, we each gave the other a half of each sandwich. This way, both of us are able to try two things in one meal. I was able to try the special of the day, which consisted of many satisfying ingredients, inclusing red bell peppers that were a nice touch to the sandwich, are were delicious grilled, the cheeses again, were melted very nicely covering the sandwiches in cheesy goodness.

Our stay at the Grilled Cheese Grill was coming to an end, and as we finished up our meal, the only thing left to do, was to have a photo op in the front of the bus. A scary thought of someone without there license driving a school bus.

We began walking to our next destination, Solar Waffle Works. The hours were posted, stating that the cart would be open, but after walking for about ten blocks we were met with an even emptier lot than we had seen the last time we had visited. Solar Waffle Works was not there, and all we could do was think of a plan b.

Our plan b was The Sugar Cube, over in the Mississippi Marketplace. When we had visited Garden State and Native Bowl, we had seen The Sugar Cube, where the treats with names like the Amy Winehouse cupcake, could all but tempt us. However, as we walked up to the lot, we saw the window, usually opened up for service, closed. And a sign placed, reading the new winter hours.

When carting, the first rule of conduct is: You must be flexible. Many carts change hours, locations, and are sometimes off catering an event. When you expect to eat a combination of vegetables and peanut sauce, or devour cupcakes and tarts, or slurp down a smoothie, that may not be what happens. Being flexible will make the experience more enjoyable for all. In the case where we had to move on to plan c, we were completely flexible and were very glad that we were, for our next treat was something that neither one of us had had in years.

An Old Favorite

When we walked up to the window, I saw a guy, who had previously been sitting down eating, jump up and head to the back of the cart. He came in with an apron on, and began talking to us as he washed his hands.

“What can I get you?” he said with a friendly smile on his face.

“The Sweet Lunas please.” Answering with complete swiftness one would question if I had even consulted the menu. The Sweet Lunas are the only dessert offered at Nuevo Mexico, a cart at the very enterance of the Mississippi Marketplace The sweet lunas are the only dessert offered at Nuevo Mexico. A sweet fried puff of dough, covered with both honey and powdered sugar. He said it would probably take about five minutes, though it took about three minutes of us standing in the weather that was now turning a bit nasty and cold, for the dessert to be ready. As we thanked him and were handed the red and white checkered tray, we headed to the car to gain some warmth. While not fully the effect of actually eating at a food cart, this was an exception, for my obsession with wearing track shorts is a bit ridiculous.

When we reached the car, we dug in. The sweet lunas were still warm, actually a bit hot. This did not seem to matter as the first bites enveloped our mouths with sweetness. A trend that I see happening on many of the carting adventures me and my mom take, is that anytime there is a meal, my mom takes less and I end up eating the majority. The was no surprise to me, as we sat in the car, eating the sweet lunas. I ended up eating a majority of the tray, as my mom gave me the excuse that she was driving.

Grilled Cheese Grill

Location:

1027 NE Alberta St

Portland, OR, 97211

Hours:

Tues - Thurs:

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Fri - Sat:

11:30 am - 2:30 am

Sun:

11:30 am - 3:30 pm

For More Information visit:

http://grilledcheesegrill.com

http://www.facebook.com/grilledcheesegrill

or call: 503-206-8959

Nuevo Mexico

Location:

Mississippi & Skidmore

Portland, OR, 97204

Hours:

Wed - Fri:

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Sat:

12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Sun:

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

For More Information visit:

http://nuevomexicopdx.com
http://twitter.com/nuevomexicopdx

http://www.facebook.com/nuevomexicopdx

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Not Your Typical Cart Night

September 30, 2010

The night started out with a trip to the carts. However this night had very little to do with the food carts of Portland, for tonight was the night in which Arcade Fire came to town.

I was sitting at a table near Potato Champion, waiting for the rest of my party to arrive. It was not long before they did, and of course, when they did, this is when the ridiculousness of the night began. Only to get worse as the night went on.

The doors opened to the Memorial Coliseum at seven p.m. that night. We were wanting to leave in a timely matter to be there around this time. However, a certain someone needed time to go back to her house in order to grab a sweater, thus making our arrival time a bit later. We made it to the Memorial Coliseum, and after encountering a not so friendly parking guy, walked into what would probably be one of my top ten favorite nights ever.

A concert poster from a telephone pole, that great lengths were gone to in order to recieve

Floor seats. Not much is better than such seats when seeing your possible favorite bands. However, after walking into the building we were met with a standing room floor audience.

The opening band was Calexico. A band described as Alternative Country. I would describe is at a mixture of different types of music, with some Latin flavor added. The band, consisting of about 7 band members playing various instruments, my favorite being the trumpet players, was not bad, just not what I would have hoped for. The set list was about five songs, after which a time period of about half an hour was spent waiting for the main attraction. All while trying to make your way to the front of the audience to get a better view, when about one hundred other people are all doing the exact same thing.

The lights dimmed and the crowd went wild. The song The Suburbs (Continued) came on to announce the beginning of Arcade Fire’s set. Hand were in the air, people were singing and dancing, some of which could be questionable dancing, lights were going off, and on the enormous screen placed behind the band on the stage, a picture of some women swimming came on, and the concert had officially started.

Intervention, Ready to Start, Neighborhood #1(Tunnels), The Sprawl II, just some of the songs played during the almost two hour set. The music quality in that big of a space was great. Some bands are said to be not good live, but that is not the case here. The screen behind the band flashed live video of the band members, as well as video to go along with the songs. Other special effects included lighting, weird things happening with the live video to make it seem like there were multiple of a single band member, and an interesting snow like substance flashed over. It was not until later in the night where the cameras turned on the crowd and the objective was to find your face.

After intense looking, I finally found the party. There I was. On the screen in front of a huge crowd. Boy was that fun! You could only wonder how many people could recognize you.

Rebellion was the last song (for the moment), and at that point, anyone who had been previously tired, or “taking a break,” struck up again with wild waving of the hands, and intense jumping around. One man in front, and to the side of me, began getting a bit out of control and it was all I could do but move out of his way. For fear of being whacked in the face was coming closer. The feeling that the concert was over was not a good one. I wished it could go on forever. But as the song came to an end, I accepted the idea, and savored the last moments.

The clapping began and never did stop. At least until the band came back on after what seemed like five minutes, for an encore. Two more songs, and the concert did finally close with probably Arcade Fire’s most famous song, Wake Up. Again the crown went wild. The lights went wild. The band went wild.

Getting out of large spaces with millions of people is tough. It took about ten minutes for our group to make it back to the car and head in our next destination. Rimsky’s, a café on 12^th and Alder, serving coffee drinks and scrumptious desserts to late night goers.

Even if you know it is coming, you are always surprised. We sat at the table that moves up and down. It is not until your elbows reach your chin that you realize that the table had moved right up in front of you. Visiting the bathroom is also a must. A man, not real, sitting in a kayak above your head greets, and sits with you while you do what needs to be done. Raspberry Mousse, and a Sundae were ordered, and it was just our luck that the waiter surprised us with yet another delicious dessert for free.

The night had ended. Driving home was sad, but I suppose it never was going to last. I did have other things to look forward. Such as toga day for seniors at school the next day. Remembering this night will not be hard. I only hope that it can happen again someday. With Arcade Fire or another band.

Rimsky-Korsakoffee House

Location: 707 SE 12th Portland, OR, 97214

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 pm - 12:00 am

Fri - Sat: 7:00 pm - 1:00 am

Sun: 7:00 pm - 12:00 am

For more information visit:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-OR/Rimsky-Korsakoffee-House/338229242705?v=info&ref=ts

Messy + Yummy = Mummy?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010. A day my mom (my official carting partner-in-crime) and I knew we would have, to continue our Portland carting experience. While websites, Facebook, and Twitter are all ways to stay connected with such carts, the fact that these such sites post various hours, not always the same, begin to makes things a bit unclear. This is why we set out in the early afternoon. Our destination, SE 20^th and Morrison. We were to make an afternoon of it. First, enjoying dinner at our first cart of the night, and continuing on to a place known as House of Vintage in the hopes of finding a new sweater to add to my collection. It was not until later that we would find ourselves indulging in food from another cart.

Howl…Grrrr…Yum!

On the corner of 20^th and Morrison, in what was a vacant lot/parking lot, lies just two carts. Two carts that look as though you could possibly find them on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Would I be complaining if this were the case? Absolutely not.

Wolf and Bear’s, provides delicious Lebanese cuisine in the form of pita wraps. As you walk up to the window, you get a sense of welcoming. The red, screen door that happens to missing the bottom half of the screen, lets you see into the cart, and the people inside.

I looked up to the menu and knew instantly what I wanted. Falafel. Not just the tasty patty made from garbanzo beans or fava beans, but made from scratch falafel with onions, peppers, eggplant, and greens, all topped with hummus that made me salivate. All of which were wrapped up in equally delicious pita bread. All ingredients in all sandwiches seem incredibly fresh which makes the experience better then it could be.

The plan was to share two wraps. We decided on the Roadside Snack with hummus as our second wrap. Being me, and my not so graceful self, as I went to say the name of the wrap, I accidently said Sabich. (Another equally delicious sandwich, just not one we were planning on ordering) Of course the name of the wrap was met with me fumbling over the pronunciation, and the explanation that I was unable to pronounce the word. It was a miracle that my face was hidden somewhat in the shadows for I probably looked like a deer in headlights at that point,

All fumbles set aside, we ordered our wraps and a mint lemonade, and sat down to wait. It did not take long for our wraps to be ready. Both me and my mom walked back up to the window and saw our dinner. Two, surprisingly large wraps, with ingredients of all sorts spilling out of the top with aromas to add to the excitement. Quickly sitting down, we dug in.

Despite using the words delicious about five times in each entry, I have to say it once more. The wrap was so delicious. The made from scratch falafel, pita, and hummus were so completely satisfying, it made me unable to stop eating. That is until it was time to switch. Next up for me, the Roadside Snack. Equally delicious, but milder. The Roadside Snack had no falafel, but the fresh vegetables also had the homemade hummus to top them off.

As for Wolf and Bear’s, I would say anyone wanting a nice, pretty inexpensive, delicious dinner/lunch should take the trip and enjoy.

My stomach was pleasantly full. After finishing our meal, and saying goodbye, my mom and I headed out to begin our walk to Hawthorne. Our walk was met with plenty of street crossing, mother-daughter humor, a quick stop into a quiet fabric store, and me attempting to find just one more Arcade Fire poster.

On our way we found a couple of carts, or areas with carts that we were unaware of, and explored. This is when Mom thought it would be a good idea for us, on our way back, to return to pick up a treat.

We arrived at House of Vintage and the search began. So many sweaters can be found, but when it comes to picking just one that will fit, more or less, into a budget is difficult. Along with trying to find a mirror that is not right next to floral dresses, life is difficult. Finally a sweater was found, bought, and we were on our way back. Mom is so smart because I was going to be so happy she suggested stopping for a sweet treat.

Backyard Spices

When walking on the sidewalk, there is no way you could miss the Chili Pie Palace sitting right there. Offering different types of chili concoctions. Skillfully put together, chili, cheese, and other toppings creates just one option at the cart.

Being a colder day, one would think that we were about to order a bowl of chili or something. However, we had already eaten dinner, and needed a treat. The dessert that caught our eye, a vegan ice cream sandwich. The sandwich was created with two soft baked ginger snap cookies, and an inside of mango curry ice cream. Not what I was expecting, but the result was a happy face,

Behind the Chili Pie Palace lies a back patio. Consisting of about eight chairs, four tables, a magazine rack, and an ash tray shaped like a cigarette, the back patio was a perfect place to sit and enjoy the ice cream sandwich.

The ice cream sandwich itself was a powerhouse of taste. The ice cream hit me like it should have. Being curry and all. The gingersnap cookies just added to the taste, but the taste was not overwhelming, but worked together nicely like a symbiotic relationship. As the sandwich came to an end, the fight for the last bite began. Of course me having the last bite of the pita wrap, it was only fair that my mom have the last bite of the dessert.

After finishing the ice cream, and one last photo op, we began back to the car to go home. A night of perfection in my mind, and both places will be visited again.

Wolf & Bear’s

Location: The corner of SE 20th and Morrison

Hours: Wed-Sat 12 pm - 4 pm

Closing down on Nov. 13. 2010 for the winter

For more information visit:

http://twitter.com/wolfandbears

http://www.myspace.com/wolfandbearskitchen

Chili Pie Palace

Location: SE 32nd and Hawthorne

Hours: Tues-Sun, 11am-7pm

For more information visit:

http://twitter.com/chilipiepalace