Stop #8: Italian in a Wrap

I was super excited to see that Kitchenette was open.  This sweet little truck has been closed for ages - in fact, I am not sure that I remember seeing it open until last week when I went to Snow White Crepes next door.

The menu is pretty extensive - pasta dishes, sandwhiches, wraps.  While I was deciding, a gentleman was waiting for his spaghetti and meatballs.  He asked me if I had eaten at this cart before and when I told him no, he said he had been going through withdrawl for the two months that she had been closed and was jonesing for her amazing food.

After dishing out his heaping portion and sending him on his way, the lovely owner, who is part Italian and part Turkish, took my order for an Italian chicken wrap.  She cooked me up some chicken, wrapped it in a warmed tortilla with some lettuce and cabbage, all drizzeled with ranch sauce and a hit of sriracha.

The wrap was delicious - and ginormous!  I actually ate it in two shifts over the course of the afternoon, which is EXTREMELY rare for me.  The vegetables were fresh, the chicken flavorful and tender and the sriracha added the perfect little kick.

If you are passing and see this cart open, hit it up.  While the owner was preparing my wrap, I asked about her being closed for the last two months.  Sadly, she was suffering from heart disease and had to take some time off to rest and hopefully recover.  She anticipated being open somewhat sporadically in the next few months.  

Kitchenette:

Chicken Wrap - $6 (+tip)
-Cash Only

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 #6: Caspian Kabob

***In the interest of full disclosure, Caspian Kabob is not right next to Korean Twist.  It is two doors down.  On January 3rd, the two carts in between were closed.  But naturally, Mama still needs to eat!***

Caspian Kabob has been one of my favorite visits so far - both because of the food, but also because of the owner, Victor.  This food truck opened just a few months before I arrived here myself.

Victor's Story

Victor has his story printed up and posted on the truck - this is a man who is loving his new life as a chef and food truck owner!  Victor learned to cook from his mother in Iran, eventually moving to New York to live with his American wife (adorable picture on their website!)  We comiserated about the challenges of living in New York and how happy we were that we now lived in Portland instead of the Big Apple.

I ordered a jujeh kabob (chicken kabob) over mediterranean salad.  Waiting with me for his food was a young man who carried on a conversation with Victor in farsi.  First off, farsi is a gorgeous language.  Secondly- always a good sign when other folks who were raised on the cuisine you are going to eat are patronizing the same establishment.

As my food was just about finished, two young women approached the truck.  One looked at the menu and said "Oh wow, he has...." I can't remember the name of the dish, but when her friend asked if she was going to buy something from this cart, she emphatically declared "Oh yeah!"  She then also went on to have a brief exchange with Victor in Farsi.

At this point things got super cool - Victor said that he was working on a special vegetable soup/stew that he wanted us to try.  It was  spinach based with chunks of what I think was beef.  The flavor was a delicate array of spices, combined with the warm heartiness of a regional comfort food.  Indeed, the young woman said this was her Persian version of chicken soup.  

Complimentary Mystery
Vegetable Stew

I wish I could remember the name of it-- because it was awesome.  As was the ginormous serving of mediterranean salad (lettuce, feta, kalmata olives, tomato with a very light light vinagrette) topped with tender and delicious chicken sprinkled with paprika.  The meal was served with maste khiar (yougurt sauce) and warm pita.

Go to this truck.  For realz.



Caspian Kabob
Jujeh Kabob over Mediterranean Salad: $8 (I think...didn't write it down.) Plus tip!
-Accepts Credit Cards

Stop #5: Korean Burritos

Korean Twist offers up a Korean/Mexican fusion bonanza. Tacos, burritos, etc. but all served with meat prepared in a Korean style, with much of the garnish associated with Korean cuisine.  To be honest,  I didn't know that Korean Mexican fusion was a thing....but apparently it is.  With good reason.

Korean Twist is the first truck where, not sure what to order, I decided to ask the extremely friendly and personable young woman taking my order which menu item she prefered.  She quickly answered that she liked the spicy pork.  Intending to keep my carbs low, I ordered a Spicy Pork burrito bowl.

It was awesome.  A ton of food (with rice of course - so much for low carbs!) with lots of flavor.  I haven't often eaten Korean food, so this was a fun adventure in something new.  If I were to go again, the one thing I would change would be to ask them to leave off the mayonaise sauce - mayonaise being one of the very very VERY few foods I don't particularly like.  (It was between the spicy pork and the lettuce underneath.)

I think I will be making the "What's your favorite?" a thing from now on.

Korean Twist
Spicy Pork Burrito Bowl: $6 (+ tip!)
Accepts Credit Cards

Stop #4: Thai Chicken and Rice

Nong's Khao Man Gai always has a small crowd gathered out front, waiting for their food.  The young man who takes the orders is a show unto himself, shouting out to people and being strikingly friendly and engaging when you order.

Nong's Khao Man Gai serves only one thing really - Chicken and Rice, with some cilantro and cucumber, with a side of chicken soup.  And their special sauce - oh ther special sauce.  So garlicky you don't want to be making out with someon who didn't order alongside you, but so so so delcious.

The chicken is fantastic - sustainably raised Mary's chickens, boiled and cut up for you.  And if memory serves, you can have white or brown rice.  You also get to select dark or light meat (or a combo) and they wrap it up for you in a neat little package:

Lunch is simple, but hearty and delcious.  There is a reason there are always people waiting....

Nong's Khao Man Gai

Chicken and Rice: $8 (+tip)
Accepts Credit Cards

Stop #3: BBQ!

I love BBQ.  Long before I spent two years living in the South, I was a total sucker for corn bread, baked beans, ribs and chicken with a smokey, tangy, sweet sweet sauce.

The BBQ truck serves up a selection of meats in a selection of ways (wrap, sandwhich, bowl) with a variety of sides.  The meat is tender, the sides flavorful and the portions perfect.  I decided to get a BBQ bowl and when I struggled with which meat to order, the gentleman who runs the truck offered to give me a combination of brisket and pulled pork.  For the win!

Hickory Smoked BBQ Truck
BBQ Bowl: $6.00 (Plus tip!)
Accepts Credit Cards

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