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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,

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

District Sandwiches and Spuds

Location: 5th & Stark - Washington

Type: Sandwich
Cost: $6.50
Food: Turkey pesto panini
Wait: Okay
Size:

When I saw thsi place open today, I figured I should go there.  They are rarely open, which makes them hard to try.  Turns out, that's not a bad thing.

The service was warm and friendly.  I got to sample a roast beef sandwich while I waited.  But the panini was a loss.  It was soggy, which is a huge faux pas in the world of paninis.  And generally, the sandwich filling did not look appealing.

Oh well, there are other fabulosu sandwich spots who are open more often.

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

Thursday, August 26, 2010

PFE Sushi

Location: 3rd & Stark
Type: Sushi and Chinese
Cost: $6.98 (yes, they have prices ending in 99 cents)
Food: small Las Vega roll and small Califonia roll
Wait: fine
Size: I would have been fine with one roll.

Thsi was delightful.  I know everyone in my office was leery when they heard the phrase "food cart sushi", but this was great.  The cart is clean and spacious.  You can watch the guy assemble your rolls.  The couple tending the cart are totally sweet.  My rolls were nummy.  Win-win-win situation.
Now I want to go back for their 'Chinese' food.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? sure
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? yeah

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Chili Inside, Chili Outside

Location: 9th & Alder
Type: Chili
Cost: $13.50
Food: Beef chili bowl, turkey chili frito pie, diet coke
Wait: Zilch
Size: Lunch-size

Let's start with what I love: They serve the frito pie in the frito bag.  It's very cool.
I liked the beef chili (shredded beef) better than the turkey (ground turkey), but both were full of chili flavor.  And meat.  Texas style.  In this town, I think they might do well to add a vegetarian bean chili.  Although it doens't seem their style.
The cart is large on the inside; tons of space.  The menu is simple, the cornbread is good, the availability of honey and hot sauce is a great added touch.
I was surprised at the perceived dmographic of the people running the stand, two young women and a young man, all with an Abercrobie-ish look.  Not the ethnic or hippie types I am used to seeing.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? given the right mood
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? he's already been

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Nuevo Mexico & the Mississippi Marketplace pod

Location: Mississippi & Skidmore
Type: New Mexican
Cost: $15.00
Food: Carne adovada sopapilla and carne adovada burrito plate
Wait: Long, restaurant type long, but there was beer to drink and they let us know as we placed the order
Size: Having biked up, all was devoured

Overall, I was very unimpressed with the "Mississippi Markplace".  There were fewer carts than I expected.  A few were closed.  Since we were there at mid-day on a Saturday and given the location, I found that odd.  One had run out of ingredients.  Two were beverage only/focused (smoothies and coffee respectively).  There were many fewer lunch situation options that I was expecting and hoping for.  And Prost is entirely devoted to European beers, which just aren't all that to me.
I was surprised at the size of the carts in this pod.  They were all very large.  Looking inside the Nuevo Mexico cart as we ordered, they seem to have as much kitchen space as Beesaw's.
Still, it was pleasant to have some food and drink a beer.  The long wait gave us time to sip our beers and relax with portions of the newspaper.
The food quantity seemed out of step with the price, at least for what I've come to expect from a food cart.  Still, the food was tasty, with the chilies providing a rich flavor and a subtle heat that built in my mouth as I ate.  I found the texture off, with what seemed like pieces of dried chili in with the beans and pork, but that was easily overlooked.

Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? nope
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? he's already been

Friday, August 20, 2010

Addy's Sandwich Bar

Location: 10th & Alder
Type: Sandwich
Cost: $6.50
Food: Turkey with brie and cucumber
Wait: Instant
Size: Enough, but small for cart expectations

I loved that I was handed my sandwich instantly.  Clearly they have them prepared and ready to go.  Cue the whining of yuppies.  Sure, it's great when stuff is made to order, but when the food's going to move over the less than two peak hours of junk time, making ahead or using chafers is no travesty.
The sandwich was awesome, yummy mini baguette, crisp refreshing cucumber, indulgent brie.  Low key packaging (just a tight wrap in deli paper with the end sticking out ready to bite into.
The only catch is the cost to volume of food ratio.  High end of the price spectrum for carts and not a size suitable for leftovers.

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

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Fuego

Location: Pioneer Square -ish
Type: Burrito
Cost: $5.50
Food: Small veggie burrito with cheese and spinach
Wait: On the long side
Size: Big, but light

My initial impression was ackward.  The menu sign is placed in such a way that the line of people waiting covers it up.  Then there's the order tablet that gets passed down the line, which is a great system, but feels very insidery and as a new customer I felt ackward from the get go.
After that, it got better.  Each burrito is made in order as you reach the front of the line.  This means it's obvious how long you'll have to wait, no hidden delays where there appears to be no line but there are a ton of people waiting for orders.  The small size burrio was plenty big, but light and good for lunch.  It's filled with sour cream and beans and rice and salsa.  I added cheese (mmm, cheese).  And spinach, which was great.
My only complaint was that all the salsa seemed to be at one end of the burrito and all the sour cream at the other.  But it was all yummy, so I didn't really care.  I should have grabbed a napkin, though.


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

Monday, August 16, 2010

Lovin' Spoonfull

Location: SW 2nd & Oak

Type: Sandiwch
Cost: $4.95 + 0.50
Food: Niki-Wich, add avocado, with tater tot side
Wait: Fine
Size: With discipline, there would have been left overs

It's like a diner in a food cart.  My sandwich was delicious on sourdough bread with a good coating of butter from the grilling.  Comfort food done well.
The sisters running the cart are great.  You feel like they want everyone who walks up to become a regular.  In the, we know your name and what you like sort of way.
I had initially been turned off from the cart due to its overly large size and I did find the access to walk up and order was ackward, but the food and the proprietors were all fab.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? sure

Friday, August 6, 2010

Snow White House

Location: 11th & Alder

Type: Crepes
Cost: $4.50
Food: Rocky road crepe
Wait: okay
Size: snack-size

Sadly, my visit here began with dodging the cigarette smoke of another patron who couldn't manage to stop soking long enough to order.  But, that's a fault with her Gresham-esque self, and not this cart.  Although ifit were my cart, she would have been told to get that cigarette away from the order window.

Anyway, it wasn't a hungry day for me.  Lunch was more of an 'I'd better get up from my desk' thing.  So, I went for a sweet crepe, with chocolate and marshmallows.  It was tasty.  And gooey.  And I feel very lucky I didn't come back to work covered in filling.  I'm not sure how they expect you to eat the crepe.  It comes wrapped in foil, which is too soft to use a fork with.  But the crepes was nearly too gooey to pick up.

My general review is hmmm.  Tasty, but not amazing.  hard to eat, but not supplied with excess packaging.


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

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Sawasdee Thai Food

Location: 10th & Alder

Type: Thai
Cost: $6 entrees
Food: cashew stir fry (chicken), pineapple fried rice (chicken)
Wait: not bad
Size: enough for a small snack later

Not all that, was our verdict.  The food was fine, but not that special something that makes you want to go back.  With the large number of thai carts available, the competition is stiff.  Still, we enjoyed our food and our time together.
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? naw
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? he's already been

Monday, August 2, 2010

Savor Soup House

Location: 11th & Alder
Type: Soup and sandwich
Cost: $5.50
Food: Miss Lizzy sandiwch
Wait: fine
Size: Generous but not overwhelming

Mmm.  So, I can't speak to their soups, but they make a nice sandwich.  I got a sandwich with yummy bread (a fresh ciabatta roll), a scrumptious ingredient (brie), and freshness (ham, lettuce).  It was entirely delightful, came lightly packaged, and disappeared into my tummy easily (except for surprisingly mustardy bite).
Summary:
Would go again is someone else wanted to? yes
Would take Dave there for a repeat visit? maybe