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Eat & Drink
Eat & Drink

Roaming Community

Provocative eats beyond typical brick and mortar

By Stacy Austin

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We had Korean short rib tacos with kimchi ($4) at KOi Fusion, where we learned that their tortillas are made locally.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

We had Korean short rib tacos with kimchi ($4) at KOi Fusion, where we learned that their tortillas are made locally.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

We stopped by Bro-Dog (SW 5th and Stark), where a classic or polish will run you $4 wrapped in a bagel-esque “bun.”

View Slideshow » Photo: Dan Cronin

At The BrunchBox (SW 5th, between Oak and Stark), we had the redonkadonk burger ($9), a crazy grilled cheese concoction including four slices of bread, pickles, egg, ham, spam, bacon and condiments. Burp!

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

Coffee and sweet treats at Spella (520 SW 5th) provided us with much-needed energy boosts.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

And it would be impossible not to tell you about the poutine ($4.50) at Potato Champion. Freshly made fries topped with gravy and fresh cheese curds. Sound filling? It’s because it is.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

If you like fries, see the Potato Champion.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

The porchetta sandwiches ($8) at The People’s Pig (SW 2nd and Stark), from Cliff Allen (pizzaiolo at Nostrana), prove that pork can be roasted perfectly in humble surroundings.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

Chocolate bars are available for consumption and purchase at Cacao (414 SW 13th Ave).

View Slideshow » Photo: Dan Cronin

Sipping chocolate at Cacao (414 SW 13th Ave) is my favorite way to consume chocolate.

View Slideshow » Photo: Dan Cronin

KOi Fusion owner Bo Kwon serves Korean Mexican fusion from his taco truck.

View Slideshow » Photo: Stacy Austin

The best bureks ($4.40) can be found at Ziba’s Pitas (SW 9th and Adler). The owner, Ziba Ljucevic even provided us with a lesson on how she wraps the pitas, taught to her by her Bosnian grandmother.

Haven’t you heard? Portland’s food-cart community is not only blooming like a field of wild flowers, but it’s where you’ll find some of the most provocative eats in town. During the IACP Conference, we marched in the two-mile walking tour of food carts. The expedition was led by Portland Monthly food writer Mike Thelin, Kelly Clarke and Ben Waterhouse from Willamette Week, and Kaie Wellman, creator of the Eat.Shop series of books.

Before the tour started, Thelin spoke to the anxious group of culinary professionals, containing mostly out-of-towners, about the spur of food carts in Portland.

“A downturn in the economy created food carts that would have been brick and mortar restaurants… In Portland, creativity is currency, and these places are flourishing with creativity,” Thelin said.

During the food cart tour, we consumed the crème de le crème that each cart had to offer. Slideshow displays what the tour included, and where you can find it.

Thanks for reading!

 

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