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Bex! and her Silent Partner used to live, work, run, eat, and do our farmer's market shopping in Portland, Oregon. These days we find ourselves tasting new fruits and looking for sea food in Latin America,

Friday, July 30, 2010

Joslyn's Ciao Chow

Location: Stark & 2nd

Type: Italian
Cost: $8.00
Food: Pasta al povero & cheesecake
Wait: Long, but mostly because a deceptively large group with orders for people not present was there
Size: Comfortable lunch

Yum.  And yum.  And yum.  That was awesome.  Fresh, light, cooked to order.  Strawberries on the cheesecake.  Wonderful bread with the pasta.  I felt like this is something I would make myself for lunch if I had the luxury of being home on a work day lunch.  I knwo I'm not saying much, but this cart is fantastic.  I no longer miss not getting to try the former pototato offerings.  It's a lively shade of aquamarine, the inside reminds me of an old eastern farmhouse, but small like a ship's galley.  She cooks on gas and sprinkles herbs with her fingers.  It's marvelous.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? yes

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Frying Scotsman

Location: 9th & Alder

Type: Fish and Chips
Cost: $7.50
Food: Snapper fish and chips
Wait: Okay
Size: More fried stuff than anyone should eat at one time, particularly one lunch-time

This was not a nice thing to do to my body.  I thought fish and chips sounded like a good mid-week treat.  But... hotter oil needed!  These were are gargantuan grease-fest.  Maybe they do better at other times.  But my tummy will likely revolt if I try and give the Scotsman a secodn chance.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? no
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? no

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sweet Wheels

Location: Mobile (NE Alberta)
Type: Cupcake
Cost: $2.50
Food: Cupcakes!
Wait: None
Size: Cupcake size

We samples Sweet Wheels at Alberta's Last Thursday.  After hearing about them, their location for the night on 20th was a good goal for how far to venture.  We got there and were lucky enough to still find cupcakes available.
Sadly, the cupcake was less than perfect.  Cake should have been moister, frosting should have been fluffier.  I love the idea of dessert food carts, but for now I'll stick with my brick and mortar cupcake options.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? sugar is tempting
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? He's already been

Monday, July 26, 2010

Huong's Vietnamese Food

Location: 10th & Alder

Type: Vietnamese
Cost: $6.00
Food: Vermicelli bowl with chicken
Wait: Fine
Size: Suitable for reincarnation into a second day's lunch
This was nice.  Different things to munch on in the box (vermicelli, bean shoots, salad like stuff, chicken, etc.).  Different sauces to add (spicy pepper sauce, sweet chili and oil).  And it made for leftovers that I revamped into a fabulous salad with GTF lettuce the next day.  So, not amazing, but quite quite nice.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? maybe
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? hmmm

Friday, July 23, 2010

Taste of Poland

Location: 5th & Oak

Type: Polish
Cost: $5.00
Food: Potato cheese perogi plate
Wait: okay
Size: na
Hmm, this didn't work for me.  It started out well, but as soon as I wans't really hungry, my ratings dropped.  Lots of food for your money.  Good flavors to match with beer festival or cold weather.  But just not a home run for me.  I wish I had more to say.  Maybe I just don't like perogis.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? no
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? no

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Thai Me Up

Location: 9th & Alder

Type: Thai
Cost: $5.50
Food: Spicy basil stir fry
Wait: Short
Size: disappeared into my lunch-time tummy

This cart is quiet and around the corner.  I feel like they must get overlooked and that's too bad.
I couldn't decide, asked for a recommendation, and ordered the spicy thai basil stire fry dish.  It was great!  Chicken, bell peppers, and onion in a spicy thai sauce.  Rice.  A fried egg.  It was easy to turn down a fork/chospticks.  Totally great lunch and no line.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? sure
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? maybe

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Cool Harry PDX

Location: 11th & Alder

Type: Fro-yo
Cost: $4.00
Food: Original tart with raspberries
Wait: Short
Size: Bigger than anticipated

So, after my super light Dump Truck lunch, I needed something more for my tummy.  So I made it a two cart day and went to Cool Harry's.  The guy who did my yogurt was cool yet friendly.  The yogurt was yummy.  Tart yet sweet.  The "topping" of rapberries came at the bottom, which was great since it allowed me to taste the yogurt independently and to choose how much raspberry to put into each bit, once I ate a path to them.  This could be a place where I'll actually complete the punch card.  I'm excited to try some different flavors.  And I ordered the 'smallish'.  Which turned out to be quite a bit.  I think a 'way small' woudl satisfy me on msot occasions.

And did I mention the adorable penguin logo?

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? probably

Dump Truck

Location: 11th & Alder

Type: Dumpling
Cost: $5.00
Food: Sampler with two each Mr. Ma's Special, bacon cheeseburger, and the new potato curry
Wait: Short
Size: Very light lunch
Let's start with the name.  It's totally un appealing.  Makes me think of garbage trucks or bodily functions.

Okay, on the the visit.  The guys get points for being quite friendly and enthusiastic.  But sadly, the dumplings didn't blow me away.  Six dumplings, ie potstickers, wasn't enough food.  (On the good news size, I got to hit two food carts in one day.  See the post of Cool Harry PDX for the rest of my meal.)  The Mr. Ma's is pretty much a traditional pork potsicker.  Good, but aggressive on the ginger for my tastebuds.  The bacon cheeseburger has so much nvoelty, but the flavor fell shrot of what I was hoping for.  The potato curry ones were awesome.  I'd highly suggest those.  If you don't mind craning your neck upward to order.

So, love the novelty potential.  (Desert dumplings, pizza dumplings, brat and kraut dumplings?)  And I'll leave it at that.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? probably not
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? unlikely

Monday, July 19, 2010

Happy Grillmore

Location: 3rd & Stark

Type: sandwiches
Cost: $7.00
Food: The Chuck (turkey, bacon, havarti sandwich) and shaved cantelope (drink)
Wait: short
Size: I feel sleepy

Mmmm.  And that's why we try new carts.  It felt strange to let this almost brand new cart (about two weeks old) leap to the front of the list, but I bypassed other untried and long existing carts to give it a try.  And yum.
Toasted bread, wonderful bacon, creamy havarti, non boring greens, just the right amount of spread.  It was an amazingly awesome sandwich.  And $5.  So I had to try the shaved cantelope, too.  Mmm, that tastes indulgent.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? I'd like to

Friday, July 16, 2010

Tabor

Location: 5th & Stark

Type: Czech
Cost: $7.00
Food: Chicken schnitzel sandwich
Wait: Okay
Size: Bigger than lunchtime tummy really needed, but sandwiches are hard to reserve any of

I want to like this.  The sandwich is beautiful.  Excellent look, components.  The flavor just is not to my liking.  The agressive horse radish, the sweet vegetable spread.
So, excellent cart, just not suited to my tastebuds.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? no
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? he coudl go on his own

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Gin

Location: 3rd & Washington - Stark

Type: Northern Thai
Cost: $5.50
Food: lettuce wrap
Wait: fine
Size: flavor packs a leftover leaving whallop

Mmm.  Northern thai is a great treat and a delightful change from the typical curry seen at thai carts and restaurants.
Having too many grains in my weekly menu already, I opted for the lettuce wrap.  And it was good.  Heavy with flavor, it didn't take much to satisfy my mouth.  I'm all ready to go back and try a noodly dish soon.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? perhaps

Friday, July 9, 2010

DC Vegetarian

Location: 3rd & Washington - Stark

Type: Sandwich/Soup
Cost: $6.75
Food: Veggie burger with pepper jack and avocado, no pickles, spinach instead of lettuce; and a vegan peanut butter cup
Wait: Fine
Size: Ate it all, baby.

Yum.  That was great.  Good beggie patty, a bit spicy.  Wonderfully constructed sandwich with a nice amount of drippy spread action, enough to feel indulgent, not so much as to cause me to make a mess.  Rich but not too big panut butter and chocolate situation.  Just great all around.  And the woman who took my order even wrote Bex with an 'x' on the ticket with no prompting from me.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? sure
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? if I can convince him the lack of meat is worth it

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Bro Dogs

Location: 5th & Stark - Oak
Type: Hot dog
Cost: $6.00
Food: Double dog, with peppers and cheddar
Wait: Short, just the time to cook, and I was well entertained during it
Size: I did battle with the double dog, but it overpowered my tummy.  Snack for later!

Kick ass.  Sweet.  And other enthusiastic phrases.  This was like having the coolest bartender ever make me a hot dog.  The guy running the grill is super personable.  He's enthusiastic about your dog choice, he might try and suggest something even more awesome than what you've come up with, he's laid back but your dog gets handed over before you know it, he's edgy in a good way.
Okay, enough about the sausage slinger.  On to the sausage.  One all beef Sabrett, split to hold a second Sabrett.  Ahhh-ahhh.  And then when you thought nirvana coudln't get any better, there's the delicious grilled toppings, no cold afterthoughts here.  And there's there's the bread component.  This is not a suburban bbq napkin to hold a sausage, this is a toasted flat bread piece, that rolls up to cacoon the hot dog and has at once toasty goodness and soft white bread goodness.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? hell, yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? And Rich, too!

Monday, July 5, 2010

#1 Benton Korean BBQ

Location: 10th & Alder

Type: Korean
Cost: $16.00 for two
Food: Spicy chicken betno, teriyaki chicken bento, pot sticker appetize, diet coke
Wait: okay
Size: lots of food

The cart keeper was chatty and friendly (as was her obivously a regular patron who got there before us).  The food was large in quantity and I didn't have much trouble turning down silverwear.  (The fork or chopsticks question always provides a handy opportunity.  The taste, however, wasn't all that.  The spicy chicken lacked any zing.  And the teriyaki was overly sweet (although it tasted better on the reheat).  So far, I'm still 0 for 0 on Korean joints.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? no
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? he's already been