Angel's Cabana - SW 10th and Alder - Platanos con Carne

Today, I took a long walk to the pods on SW 9th and 10th, partially to get some exercise, and also because I've been sticking to a 2-3 block radius with my last few lunchtime adventures...

Strolling past the carts on 9th, I noticed a whole slew of new (to me) carts I'll most likely be trying and reviewing in the near future - but I kept going, just to get a good look at everything available in these two pods.

I ended up stopping at Angel's Cabana, because... well, they had plantains. El Cubo de Cuba has been closed for a few weeks for 'winter break,' and I've missed their tostones... plus, it was a good chance to check out a cart I've never tried before.

Angel's Cabana features Caribbean and Central American food of various sorts, and their "Platanos con Carne" looked delicious on the display out front.

They offer a shrimp ceviche, empanadas, several yuca-based dishes, baliadas, papusas, and more - several egg based dishes, and they're open at 8AM for those looking for a nice, hearty breakfast.

Now, on to the Platanos con Carne -- an entire plantain, halved, at the base, with black beans, ground beef, onions, celery, tomato, and 'crema' - which, to me, seemed like a great savory yogurt rather than simply cream, as the name implied.

The plantains absorbed the juices of everything above it, and though they were sweeter than I would have preferred, it worked well, and I ate every single bite with little to no hesitation.

I'm very full, very happy, and I need a nap now. I'll start that low-carb healthy eating stuff another day, I guess.

Wagsy's - SW 5th and Oak - "Rip City" - Roast Beef with Garlic Sauteed Mushrooms

Today, I stopped by a brand new cart just opening up - Wagsy's - on Oak between SW 4th and 5th, in the spot formerly occupied by Spaghetti al Ragu.

Their menu is 'short and sweet,' but the sign claims "Wagsy's Hot Beef Sandwiches - simply the best."

Their offerings are simple - but doing simple things very well often pays off, as evidenced by many carts in Portland.

They offer a standard Philly Cheesesteak, a "Chi-Town Beef Dip" au jous dipped sandwich, a Maker's Mark infused Bourbon BBQ sauce on their "Beef-n-Bourbon," the "Rip City" (which is what I ordered) - Roast Beef covered with garlic-sauteed mushrooms... and even... *gasp* a VEGETARIAN sandwich featuring the garlic-sauteed mushrooms, peppers, cheese, and cabbage.

The beef on my sandwich was plentiful, and very tender - and the sauteed mushrooms were BIG CHUNKS of mushroom, instead of thin slices.

VERY good. Served open-faced on a delicious roll.
I ate the whole thing in record time.
(Pay no mind to the blog I did yesterday regarding losing weight, the temptation of trying a new cart was too much...)

To top it off, when I was handed my meal, it came with a octagonal yellow token for $1 off my next sandwich. Awesome.

Phở from Thien Nghi's on SW 3rd and Stark

Yes, I know, I visited this cart last week.
I couldn't get the Phở off my mind, though, so I found myself there again today.

I gained 15lbs from the time I left on my work trip to North Dakota, and this festive holiday season... so Phở seemed like a good way to start out the year, full of nutrients but not necessarily a carbfest of epic proportions - I'm trying to get rid of the festive holiday pounds, after all.

The thing that drew me to their Phở was the photos on the outside of the cart, tastefully displayed in plates, large chunks of meat... Naturally, you get your Phở in a round cardboard jug, since this is a cart, but the photos were, indeed, indicative of what to expect within.

This was the most meaty Phở I've had from a cart. This is a good thing. Sometimes, I've ordered it and they've left me channeling Clara Peller from the old 80's era Wendy's commercials.
(For those of you born in the 80's and beyond, this was Wendy's once very famous series of ads, featuring an old lady asking,"Where's The Beef?" when checking out competitors' burgers)

Where the real treat was, however, came when I added some of the hot sauce and plum sauce they provided to add to the mix.

WOW, this is GREAT plum sauce - probably the best I've tasted. MMm...

Here's to eating a more healthy cart-food diet while I recover from the excesses of the season. Stay tuned...

... and, hey, check out Thien Nghi's - so far, nothing but compliments on their offerings.

Lamb Platter - A Taste of Greek - SW 2nd and Oak

I didn't travel far today, due to the rain - and ended up at a cart right next door to the one I visited yesterday.

This is one of the longer running carts downtown, from my memory, and has been in this spot for quite some time. I've considered it a 'standard' - a consistent, reliable cart with good food - and yet I rarely go there, because I'm often trying to find something 'new' to try.

Today, I went with the Lamb Platter, instead of a gyro. Basically, it's the same ingredients, a little more generous on the greens, plus some rice thrown in for good measure... over some tasty, warm pita bread wedges.

I think this is what I'll order when I want a gyro from now on - it's considerably less messy. The pita was easily liberated from the bottom, and picking up the pre-cut wedges of pita to then pick up the tender bits of lamb and tzatziki sauce turned out to be a much cleaner and efficient way of eating. (Often times, regardless of location, when I order a gyro... by the end of the meal, the sauce has broken through the packaging and started to leak on to my hands at an alarming pace)

This cart features lamb and chicken gyros, mezza plates, Falafel, Baba Ghannoug, etc.

It's good stuff, for sure - and considering the turnover of carts on this particular lot, the length of stay this cart has enjoyed is a testament to the quality of their food.

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.

Saigon Spicy Chicken Wings - Thien Nghi's - SW 3rd and Stark

During my recent visit to Yo-Yo and Lefty's, I noticed a cart I'd not seen before, parked right next to it, Thien Nghi's - They prominently offered beef and chicken Phở, and I'd been discussing Phở with my wife recently, trying to get her to try it.
I figured I'd check this cart out next, and today, I did...

Despite all this talk of Phở, the Spicy Saigon Chicken Wings were calling my name. (Well, not literally, that would be creepy.)

It's reasonably safe to say I'm a "hot wings enthusiast" - I love spicy chicken wings, usually the hotter the better.

Thien Nghi's offers their wings 3 for $3.50, served with some cucumber and tomato slices. I ordered six, because I know how I get when I have wings in front of me.

They are fried wings, yet the breading is light and they aren't greasy at all. The flavor is spectacular. A little hint of sweetness alongside a great combination of herbs, not too spicy, not too mild. Nice chunks of sliced garlic gloves abound, which I found to be a perfect touch. There is a cup of sauce served on the side to dip in if you like it hotter, and I made sure to make use of it.

Check out their menu here.
Bento, Phở, egg rolls, crepes, and those awesome wings - if their other food is anything like these wings, you're in for a treat. I'll certainly be back.

I finished up all six of my wings, the cucumber slices, and the tomato... and... I could eat more of these wings... though I probably shouldn't.

Beef Tongue Taco and Hot Tamales - El Sultan - SE 50th and Foster

Today, I had to work from home to facilitate the delivery of a new washing machine.
This left me nowhere near downtown, which is where I usually report from... however, this did not deter me from eating cart food, and gave me a chance to check out a nearby cart pod local to my 'hood, which I usually don't have the chance to try.

This brings me to El Sultan, the longest running cart at the seemingly troubled Carts on Foster pod. I've watched several carts come and go from this location since it was started up, but this one's been a mainstay.

An interesting cart, as El Sultan provides both Mexican and Mediterranean style dishes. I had greek food yesterday, so I opted to go the Mexican route.

I was in luck, their menu offered beef tongue as one of the meat options. I'd been meaning to try this for some time, so here was my chance. (Though, I was hesitant, as they spelled it "tounge" on the menu, a BIG pet peeve of mine, how seemingly half the population misspells this word consistently the same way -> T-O-N-G-U-E, OK?)

They had a sign up declaring the special to be chicken tamales, as well, and those sounded good. I ordered two chicken tamales, and one beef tongue taco. It took a few minutes to get my food, but they wrapped it up 'to go' nicely on a plate, and gave me some small cups of hot sauce to go along with it.

The beef tongue was soft and tender and flavorful - very good. Up until the last year or so, I'd have instantly rejected the idea of eating tongue, but had read a few articles in its defense explaining it's some of the best meat you can get. I'm inclined to agree, after this taco. It was served in street taco fashion, with soft, warm corn tortillas, onions, cilantro, and of course, little chunks of tender tongue meat. Perhaps I should have had two beef tongue tacos, and one tamale.

The tamales were great. The chicken inside was quite spicy, and I didn't need to use the hot sauce except to soak the remaning chunks of tamale after I liberated the spicy chicken from inside. Ate up every bite, and now I'm rather stuffed... and satisfied. Not a bad deal, $6.50 for the meal I had, which was more than enough.

If you haven't tried beef tongue - give it a whirl - I was impressed... and if you find yourself out in the Foster/Powell area, maybe give this struggling cart pod a try - it looks like they're trying a few good ideas out -- such as a beer bar, and heated tent for eating during inclement weather. There was music playing, but hardly anyone in sight. Currently, there appear to be four operational carts, including an Italian, Thai, and Hawaiian cart, plus the one I just reviewed.