Lower East Side Deli - SW 3rd and Stark, South Side -- Buffalo Chicken Wrap

A new sandwich shop has popped up in the former Hog Time cart, "Lower East Side Deli," featuring New York style Italian sandwiches of various sorts, and a collection of chicken wraps.
I walked by to take a peek at the menu, and saw they had a Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and I was in the mood for something spicy.. so I headed to the ATM to obtain funds and wandered back.

I ordered my wrap, then perused the menu, and started looking at the photos of all the different sandwich offerings. I began to wonder if I'd ordered the wrong thing, as every sandwich photo looked amazing...

I do believe I'll need to revisit this cart and order a sandwich next time instead of a wrap.

Now, mind you, this wrap is pretty tasty.

Fairly simple in ingredients, breaded white chicken breast with Buffalo sauce, bleu cheese dressing, lettuce and tomato, wrapped in a tortilla, cut in half and wrapped in foil. Very tasty. It was a little messy, but delicious.

I'll include a photo of the menu, which looks promising...
(Click to embiggen)

Yeah, I think I'll have to come back and check out some of the other sandwich offerings over the next few weeks...

Deutschland Curry - SW 5th and Stark

Spring is in the air in Portland, and after the cold, harsh winter claimed a few carts, as it usually does - it's time for the next wave of carts to hit the scene.

Today's lunch was courtesy of "Deutschland Curry" - certainly not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think Deutschland, but, hey...

They proudly brand themselves "Portland's Wurst Food Cart" - offering sausages and fries, and a selection of toppings - curry, fondue, lentils, and a combination of peppers and onions I can't quite remember the name of. (I'll come back and edit this part later)
It's located next to the legendary "Schnitzelwich" cart, Tabor, which - sadly, hasn't been open for a few weeks now... (and I fear what that implies.)

Moving along... the helpful people inside the cart offered me a 'world tour,' which was a small sample of each of their standard configurations of sausages and sauces.

As I walked back to the office with my haul, I couldn't resist dipping a few fries into the sauces and trying them out. Each one of them is great. I couldn't wait to sit down and really dig in.

The sausage is tender and juicy, the fondue is creamy and tasty (and goes well with the dark-brown fries) - the curry had just enough kick, and complimented the sausage quite well. I could easily pick any of their offerings and enjoy it thoroughly, though I will say my favorite, by far, is the curry... Nice work!
I'll be back for that by itself, for sure.

Prices are decent, especially for the haul of food. Expect to pay about $6.50-$8.50 depending on your options.

Mama Chow's Kitchen - SW 2nd and Stark - Wings! Glorious Wings!

An attractive new cart has shown up midway between Oak and Stark on SW 2nd Ave, with all wood siding -- "Mama Chow's Kitchen"

The menu features Wonton soup, honey glazed chicken wings, and BBQ spare ribs.
(The ribs and wings can be served over rice, with steamed baby bok choy)

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have a decent place serving chicken wings so close by. There haven't been many food carts serving wings.

The wings were described as 'lollipop wings' - I had to inquire, as this was a new term to me - and it was explained that one of the two bones is pulled out (and used for making the stock for the soup) and the wings are marinated overnight in a garlic infused marinade, then they're deep fried on the spot and given a honey glaze.

He fried up a wing for me to try, minus the glaze - and it was delicious... so I went ahead and ordered the wings with rice and baby bok choy. (Wings can be had by themselves for $6, with the add-ons, $7)

Wow, these things are awesome. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy (and with garlic!) on the inside. The glaze isn't too sweet and it has a slight kick to it, just right. The rice and bok choy were excellent accompaniments, and made for a very filling meal.

I'm really looking forward to trying their whole menu, and glad to see this cart come to town.

** Follow up **
I went back for the Wonton soup today, and got the Pork and Shrimp Wontons. (Mama's recipe, he tells me)
WOW - it was absolutely delicious. Served with baby bok choy, and using the sauce he recommended.. what a treat. Savory and tender and a generous serving. Next, I'll have to try the BBQ Pork riblets.

You MUST try the Wontons!

Chez Dodo - SW 5th and Stark - Indian, Chinese, French, and Creole

Today, I got a free cold shower on my way out to get lunch... made a run to an ATM, and stopped at a new cart, "Chez Dodo," which occupies the former Give Pizza a Chance cart.

"Mauritian food" is the term for the blend of Indian, Chinese, French, and Creole food represented.

They had a warmly inviting overhang out front, under which I was able to escape the torrential downpour. I was greeted with a big smile from everyone inside, and promptly ordered what caught my eye in the first place -- the lamb curry, served with pan-fried noodles.

I was informed they also had venison available, and I was given a very generous sample in a small container to try, while I waited for mine to be prepared.

WOW. It was fantastic. Just the right spiciness, it wasn't greasy at all. Noodles, peas, lima beans, carrots, and ground venison that was moist and delicious.

The lamb of the same ilk, my main meal, did not disappoint. Now I'm very curious to try out their other offerings.
LOOK AT THIS THING.

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and carnivore options are available. Dholl Puri flat bread, pan fried noodles, curry sauce, check out their page on Facebook: Chez Dodo


I seriously was given enough food for 2-3 meals, making it quite worth the asking price when I consider that I'll be having this again for lunch tomorrow and there still might be some left.
Check out Chez Dodo!

Thick - Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza - SW 3rd and Stark

I know, it's been a LONG time since I posted a food cart blog... sorry..

==============
Today, I discovered a new Chicago style pizza cart... replacing the former Sabra's burger cart on SW 3rd and Stark.

I arrived slightly before official opening time, and the owner informed me it would be a few minutes, as he'd just pulled the pies out of the oven and the cheese needed to 'set.' - he tried a slice out while I waited, and the cheese, indeed, hadn't set yet... oops.

I am no expert on Chicago style pizza, but the combination of a new cart, and deep dish pizza - sounded appetizing today.
December is a ballsy time of year to open a new food cart, and several in this particular pod have closed in the last month.

In a few minutes, the cheese had set, and I was presented with a very heavy slice of Sausage deep-dish. $5 per slice. Today's offerings were Sausage, or Cheese. Perhaps with time there will be more options.

While waiting, a friend of the owner came up, and I learned he'd been one of the testing subjects while ramping up for opening. I'll take it as a good sign that he came up to try it out on opening day.

I hurried back to my cubicle, and, with the provided (and necessary) knife and fork, began to dig in... thick crust, topped by a very thick layer of cheese, then topped with chunks of sausage and sauce. No doubt, quite tasty.
[ ..and, look, a smiley face on the inside... :) ]

I could have gone for a bit more sauce on top, but overall (and being the first day) - this was impressive, and filling. I'll be back...

Picnic - SW 3rd and Stark - Chicken Mozzarella

A seasonal cart, Picnic, has appeared at the pod on SW 3rd, next to The Sausage Shack. This cart used to be at the pod on SW 10th and Alder, but had closed during the winter months. The owners are apparently avid bloggers. Click here for their site.


They serve "Oregon Trail Cuisine" - Today, I had the chicken sandwich, which featured slices of chicken breast, thick slices of mozzarella, pine nuts, and some leafy greens. They pride themselves on locally sourced ingredients for their food, and baking their own sourdough bread.
This was a $9 sandwich, as was the Brisket they offered, along with a $7 Roasted Carrot sandwich. The menu apparently rotates a bit.


I had hoped this $9 sandwich would be worth it -- and it was... thick slices of mozzarella and tender chicken breast with 'cart made' sourdough bread, and the crunchy pine nuts - was a very tasty combination.
I am curious to try the brisket, but I'll wait until next week - $9 sandwiches are more of a once-a-week type thing for me.

El Pilon - Columbian Food - SW 2nd between Oak and Stark

Another new occupant at the pod on SW 2nd Ave between Oak and Stark, "El Pilon" has occupied the former home of Thai Tea Clean Food Good Taste.

They offer Arepas, Empanadas, and Patacones, with vegetarian and meat options.

While I was waiting for my chicken and cheese Arepas, they handed me two Patacones, which are twice-fried green plantains (Tostones, as I'd previously been introduced to them) and some delicious salsa. They were trying to get on my good side, apparently, as I love these crispy fried patties of goodness.

A few minutes later, the Arepa was presented, with two different salsas. I'd had Arepas before from a cart that has since departed, which was Venezuelan cuisine, and had come to expect them to be small and served in pairs. This was served as one large Arepa, with semi-sealed edges (kind of like a pita pocket, but with a much thicker and tastier corn-based shell.)
It was quite tasty, I must say, and went down pretty fast. I might have been able to eat a second one. They provided a plastic fork, but it wasn't really strong enough to cut through the shell, so I just ended up using my hands. It was a bit messy, I went through about five napkins while eating it...
I'm sure I'll be back to try out the other menu items, the prices are reasonable (everything is under $5) and, of course, the fried plantains are a guilty pleasure of mine I find hard to avoid when I know where to find them.