Stop #12: Mediterranean Delciousness in a Pita

Ugarit Mediterranean meals turned into yet another fun and unique food truck experience.  The owner, Mohammed saw me taking a peak at the menu and, with the confidence of a practiced salesman, asked if I liked tomato soup.  When I replied in the affirmative, he said that he had been making tomato soup, very fresh, and asked would I try it and give him my opinion.  When I said yes, he clarified "And you will tell me the truth?"  I assured him, yes of course I would.

Like any smart foodie, he knew darn well that his tomato soup was fantastic.  Somewhere between smooth and chunky, it had a robust texture, extrememly fresh flavor, subtly spiced and with bits of parsley sprinkled on top.  It was fantastic.

Then I asked what he recommended.  He asked if I wanted something with meat or without.  I asked for meat - he proceeded to describe, in quite mouth watering detail, the way he grinded, grilled and marinated each meat that he offers.  I went with chicken - but didn't specify how or with what I wanted it.  He went to work, asking if I liked hot sauce and pulling out a sriracha bottle.  He then clarified for me that of course he made his own hot sauce - he had just made a huge batch that morning - and he kept it in sriracha bottles.  This was his sauce, just to be clear.

A few minutes later I was presented with a chicken gyro with hummus, taziki and cucumbers, wrapped in a warm pita.  The chicken was moist and very tender, the taziki was delicious, as was the infamous hot sauce.  The hummus was a little bland for my taste, but it added a nice creaminess to the overall effect.

Once he had handed me my lunch, Mohammed asked if this was my first visit to his truck and then gave me a complimentary cup of soup when I said yes.  He insisted that I take a punch card and that when I come back next time, I must try the lamb.  I quote "Nobody makes my lamb.  No one anywhere."

I believe him.

Ugarit Mediterranean Meals: (Watch the news clip from August 2010 to see Mohammed's priceless reaction to Portland being named the #1 place in the world for food carts.)
Chicken Gyro: $6.50 (+tip!)
-Cash Only

Stop #10: Bagels - Gourmet style!

So, I'm Jewish.  And my family is from the East Coast - New Jersey, basically right across the Hudson from Manhattan.  Plus I spent 3 years living in New York - and thus have gone to the infamous H&H Bagels on the Upper West Side and purchased "whatever just came out of the oven."  So basically, I know from bagels.  They must have that slightly hard, almost tight outside, containing the fluffy, doughy inside.  They MUST be boiled or frankly we are just talking about bread with a hole in the middle - not the unique creation that is A Bagel.

So when I arrived at Tastebud Bagel, I was ready to be non-plussed.  I became particularly suspicious when I read that these were "Montreal Style" bagels.  Um, I'm sorry, but since when did Canada know from bagels?

Since always, it seems. After eating lunch I decided to do some research (ie, Wikipedia) into this fascinating new species of bagel.   I am now not at all surprised that I liked these suckers.  Smaller and sweeter than their New York cousins, boiled (natch) and always wood fired (!!) - Montreal has it nailed.

I looked at the menu and was contemplating buying "the standard" (lox, cream cheese, onion and capers) as a barometer of quality (like ordering spaghetti bolognese in order to check the quality of an Italian restaurant.)  But when I asked the gentleman running the truck his opinion, he told me the most popular bagel was the braised lamb.  Ok, definitely not where my mind and stomach had been headed, but I was game.

All of the bagel sandwhiches are served open faced.  The lamb was braised to order and was topped with pickled peppers, cabbages and a touch of mayo.  Oy! So much joy in my mouth!   The lamb was tender and flavorful, the peppers tart with just a hint of spiciness, and the cabbage crunchy with a sprinkling of caraway seeds to add another layer of flavor.

Who knew?  Bagels in Portland I did not expect to love.  But there you go.

Tastebud Bagels:
Poppyseed Bagel with Braised Lamb, Peppers, Cabbage and Mayo: $8.00 (+tip)
-Accepts Credit Cards

***Be warned that this is a messy eat.  Order when you can sit down to consume it.***

Stop #7: Snow White Crepes

Crepes - I love me some crepes!  Anything that, with the appropriate ingredients can be made into an entree OR a dessert has a versatility that I greatly admire.  Also, when I lived in Paris and wasn't eating baguettes, a crepe cooked up fresh by one of those carts on the street. with a little lemon and sugar, would hit the spot (hey, I was broke and I have a wicked sweet tooth.)

But I digress....Snow White Crepes! should have been my stop last week, but alas the truck was still closed for the holidays.  But not this week.

I have no idea why this place is called Snow White Crepes.  But apparently this truck has been aroung for ages.  And the woman who runs it also runs a restaurant.  I am tired just thinking about it.  So I suppose it is no suprise that it took her awhile to notice I was standing there waiting to order.

After looking through an EXTENSIVE menu of both sweet and savory crepes, as well as a list of sandwhiches (although who are we kidding?  A sandwhich was never going to happen....) I had settled upon a crepe with chicken, pesto, gorgonzola and cilantro.

Everything is made to order, so it took a few minutes for the crepe to be prepared.  Unfortunately, by the time I got back to the office, the crepe had cooled down enough to become a bit soggy.  And the gorgonzola sort of overwhelmed everything else.  But the flavor of the crepe was quite good.

Not a huge win, but where there is chicken and pesto I can usually walk away smiling.


Snow White Crepes
Chicken and Pesto Savory Crepe: $8 + tip
-Cash Only

Stop #2: A Mexican Specialty

I am from California and I used to work in a Mexican restaurant so when it comes to Mexican cuisine, I generally feel I know my way around.  When I went to El Taco Yucateco, I asked the man who runs it to give me his favorite thing on the menu.  He said his favorite item was the panuchos.  Huh?  I had never heard of panuchos (which just goes to show that I my aforementioned bona fides were crap.) So I said go for it, give me three!

What magic was this?  I don't know exactly what was done to the tortilla that made it different than a hard taco, but it was certainly different.  The tortilla was a little softer, but still crispy and delicious (as all things that have been deep fried tend to be.)  Black beans, chicken, lettuce, onion, cabbage and the all holy avocado piled on top, with cilantro and a crazy spicy and peppery hot sauce to pour over.  Nom nom indeed.  Also, gluten friendly for those who need it!

El Taco Yucateco

Panuchos - $2 each (+tip!) 

Accepts Credit Cards

Stop #1: The Dump Truck

The Dump Truck is impossible to miss.  Painted in a bright yellow and black that is reminiscent of a toy dump truck you might have played with as a kid, this place serves up a variety of dumplings that are paired with different sauces to compliment and bring out their flavors.

The truck is run by a young couple who at one time lived and worked in Bejing.  While there, they fell in love with a dumpling restaurant and apparently demonstrated enough loyalty and passion for the food that the owner taught them his secrets.

I ordered the Super Sampler, which allowed me to enjoy two of each of their savory dumpling selections -
Mr. Ma's Special, Down to Earth, Potato Curry and Bacon Cheesburger.  Respective accompanying sauces (which are kept in squeeze bottles out front so you can take what you need) are Sweet Chili Hot Sauce, Tahini Chili Sauce, Coconut Yogurt Sauce and a Secret Sauce (which is related to, but much better than ketchup.)

I wasn't sure about the bacon cheeseburger but it actually ended up being my favorite.  The only downside to dumplings is that a walk back to the office through a cold wintery day made them colder and stickier than they are meant to be served.  Nonetheless, a great way to start things!

Dumplings and Sauces 

The Dump Truck
Super Sampler - $7.00 (+ Tip!)
Not sure about credit cards