The Hope Kitcken - SW 3rd and Washington - Tamale Pie

Today I tried out a new cart at the pod on SW 3rd between Stark and Washington - The Hope Kitchen - they're on the Washington side, up against the Mama Mia's building.

This is a cart with a story, and a mission - it is run by people who lost a relative to colorectal cancer, and in his memory, they're making up dishes that contain no red meat as a healthier alternative to avoid dangers of excessive red meat consumption.

Chicken and Turkey are featured, as well as potato salad, collard greens, Quinoa, and cornbread.

I ordered the Tamale Pie meal. The pie is made with turkey, cornbread, onions, jalapeno, and tomato sauce.. with melted cheese - and the meal comes with leafy collard greens and potato salad.

I initially went straight for the collard greens, to give the tamale pie a moment to cool down. They were cooked just right, not soggy at all. Spicy and Delicious.

The Tamale Pie -- MMm, this is good stuff. A slight kick to it, with a slight sweet taste to the corn bread, it fits together nicely with the slightly browned cheese crust on top. Good sized portions, too.
Potato Salad - also memorable - a little more egg than I'm used to, which is fine by me.

I'll be back to this cart, for sure.

The Fix - new Empanada cart on Oak and SW 5th

A new cart has taken over the former Sabria cart, the nearest-to-the-building spot along Oak street just East of SW 5th Ave, thus renamed "The Fix" - featuring many types of empanadas. Yesterday was apparently their opening day, and I was one of the first people to arrive today.

I ordered the Fiery Bird, which is a chicken and jalapeno empanada, and a side of black bean and corn ceviche. $5 for the empanada and a side.
Things were a little rocky, they're just getting the routine down, and surely that's to be expected when you're a brand new food cart.
A few of the items from the prior day's menu weren't currently available, which disappointed a few people stopping by to check it out...
Sweet and Savory empanadas are offered, at $3 each. After having one empanada and a side, I can see where ordering two might be preferred for a meal... yet this cart could cater to those just looking to snack just as easily as those seeking a full meal.
There were options including goat cheese and sweet fillings, some with asparagus, some with meat, some chocolate and banana - a wide variety of choices.
Now, for my take on the food...

A richly flavorful sauce was served with the empanada, and I used it all dipping my chicken-jalapeno filled empanada into it. It was delicious.

The black bean and corn ceviche was also delightful, and went down quickly. I'd order two empanadas next time, though, as I am still a bit hungry after downing it all.
The two guys running the place were super friendly, and apologized for not having everything up and running fully, promising they'd get the hang of it shortly. To be fair, it wasn't noon yet, either.
I see potential here, I'd love to see them succeed as they have more time to get up and running.

Burgers on a Stick! Skewed Concoctions, revisited

Yesterday, I obtained my lunch from Skewed Concoctions, and ranted about their peanut sauce. They warned me of their next special item, "cheesy burgers" - on a skewer... with the cheese IN the burger.

Well, I couldn't help myself - same cart, two days in a row - I had to try these.

At $5, they are quite the food cart bargain. Two cheesy burgers (the cheese is IN the burger patty!) - with onion and yellow pepper, skewered on a stick. (burgers included) Tasty, flavorful, tender, and great for a lunch appetite.

Although tempting, I didn't go for the deep fried brownie rolls they were offering (2 for $2) Great food, good folks, and two of my cart posts in a row... really, I do like this cart.

Skewed Concoctions on SW 3rd - Try their peanut sauce!

Work has kept me very busy lately and I've not been able to get away to try very many new carts and blog about them.
This is a cart I've blogged about before, here:
Skewed Concoctions

I'm doing it again, because it bears repeating.

Not only is their food fantastic, but... they have the BEST peanut sauce EVER.

Sure, you may say something like "I walked by that cart and saw all sorts of meat on a stick and I'm a vegetarian..." -- Well, they serve vegetarian dishes, too... - namely, Pad Thai -- and if you've never had Pad Thai with peanut sauce from this cart -- you owe it to yourself to try it out.

Myself, I'm addicted to the Pork Satay, and had that for today's meal. Again, very satisfying.

The owners pointed out a new concept they'll be starting tomorrow, which is basically a cheeseburger deconstructed on to a skewer, with the cheese INSIDE the burger. I don't typically go to the same cart twice in one week, but I am very curious to check this out tomorrow.

oh, yeah, and 'deep fried brownie rolls' were mentioned, as well. uh-oh.

Beef Schawarma Plate - Pita Express - SW 3rd and Stark

Today, I did my walk down the SW 3rd Ave pod, and noticed two new carts... a new Thai cart, and -- where the beloved and sorely missed Happy Grillmore cart was, a new Pita/Lebanese establishment. Same cart, different occupants.

Naturally, I can't resist trying out a new cart when it arrives on the scene, and though I miss Happy Grillmore terribly (they have experienced great success serving Microsoft employees at the Redmond campus as of late) - I didn't hold it against them that they took over one of my favorites.

Offering Falafel, Beef/Chicken Schawarma, hummus, lebneh, batata, etc. - in both sandwich and plated forms - stuff for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
They offer baklava for dessert, along with bananas and Nutella.

I ordered the Beef Schawarma plate, which came with salad, hummus, the beef schawarma (over rice), and a toasted pita. This is PLENTY of food.

The schwarama had a sweetness to it, and a definite fennel flavor, more than I can detect in most dishes from other establishments. Unique, and tasty. The rice was cooked perfectly, very flavorful and a nice accompaniment to the beef.

This is good stuff. Veggie pitas are $5, meat $6, and plates $7. I would venture to guess that a plate is for a super-sized appetite, and the smaller servings are more than enough for most, as I am not going to be able to finish this in one sitting.

The Shocker - Grilled Cheese Grill, SW 10th and Alder

Today's food cart adventure took me to a cart that has a presence in two other cart pods, apparently quite successful - one is a school bus, the other a double-decker bus - now they're downtown, though not in a bus.
The aptly named Grilled Cheese Grill has a bold, colorful sign, encouraging you to "come by for a taste of your childhood -- unless your childhood sucked, then we'll share a taste of ours..."

They feature -- you guessed it -- Grilled Cheese, in various forms. Different breads, cheeses, and ingredients are available to please any dairy-consuming individual.

I ordered "The Shocker" - a special on the whiteboard: Bacon, Provalone, Jalapenos, and Roasted Red Peppers on Sourdough.
Grilled cheese with bacon and jalapenos -- 'say no more...' This was quite a substantial sandwich, after the first half I was worried I might not be able to finish. It was rather tasty, though, and I showed that sandwich who was boss.

It was a nice, semi-cloudy Portland day and it wasn't raining, so I enjoyed my sandwich at the park across from the pod. Lots of other people were doing the same, and it appears that the park has finally shed the former crowds of shady characters that used to loiter there.
If you like grilled cheese, you'll like what this cart has to offer.

Cuban Pork Sandwich - The People's Pig - SW 9th and Alder

It's been a while since I've blogged, and it's also been a while since I ventured very far for cart food. The nice weather today did help. Though I've already posted a blog about this cart, I am more than happy to bring up The People's Pig again. Though you're not going to necessarily find a huge menu full of items, what you *will* find are superbly crafted pork sandwiches from someone who really knows how to make great pork sandwiches. Typically, there are 2-3 options on the menu to choose from.
Today, I had the Cuban with Mojo sauce - the pork was cut into thick, tender slices, topped with cabbage and jalapenos - I had to make an effort to slow down and enjoy it a little more, because I was resisting putting it down before another bite. The sandwich is huge, more than enough -- but I also ate every crumb, it was that good.

The People's Pig is certainly my very favorite pork-themed cart, and there are some really good ones here in Portland.