Chicken Burrito with Spicy Chipotle sauce - The Burrito Box, SW 3rd and Washington

The Burrito Box is a bright yellow cart on the corner of SW 3rd and Washington. I've been there a few times, and enjoyed the food, yet hadn't been back since I started this blog.
(To be fair, this cart opens at 11:30 most days, and by then, I've already retrieved my lunch)

I was in search of the Wild West, which is their buffalo burrito. [Fantastic, by the way] - Unfortunately, their menu is somewhat rotational and this was not the day for buffalo. Not to worry, though, the mix of ingredients available at this cart give you some tasty non-traditional burrito options.

One clear point about The Burrito Box - This is *not* a Mexican food cart.

The owner/operator, Cameron, uses fresh local ingredients (which is a common theme here, of course) - throws your tortilla on the grill and whips up tasty burritos with mixtures of chicken, pork, tofu, red quinoa, hummus, rice, collard greens, pinto or black beans, etc. (and sometimes, buffalo!)

The portions are generous and the flavors are rich. You can also order a quesadilla, or soft tacos, if you've got a smaller appetite.

So, I had the chicken with spicy Chipotle sauce, and it was filling, delicious, and spicy enough to break a sweat. Perfect.

Skewed Concoctions on SW 3rd and Stark - Pork Satay

For today's adventure, I thought I'd try out Skewed Concoctions, which opened up in the spot of a former Thai cart on SW 3rd between Stark and Washington. I've seen it a few times while scouting out lunch, but nothing had jumped out at when casually strolling past...

I took a closer look at the menu this time -- They actually have a lot of offerings, for a variety of tastes. Chicken, Beef, and Pork Satay... Wings... Teriyaki -- all on sticks. (Those who prefer no sticks in their meat, they will kindly remove them after cooking if you'd like) - Pad Thai (veggie, even)- Papaya salad. Something for everybody.

You can order skewers of meat a la carte, or in a meal. I ordered the Pork Satay meal.

It was served with rice, a small cup of chopped up apples, cucumber, and onions, and what I thought was cole slaw - turns out it's served hot, and has broccoli in it. This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Very tasty, and perfect on a day like today where we had snow in the early morning and heavy rain following.

The eggroll was delicious - one of the more flavorful ones I've had (and there are plenty of eggrolls to be had from Portland food carts) - I didn't need to dip it in anything.

Same goes for the Pork Satay - it was wonderful all by itself, great flavor - then, I added the peanut sauce (of course) -- it had a very subtle smokey flavor to it that stood out - in fact, I almost want to guess there may be some coffee involved in its creation. HIGHLY recommended.

I kept eating rice just to add the peanut sauce, until it was all gone. Wow, that was good.

Try this place out. :D

Green Vietnamese cart on SW 2nd between Oak and Stark

Today, I wanted short and simple - the little green Vietnamese cart on SW 2nd between Oak and Stark was open (which is a plus, the 11-11:30 lunchtime crowd is often too early for some of the carts) - and the BBQ pork dish looked like a quick and easy way to get my lunch.

It was, indeed, quick and easy - less than a minute after stepping up to the window, I had my food in hand.

It was decent. There was enough rice for three meals. The vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, tomato) were fresh, and served on the side, as was the pork itself, next to the humongous pile of rice. It is the uncannily pink variety of BBQ pork, which was, disappointingly, not served with hot mustard.

$5. Not bad. I'm still hungry, which would probably be resolved by eating the rest of the rice, but there's nothing to mix it with but soy sauce.

This cart, which doesn't appear to have a name at the moment, has gone through many iterations. My first recollection of it was as a tamale cart, and a few different owners and cuisines have made this their home over the past few years.
They're about smack in the middle of the lot, next to the Greek cart and "Thai Tea Clean Food Good Taste," the most awkwardly named of the food carts I've encountered. No signs on this cart other than the menus on the front.

They offer Banh Mi for $3, most other meals (chicken, pork, shrimp based of various concoctions) all for $5 each.

To those who have mentioned before that all my reviews seem skewed toward praise of the carts, this is an example of a place that doesn't really stand out, but is there if you want a quick, inexpensive meal. For what it was (and I probably chose one of the least exciting dishes on the menu) - it was OK.

See, not every food cart is a mecca of culinary excellence, I've just had some pretty good luck so far.

Hog Time - The Hog Dog

Today, I was going to try to go somewhere and not get pork, as it's been a recurring theme in my relatively new practice of blogging my cart meals.

Somehow, I lost that argument with myself when I wandered down Washington between SW 2nd and 3rd, and there was Hog Time, open and ready for business... I've eaten here before and loved it each time. I've not gotten through the full menu yet, but I'm getting there.

It's Friday, Payday, and I was hungry. The "Hog Dog," I decided, was to be today's gluttonous celebration of money in the bank and no work tomorrow. This is actually their 'smallest' meal item.

Now, imagine, if you will -- a large, juicy sausage (1/4lb, beef)... topped with a generous heaping of pulled pork, onions, and hot sauce, wrapped in a house-made toasted pita, hot dog style, then wrapped in paper and foil so you don't get any on you.

I may feel like I'm going to explode after eating it, along with an order of tasty, crispy fresh french fries - but it's SO worth it.

I chatted with Dave, the purveyor of this tasty pork, while he was preparing the food - he makes a point to get to know his customers and remember their names when they're regulars... and watching him work is impressive, this guy has his craft down. The fries were fried up, strained, and tossed in a bowl with salt, all came out crisp and salted just right.

He has a variety of sauces available to top his foods off with, from mild to spicy (Hoganero sauce is my personal favorite) so you can tweak your food a bit to fit your fancy.

Some other offerings:

Hogzilla, a very generous heaping of pulled pork stuffed into his tasty, soft pita bread
Pig Pen, freshly fried fries, topped with delicious pulled pork, cheese, and sauces.
Boss Hog: HUGE pulled pork sandwich, again with a variety of tasty toppings and sauces
Pulled Pork Tacos - the same great pork, in delicious pita bread, you get the point. :)

Quick, efficient, tasty, generous portions, this cart really has it together.

Now, if only I could take a nap for the rest of my work day...

The People's Pig: Milk braised Pork sandwich with carmelized onions

OK, let me get this out of the way -- The People's Pig is AWESOME.
This cart opened up in the parking lot across from my work quite a while back, and I became a regular almost instantly. Cliff, the owner, has a passion for pork and making the most deliciously mouth-watering pork sandwiches this town has to offer.
Unfortunately for me, but not for The People's Pig, they've moved to the much more populated pod at SW 9th and Alder, and scored a prime spot right on the corner.
I was walking around the pod looking to see what might be new to try, and passed by to see that today, they were offering a MILK BRAISED PORK SANDWICH !!!
Needless to say, I decided to stop my search for lunch right then and there.

Another special today: Batches of 'grandma's recipe' donuts... as much as I'd love to try them, I knew the sandwich was already going to be difficult to get down in one sitting.

Regularly offered is the Pancetta sandwich, which is awesome - and often, a Pork Cheesesteak sandwich - which was the one most often ordered by me in the days when it was within viewing distance of my office. Cliff mixes up the sandwiches from day to day, usually offering about 2-3 standards and a special of the day which always satisfies.

This cart is a *must* if you eat pork. The portions are generous, the food is fresh and delicious, prepared by a true artist and purveyor of pork. Just grab several napkins, you'll need them.

This milk braised pork is so good I almost feel like I'm doing something naughty eating it... and the carmelized onions really send it over the edge. MMMMmmmmmmm. I'm going to stop writing my blog and finish this incredible sandwich.

El Cubo de Cuba

Today is "Occupy Portland" day, and I wanted to avoid any potential crowds that might be gathering and headed out shortly after 11. We'd been warned, at work, to be careful of protestors, hide our building entry badges, etc. "For our safety" - Wasn't this supposed to be a peaceful protest?

The carts were just slightly less busy than usual, and I was drawn to lively Cuban music coming from El Cubo de Cuba, located on SW 5th between Oak and Stark. They have another location on SW 10th between Washington and Alder, as well - which was their original location.... there are a few carts starting to appear with multiple locations around town.

This is the cart that turned me on to "Tostones," savory twice-fried green plantains. I was so impressed with these, I insisted we try making them at home later... leading us on a journey to figure out where in Portland to get green plantains. Seems most grocery stores only carry them occasionally. Ours were alright, but not as good as the ones served up from this cart.

The cart offers 'cubes' - boxes of your choice of marinated chicken breast or marinated shredded pork, black beans, rice, and your choice of sweet or savory plantains. I do like sweet plantains(Maduros), but now that I've had their Tostones, they're certainly the preferred style. Sweet potato fries are also an option. Sandwiches are offered, as well - though I've not tried those, as I tend to enjoy the boxes with the plantains - excellent to dip into your food with. I can never finish the whole thing.

I ordered the pork, and they served it up pretty quickly - then came back to my office and proceeded to practically inhale the Tostones, topping them with the delicious, tender, lime-tinged pork until they were all gone. I managed to get a few bites of beans and rice in before having to admit defeat.

The protesters are gathering along the waterfront, apparently they're hanging out down there for two and a half hours before intentionally taking to the streets on the way to Pioneer Courthouse Square, along the transit mall, to disrupt in order to make a statement about corporate greed and taxes... or something.

Hopefully this will bring some unexpected business to the carts that sit along that stretch.

Today, Pulled Pork from Touchdown BBQ

I decided to wander up to the pods on SW 9th/10th between Alder and Washington today to look around. As I walked down 10th, a lovely and smiling lady offered me a sample of pulled pork, and extolled the virtues of their 'made fresh, right here' baked beans, coleslaw, and corn bread. SOLD. I guess wandering around the whole pod to decide what I wanted will have to wait another day. It was wonderful.

They were running a special on the pulled pork and two sides, $7.95.

Offerings include many standard Southern dishes, ribs, chicken, etc.
The pulled pork was delicious, tender, not too sweet, not too spicy. The coleslaw was tangy and crisp, and the baked beans were some of the best I've experienced in quite some time.
I could sense they were delighted to serve up their food, and after the sampling I had, I can see why. I'm anxious to try their cornbread and ribs on my next visit.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/touchdowns-portland