We’re always surprised at the food culture that thrives in Portland, a city best known for its green living and granola ways. Though it was a bit dreary when we first arrived, we were excited by the illumination of the city’s cart-filled blocks. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, the community of food trucks and carts in this city offer you a larger variety of cuisine in a tight proximity than you’ll find anywhere else in the country. It’s really here we saw the camaraderie in the food truck community shine. And no, despite the city’s reputation, we didn’t have any granola but we did have escargot… off of a truck. And loved it.
@thefrenchbus
Crème de la Crème
find Crème de la Crème on facebookFrench-inspired cuisine
Remember how we talked about escargot out of a truck? Well, Crème de le Crème was where we got them. And correction, it was actually a vintage 1961 school bus. The owners drove the bus 550 miles from Montana to Oregon to bring you the best of the best. Parked in a pod of 10 or so food trucks, it was the third of the food trucks to sign a lease at the Southeast 43rd and Belmont spot, and according to Michael Benson (co-owner along with wife Bianca), the residents of Belmont love it.
@koifusionpdx
Koi Fusion
koifusionpdx.comKorean Fusion Tacos, burritos, quesadillasand sliders
Bo Kwon of Koi Fusion not only fed us some amazing Korean food, but he gave us a lesson on the recent but strong Korean food trend: “Korean fusion is now almost a new genre of food. It kind of makes us proud.” Extra proud at Koi, since all of the recipes are straight from the Kwon family, kimchi included. “In college, I was banned from fridges. ‘No way, Bo. No kimchi in the frat house.’ But now, the same guys are coming and getting kimchi.” Whether you’re a new Korean foodie or one of the frat bros who told Bo to keep his kimchi out of the fridge, Koi is definitely worth a go.
@perierra
Perierra Crêperie
facebook.com/perierraCoppery crêperie
We found Perierra in another famous Portland pod. There were lights and picnic tables all around this food truck haven. It seemed like a great place to hang out. Even though we got there on the later end of the evening, the cool crepe-making dude in the old-school wolf-howling-to-the-moon sweater was ready to serve. He offered both sweet and savory crepes, so we picked one of each. Note: Crepes are not good for sharing, so one per person would be the way to go.
@bigasssandwich
Big-Ass Sandwiches
bigasssandwiches.comDelicious sandwiches filled with home-roasted meats and homemade ingredients, sure to squash big hunger in its tracks
Big-Ass Sandwiches serves you just that, big-ass sandwiches. But just because they’re big, doesn’t mean they aren’t filled with amazing ingredients and love. The owners wanted to give people late-night options long after bars closed down. It’s personal with Brian and Lisa Wood. During our interview, Brian stopped us, saying, “Hang on, I’m really sorry. I gotta give this dude a hug.” That same love is put into their sandwiches as well. C’mon, not only are they serving local and homemade ingredients, but in addition to that, topping off sandwiches with fries? Now that’s love.
Compact cars have been over-promising and under-delivering for years.
The 2011 Elantra’s new design and class-leading features break free of the traditional compact car “blah” factor. It’s time for compact owners to Snap Out Of It.
