Food

Cheap Eats 2013

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0800

We combed old standbys, secret food spots, and happy hour havens to sniff out the great deals. Behold: 60 meals under $20, from multicourse feasts to herbaceous bowls of pho.

The Food Lover's Guide to Portland

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 05:08:00 -0700

IN PORTLAND, THE CITY OF INGREDIENTS, a grocery list can read like hedonist poetry: eggs/milk/coppa steak/balsamic fig jam/black flake salt. Sure, we trudge through aisles for baking soda and dog food like the rest of our fellow shoppers, but mostly we hunt for what shouts local secret, global adventure, or the pure joy of cooking. Because in Portland, getting the good stuff is both an art form and a splurge. Think of our Food Lover’s Guide as inspiration for your shopping cart: Our goal is to point you in the right direction. Your job is to learn, shop, explore, cook, and eat. It’s a fair trade.

Where to Eat in the Gorge

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Photo: Courtesy Lauri Streaker

Order’s up at Nora’s Table

EVERYBODY’S BREWING
White Salmon; everybodysbrewing.com
Planted on White Salmon’s main street, the star attraction at three-year-old Everybody’s Brewing is the sun-drenched back deck and its eyebrow-raising view of Mount Hood. Of course, 10 well-balanced American-, English-, and German-style beers, like the nutty-sweet Hoedown Brown or the hop-errific Country Boy IPA (all brewed on site), and a fresh menu of salads, burritos, and burgers don’t hurt either.

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE CAFÉ
Bingen; solsticewoodfirecafe.com
Whether the Gorge is socked in with cottony fog or glowing in summer’s resplendent rays, Solstice rises to the occasion. Owners Suzanne Wright Baumhackl and Aaron Baumhackl traveled to Italy to handpick the parts for the wood-fired oven that reigns over this cabinlike eatery, endowing flavorful char to Tuscan-style pizzas, juicy, free-range chickens, and chorizo-studded mac and cheese. Snuggle up by the fire and warm your belly with hearty, oven-baked pasta while drying out your soaking socks, or tuck into a portobello quesadilla at one of the sunbaked outdoor tables.

10-SPEED COFFEE ROASTERS
Hood River, Mosier, White Salmon; 10speedcoffee.com
Contrary to popular belief, leaving Portland city limits doesn’t mean abandoning excellent coffee. The Gorge’s 10-Speed Coffee roasts its own small-batch, single-origin coffee in Hood River and deftly transforms the beans into artful lattes and well-pulled Americanos in its trio of cafés along the Columbia. Two-wheeled visitors can get the complete 10-Speed experience by exploring the Hood River roastery and then riding seven miles up the Historic Columbia River Highway to the Mosier café.

EAST WIND DRIVE-IN
Cascade Locks; 541-374-8380
This roadside Cascade Locks burger shack—where a drive-in has stood since 1939—still maintains a walk-up window, tallies checks by hands, and makes its food and so-thick-you-need-a-spoon shakes to order. And like so many old-school burger joints, there’s nothing petite about the East Wind: not the six-inch-tall “small” ice creams cones, not the line that forms along WaNaPa Street, especially on weekends … and certainly not the brain freeze that comes from gobbling your enormous tower of tropical crème soft serve before it melts.

Photo: Courtesy Lauri Streaker

NORA’S TABLE
Hood River; norastable.com
When you’re in the mood for a little less Black Diamond gear and a little more white tablecloth, head for Nora’s Table. The cozy eatery tucked just off Hood River’s main drag expertly plates a rotating cast of locally sourced dishes—from braised pork shank in sweet bean sauce to a Goan seafood curry. Find the best seats at the counter in front of the kitchen, where you can watch chef Kathy Watson (who named the restaurant after her mother) prepare your meal while you chat with the locals who make Nora’s a regular stop. Got a question about what pairs well with your butternut squash enchilada? Simply ask your neighbor, who’s likely familiar with every glass on the exclusively Gorge-grown wine list.

It Tastes Better When ...

U-picks, fishing trips, and other DIY culinary adventures

Photo: Courtesy Draper Girls Country Farms

DRAPER GIRLS COUNTRY FARM, HOODRIVER
drapergirlscountryfarm.com
The Hood River County Fruit Loop (hoodriverfruitloop.com) boasts a collection of farm stands and U-picks along Highways 281 and 35 guaranteed to bring out the canner and pie-maker in anyone. Draper Girls lets you pick just about anything—cherries, berries, peaches, plums, apples, and pears, to name just a few—all with an unbelievable view of Mount Hood’s whitecapped top for dessert.

Photo: Courtesy KD Guide Service

KD GUIDE SERVICE, WHITE SALMON
kdguide.com
When we asked for fishing guide recommendations in the Gorge, one name appeared on every single list: KD Guide Service, owned by Ken Schleicher. Schleicher cut his teeth hauling in tuna and marlin in his native San Diego, but has been trolling the Columbia and its tributaries for more than a decade. “It’s my favorite place to fish,” he says. “There are always fish to catch, and it is very picturesque.” This time of year, you’ll find the affable Schleicher pulling in summer chinook and sturgeon on his half- and full-day guided trips ($110 and $140), which even come with suggested recipes for preparing your catch.

COOKING CLASSES AT SWEET THINGS, WHITE SALMON
sweetthingsbyjulie.com

Photo: Courtesy Sweet Things by Julie

If you, like us, swooned over your flawlessly prepared pie at Skamania Lodge, learn how to make your very own with Julie Vance, whose catering company, Sweet Things by Julie, supplies the Lodge (and nine other Gorge eateries) with its pies. Sure, your dish might not quite compare to Vance’s well-practiced examples (she’s been making pies from Hood River Valley fruit since 2005), but at the very least you’ll get to eat your mistakes.

Portland’s 10 Best Salads

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:00:00 -0800

The addictive Insalata Nostrana at Nostrana.

We can’t help it. As soon as there’s sun in the sky for at least two days a week we start craving fresh, summery foods…even if that week includes a few morning snow showers. Luckily, in Portland, we have access to some truly top-notch salads year-round. Whether you crave a classic Caesar or a not-so-classic Cobb (brisket on top, anyone?) a great salad can turn a crisp spring day into a real glimpse of summer.

After sampling the best Bloody Marys, best pizzas, best ice creams, and best chocolate chip cookies in town (all in the name of journalism, folks) it was a pleasure to sample the lighter side of Portland’s comfort-food menus. Here are our picks for the ten salads that deserve your fork’s attention.

1) Insalata Nostrana at Nostrana 1401 SE Morrison St

This deceptively simple-looking salad of radicchio, parmigiano-reggiano, and rosemary sage croutons packs a mighty punch of tangy, creamy flavor. The crave-worthy dressing is a savory departure from the classic Caesar, spiked with white wine, anchovies, house-made mayo and a good amount of red wine vinegar that adds a pleasant acidity to complement the healthy amount of cheese. A perfect pairing with Nostrana’s pizza and housemade gnocchi, this salad is a year-round winner.

2) The Wedge at Foster Burger 5339 SE Foster Road

This is a salad worthy of a true Portland burger joint—imagine a whole head of extra-crisp iceberg lettuce sliced in two, topped with cubed spiced pork belly, blue cheese, sieved egg, fresh cucumber, peppery radishes, savory olive oil-poached tomatoes, croutons made with bread from neighboring An Xuyen Bakery, and a light, herbal Green Goddess dressing ($9). Foster Burger also offers a few seasonal salads packed with fresh veggies to complement your cheeseburger and truffle-oil fries.

3) Caesar Salad at Apizza Scholls 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Somehow, when we set out to try Apizza Scholl’s take on the Caesar, we were able to waltz right in an snag a primo table—something of a Portland miracle. Even if you do get stuck in the long line for a seat, the salad and pizza are worth the wait. Apizza Scholl’s Caesar salad is a large plate of whole romaine heart leaves—so you can totally eat with your fingers—parmigiano reggiano, and house made croutons, all tossed in the house Caesar dressing that’s made daily ($9).

4) Texas Cobb at Podnah’s Pit 1625 NE Killingsworth St

A Cobb salad is traditionally a bit of a smorgasbord of flavors, but Podnah’s Pit takes that concept to the next level. On top of a hefty serving of romaine, this salad is loaded with fresh pico de gallo, bacon, blue cheese, green onion, avocado, egg, and brisket ($9.50). Yes, you read that correctly, this salad has bacon and brisket. Topped off with your choice of blue cheese or thousand island dressing, this salad belongs anywhere but on the side (not that we’d object to throwing in some a la carte BBQ ribs).

5) Butter Lettuce Salad with Avocado at St. Jack 2039 Southeast Clinton St

If you’re actually looking for a salad that won’t necessarily take over your entire meal, St Jack’s butter lettuce salad fits the bill. With whole crisp leaves of butter lettuce stacked high and sprinkled with fresh herbs, creamy avocado, radishes, house croutons and a well-balanced Dijon vinaigrette, this salad will have you ooh-la-laing until the next course ($9).

6) Spicy Green Papaya Salad at Jade Teahouse 7912 SE 13th Avenue

Most Thai and Asian-inspired restaurants around Portland have their own take on this flavorful fresh salad, but Jade’s version rises above the rest. Shredded green papaya is tossed with carrots, tomatoes, Thai chiles, green beans, and whole peanuts, then doused with a dressing with hints of tamarind and lime ($9). Not too spicy and not too sweet, this salad comes with a side of the best grilled shrimp around and a complementary heap of sticky rice for a light and satisfying meal.

7) Crispy Thai BBQ Salad at Blossoming Lotus 1713 NE 15th Ave

Contrary to what you may think, most salads in Portland are not completely vegan or gluten-free friendly. So when hungry herbivores crave a large helping of greens outside of their own kitchens, they head to Blossoming Lotus, where the standout Crispy Thai BBQ salad is packed with filling ingredients and crave-worthy flavors that will make even the most discerning of diners happy. A bed of romaine, mixed greens, and shredded cabbage is the foundation for a colorful array of carrots, cucumbers, raisins, crispy rice sticks, curried cashews, and Thai-spiced barbecue soy curls, topped with a creamy sweet ginger dressing, fresh herbs, and toasted coconut ($13).

8) Kale Salad at Yakuza Lounge 5411 Northeast 30th Ave

Much more than the sum of its parts, the shaved kale salad at Yakuza manages to be both healthy and indulgent at the same time. The good green stuff is sliced confetti-thin, then tossed with shallots, lemon, and edamame for a salad that’s a necessary addition to a meal of artful sashimi and Japanese-inspired small plates ($6).

9) Nopal Asado at Autentica 5507 NE 30th Ave

This tangy grilled cactus salad spiked with red onions, avocado and cotija cheese is a delightful departure from the typical bowl of lettuce ($9). The nopales are smoky but still crisp, and the salad is a perfect complement to Autentica’s complex mole sauce, which decks out several entrees on the dinner menu.

10) Gruner Salad at Gruner 527 SW 12th Ave

A green salad is perfect when you’re craving a fresh, light lunch that promises warmer weather is on the way—and Gruner always gives salads the respect they deserve. The namesake salad is a masterpiece of lettuce, chickweed, carrots, beets, cucumbers, celery, radishes, fennel, scallions, crunchy pretzel croutons, and sunflower seeds, tossed with the perfect red wine-shallot vinaigrette ($9). Far from a dainty side, this salad is certainly big enough to make up a whole meal, or to share between your dining party as a side.

Now it’s your turn. Who’s got the salad that has you forgoing the rest of the menu in favor of greens?

Eat Outside

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:00:00 -0700

Image: Neil DeCosta

Yakuza’s backyard oasis.

AS A CITY with limited ray-baked days, we hold certain culinary truths to be self-evident. Specifically, that fresh air makes everything taste better. With that in mind, we scoured Portland in search of tasty places with thoughtful outdoor spaces as complementary to your meal as a fine, palate-pleasing wine. In other words: Places that put more effort into their outside environs than a few wobbly tables sprinkled along the sidewalk. And we found them. From front patios with fire pits to backyard gardens ripe for growing romance over brunch, Portland’s alfresco menu offers something for everyone. As our heat-soaked summer days slowly slide toward fall, your only job: Eat. It. Up.

FIREHOUSE

$$ 32

711 NE Dekum St; 503-954-1702
firehousepdx.com
An old fire station makes an unlikely Eden, but Firehouse’s garden of herbs, veggies, and fruit feels like paradise on a hot evening. Chewy, uncut wood-fired pizzas come in four seasonal varieties, flanked by sprightly small plates and hearty oven-roasted mains. The restored building’s red bricks take on a super-real glow as the sun sinks—an effect only enhanced by well-crafted cocktails. —Zach Dundas

RONTOMS

$ 145 H ^

600 E Burnside St; 503-236-4536
rontoms.net
While Rontoms’s interior is a bastion of mid-20th-century mod, the angular wood roof covering its expansive back patio is pure 21st-century timber chic. Toss in a fire pit, outdoor Ping-Pong, planters brimming with bamboo, and a menu that features local handmade ice cream from Fifty Licks, and you’ve got one of the coolest outdoor dining spaces in town. —KC

Image: Neil DeCosta

Evening comes alive on the back patio at Rontoms.

PALEY’S PLACE

$$$ 8 H ^

1204 NW 21st Ave; 503-243-2403;
paleysplace.net
Perennial favorite Paley’s elevates front-porch sitting (and eating) to a whole other level with four tables on the converted Victorian’s column-lined stoop. Savor the quaint street scene, citrus-infused Paley’s Lemon Drop in hand, along with any one of the garden-fresh salads (we like George’s Gathered Greens, simply dressed with lemon and extra-virgin olive oil) or main plates, like line-caught Columbia River salmon, from Vitaly Paley’s flawless Northwest repertoire. —Ben Tepler

Image: Neil DeCosta

CIRCA 33

$$ 80 H ^

3348 SE Belmont St; 503-477-7682;
circa33bar.com
Neatly tucked into SE Belmont Street’s brick storefronts, Circa 33’s newly opened alleyway space presents a welcome alternative to the neighborhood’s other, emission-laced sidewalk sitting options. The 10-month-old bar has transformed the narrow corridor adjacent to its whiskey-lovin’, comfort-food-focused restaurant into a decidedly intimate off-street area with a sequence of small picnic tables, hanging pots spilling bright flowers, and heat lamps to zap those summer cold snaps. —Rachel Ritchie

Image: Neil DeCosta

SKYLINE TAVERN

$ 80 ^

8031 NW Skyline Blvd; 503-286-4788

Barbecuing on the big grill at this rustic tavern deep in the West Hills requires some forethought. After you make a reservation, it’s BYO-everything: food, charcoal, plates, utensils, condiments. Skyline does, however, supply the icy microbrews, backyard horseshoe pits, a battered Ping-Pong table, and a westward view that stretches almost to the Pacific. —ZD

AUTENTICA

$$ 50

5507 NE 30th Ave; 503-287-7555
autenticaportland.com
Arching fronds of exotic plants, wide paddles of freckled cactus, and walls painted with vivid swatches of purple, yellow, and blue decorate Autentica’s back patio. Fenced in behind a busy Northeast Portland corner but wide open to the sky, this bright, festive nook is the perfect spot for sipping a margarita and savoring Mexican ceviche and tostadas in dappled sunshine. —RR

BLUEHOUR

$$$ 25 H ^

250 NW 13th Ave; 503-226-3394
bluehouronline.com
Oyster shooters, succulent bacon-crowned burgers, and some of the city’s best people watching all come cheap at dusk on Bluehour’s loading dock turned seating area, when the Northwest-inspired menu hits happy hour prices. From your front-row sunset seat, listen to the click-clack of well-heeled Portlanders echoing off of NW 13th Avenue’s cobblestones and sip your ginger-tinged Moscow Mule while the setting sun draws a shadowy curtain over the city. But get here early: the cool kids fill the limited seating fast. —RR

MERIWETHER’S

$$$ 90 H ^

2601 NW Vaughn St; 503-228-1250
meriwethersnw.com
With its heated pergola, spacious gazebo, and glowing fire pit, Meriwether’s has long been Portland’s preeminent not-so-secret garden. Once inside the courtyard, liberally laced with fragrant hydrangeas and roses, you might wonder if you’ve accidentally wandered into Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 20th-century England. But a quick perusal of the menu drawn from the restaurant’s own five-acre West Hills farm will bring you right back home. —RR

CRUZROOM

$ 40 H ^

2338 NE Alberta St; 503-208-3483
cruzroom.com
Last year, a pair of engineers moved into what had been a mediocre breakfast spot and turned their love for tacos and cocktails into a funky fusion of flavors. Exhibit A: the Mac Taco, fried pickles, applewood bacon, special-sauce slaw, cheddar cheese, and onions on a corn tortilla. This year, Octavio Cruz-Uribe and Guy Barnes Jr. transformed the streetside patio into an oasis of urban cool befitting Alberta, hacking an enormous rectangular hunk out of the tall wood walls to create a brick-floored, tricked-out patio complete with Japanese maples, overgrown bonsai, fancy fire pits, and a graffiti-fied mural on the west wall. Of course. —KC

YAKUZA

$$ 25 H ^

5411 NE 30th Ave; 503-450-0893;
yakuzalounge.com
Portland’s renowned izakaya (Japanese pub) Yakuza takes the party outside with its tiered back patio, artfully landscaped with pretty pebbles, ferns, dinosaur plants, and Japanese maples. Come for the incredible selection of sushi and sakes (17), or the belly-busting burger. Stay for the backyard hot tub, which is reservable for private parties. —KC

Image: Neil DeCosta

Yakuza

NORTH 45

$$ 49 H ^

517 NW 21st Ave; 503-248-6317
north45pub.com
Encased by wooden fences, this massive back patio makes it possible to imagine you’re anywhere in the world. The large selection of Belgian beers suggests Europe, while the mussel-loving menu whispers New England. But the fully stocked outdoor bar—so you don’t have to miss a moment of those precious rays—is purely Portland. —MP

PRODUCE ROW CAFÉ

$$ 93 H ^

204 SE Oak St; 503-232-8355;
producerowcafe.com
Buffered from city grit by cedar walls, Produce Row’s back patio creates a private world of whiskey, beer, and upscale pub fare amid industrial Southeast. Planters, candlelight, and tables (some fashioned from reclaimed bowling lanes) fill the 1,400-square-foot space. Cover yours with a pastrami and gruyère sammy; then lean back, belly full, and wait for classic movies to fill the roll-down movie screen (on Wednesday nights). —RR

Image: Neil DeCosta

EQUINOX

$$ 50 H

830 N Shaver St; 503-460-3333
equinoxrestaurantpdx.com
Stationed off N Mississippi Avenue, Equinox’s huge, flagstone patio and ample umbrellas offer fine refuge from the stylish street’s heavy foot traffic and the August sun. Between the cute courtyard tangled with Italian cypress and a huge madrone tree, and a globally inspired menu that includes everything from duck confit sliders to wild mushroom wontons, Equinox guarantees a celestial experience more than just twice a year. —BT

PAMBICHE

$$ 44 H ^

2811 NE Glisan St; 503-233-0511
pambiche.com
Busy NE Glisan Street isn’t the most glamorous outdoor environs, but Pambiche has created a colorful little slice of Havana, fittingly in one of the city’s too-few arcade-covered sidewalks. Besides, with exquisitely crafted Cuban food like beef hash empanadas and smoked ham croquetas (all for under $15), and one of the city’s most revered dessert menus, you won’t be looking at anything other than your plate. —KC

VIOLETTA

$ 40 ^

877 SW Taylor St (Director Park): 503-233-3663;
violettapdx.com
Housed in a very un-burger-joint-like glass buve, this former food cart’s burgers are a Director park lunch crowd favorite: a half pound of grass-fed Highland Oak beef topped with Carlton Farms’ bacon on a Grand Central bun, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cheese from Portland farms. Plant yourself by the fountain, and soak up some rays while you dig in. Just wipe the fixins off your face before you leave (but not the smile). -MP

Image: Neil DeCosta

GOOSE HOLLOW INN

$ 45 H ^

1927 SW Jefferson St; 503-228-7010
goosehollowinn.com
During his tenure as Portland’s mayor from 1985 to 1992, the Goose’s first owner, Bud Clark, could often be found here washing down a long day at City hall. Even now, hidden behind a grove of trees, the classic spot’s tranquility, and large, sun-soaked wraparound porch affords a prime place for you to soothe your own municipal woes. Order a pitcher of IPA and the famous “best reuben on the planet,” and dream of how you’d rule Portland. -MP

CARTLANDIA

$$ 80 ^

8145 SE 82nd Ave.; 503-358-7873
cartlandia.com
Cart “pods” may be last year’s revolution, but this cluster, which caters to cyclist plying the Springwater Corridor and motorist refugees from 82nd, could become this year’s most happening “street” scene. A recent visit found a half-dozen carts, withmore promised by summer’s height. The standout: Cascade Burger, where a self-professed lifelong vegetarian (!) grills an excellent half-pound of beef with superb fries and house-made ketchup. A trailer loaded with a big-screen TV also makes for fine Timbers viewing. -ZD

MUDDY RUDDER PUBLIC HOUSE

$ 28

8105 SE Seventh Ave; 503-233-4410
muddyrudderpdx.com
The conspicuously red two-story house in Sellwood’s lazy downtown feels more residential than commercial: picnic tables in the small backyard are surrounded by unpainted fences and shrub, a tone walkway, and the bustle of families. So you’ll feel no guilt letting your kids (or dog) run free while you nosh on one of Muddy’s signature organic flour pizzas with pecorino cheese – pies that rival some of the best of Portland’s pizza pantheon. -MP

NOHO’S HAWAIIAN CAFÉ

$ 55 H

4627 NE Fremont St.; 503-445-6646
nohos.com
Slip away to the islands for an afternoon at this casual Northwest micro-chain, which boast two cafés in Portland and one in Medford. The large, tikied-out, palm-tree-appointed back patio at the NE Fremont location invites long lunches of Hawaiian favorites like kahlua pig and loco moco (a fried egg and hamburger patty on a bed of rice, smothered with brown gravy). A fire pit tucked in one corner awaits in case you want to let the day completely get away from you. -KC

PROST!

$ 90 H ^

4237 N Mississippi Ave.; 503-954-2674
prostportland.com
From the servers’ accents to the beer steins and wood paneling, North Portland’s always-crowded beer garden ranks as the most authentic (and fun) slice of Bavaria this side of the Alps. When the sun is shining, nix the boiled bratwurst and canned sauerkraut and opt for the food carts that ring the deck. Meatball heros at Garden State, a vegan bowl of tofu and veggies from the Native Bowl, and gourmet burgers at the newly opened Burgatroyd make excellent, if somewhat untraditional, companions for your Helles. -MP

CALDERA PUBLIC HOUSE

$ 76

6031 SE Stark St.; 503-233-8242
calderapublichouse.com
Set on the volcanic slopes of Mount Tabor, this neighborhood pub holds what s quite possibly one of the coziest, homiest backyard spaces in all of Portland. Twinkling white lights and Japanese lanterns line the fenced-in, fern lade patio. It’ll take some time to choose between the menu’s six organic burger options and the more creative fare (bourbon-soaked brie, anyone?). But the toughest decision? When to tear yourself away from the tranquil scene. -KC

Food Cart City

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:00:00 -0700

Addy Bittner slices a slender baguette, arranges about a dozen small, dark-chocolate discs (73 percent cacao) on the bread’s pillowy face, adds a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of salt, then tucks this meth-caliber assembly of bread, sugar, caffeine, and love into a small oven. A twist of the knob and… power failure.

Bittner’s sprightly gray, black, and red food cart, labeled "Addy’s Sandwich Bar" with a distinctly Parisian flourish, is parked amid one of downtown’s busiest food cart "pods"—the corner of SW 10th Avenue and Alder Street. As she vaults over stacked cardboard boxes to reset her circuit breaker, Bittner, sporting a shaggy pixie haircut, all-black canvas sneaks, and a worn-in Blazers T-shirt, neatly encapsulates Portland’s newest brand of restaurateur—as played by Audrey Tautou. Her electricity may fail, but her duck confit and house-made country pork pâté rule.

Addy’s Sandwich Bar could be a metaphor for the whole city.

Less than a decade ago, a Portlander who frequented one semi-sanitary burrito truck could smugly feel like an urban insider. Today, Multnomah County licenses more than 300 food carts. Within 100 yards of Addy’s alone, pavement gourmands can savor Korean tacos, first-class espresso, and walloping Bosnian pitas. A half-dozen gyro options jostle with a week’s worth of banh mi choices. Cult-favorite pork yakisoba competes with single-dish purveyors of Bangkok street delicacies. One newcomer promises "anything you can stuff in a dumpling."

No one planned Portland’s cart revolution. In a city that tends to workshop and white-paper every last particle of its existence, "the carts" are a rare local instance of Taoist urbanism. And in the process of letting them happen, the city stumbled upon a form of kudzu capitalism—powered by propane tanks and makeshift wiring—that reclaims and revitalizes vacant land. Portland’s food-cart phenomenon couples the city’s obsession with gastronomy and a dirty-fingernailed, DIY brand of free enterprise. It’s the perfect combination for the dynamic talent this city attracts, and for our gloomy economic times.

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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Addy Bittner in front of her popular sandwich cart at SW 10th Avenue and Alder Street

So now what? With downtown’s pods bustling, and new carts propagating across the East Side, do we just let this benign anarchy grow unchecked as far as it will? Or should we play around with new ways to harness this spontaneous expression of urban vitality (and chocolate-sandwich lust)?

Back in the 1970s, faced with a dying downtown, Portland declared that all center-city construction had to include ground-floor retail. It was a good idea, and one that injected new energy into our streets. But as the recession has filled many a city code–commanded storefront window with "FOR LEASE" signs, it’s the once-barren—and oft-ridiculed—surface parking lots that have begun pulsing with urban life in the form of food carts.

"The carts’ success downtown has people thinking of these sorts of structures as an interim form of development that can create a destination," says Marcy McInelly, an associate principal at Sera Architects. "Traditional restaurants do that, but it takes a long time. Carts can do it very quickly."

City Center Parking, a firm owned partly by the powerful Goodman family, rules acres of downtown asphalt. For decades, many mourned the Goodmans’ reluctance to develop their lots into the sort of high-density, mixed-use new buildings that long ago became urban-planning gospel. Now, economic conditions strongly suggest that new downtown high-rises won’t be popping up anytime soon. Meanwhile, City Center has decided—call it enlightened self-interest—to allow carts to breed on its lots.

"It started with one, basically," says Al Niknabard, City Center’s director of operations. "Then it was two. Then four. And it seemed like the more we added, the better they all did." Niknabard declines to even estimate how many carts now occupy the edges of City Center’s lots. "We hardly ever have cancellations. It will go as far as classical capitalism will let it."

Yet, it’s hard not to wonder: what could a smash-hit cart pod, complete with a cheerful local vibe and a foodie cult following, do for some of Portland’s persistently forlorn neighborhoods? Could an Airstream slinging post-Vietnamese Southeast Asian fusion do more for Lents than any half-baked baseball stadium scheme? Should we just retire the cursed name "Burnside Bridgehead" and encourage every successful downtown cart to open a second location at NE Couch Street and Third Avenue?

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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Having mastered the art of Belgian-style fries and poutine, Potato Champion (see “Cartopia”) draws late-night cartgoers in search of starches to soak up the evening’s indulgences.

Indeed, hop the river from downtown, and it feels like every scrap of wasteland from SE Kelly Street and 50th Avenue (home to the acclaimed Wy’East Pizza) to N Greeley Avenue and Killingsworth Street (where Venezuelan empanadas commingle with homemade ice cream, see "The Pioneer") is sprouting with carts. A parallel subculture thrives online, where cart zealots track every new opening on websites and Twitter feeds. At its most successful, the cart diaspora creates improvised village plazas where neighbors gather (and spend), generating reams of positive online chatter about a new kind of place—usually a former vacant lot.

McInelly, for one, sees some potential in strategic cart deployment. She and her firm drafted a "best practices" menu for Portland’s transportation office that suggested using food carts to spruce up the East Side’s dour MAX stations. "It’s a way to create a ‘there’ there," she says. "You could potentially use carts at transit stations, or in the Lloyd District—anywhere you want to foster some vitality."

So perhaps advancing the cart revolution requires nothing more than matchmaking. Desperate property owner? Meet moneymaking opportunity. On N Mississippi Avenue, developer Roger Goldingay faced recessionary doom on a vacant lot he bought at the height of the real estate boom. Carts proved his salvation—today, his Mississippi Marketplace knits together 10 high-quality carts with customized water and power grids, all atop eco-friendly, rainwater-permeable asphalt (see "Pod Perfection").

"I think you can say we saved a developer—me—and a contractor, and probably two marriages," Goldingay tells me. "We started 10 small businesses and created 40 or 50 jobs."

And therein, perhaps, lies the true genius and potential of Portland’s carts. In these woozy, hungover years after our binge on fake credit and ersatz profits, food carts bring American business down to earth. On vacant lots and unloved parking strips in Portland, tiny operations demonstrate a different way for free enterprise to take root, grow, and change a city’s streets and tastes.

When Addy Bittner shows up to work every day at 7:30 a.m., she grabs two jugs and heads across the street to gather her day’s water supply from hoses she shares with other carts. When something breaks, she fixes it. And yet, in her own humble way, she’s living the entrepreneurial dream.

"I could totally go for running water," she says. "On the other hand, it’s a microbusiness, and I can do everything myself. I have to do everything myself."

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Tour our favorite food cart pods with Karen Brooks, restaurant critic for Portland Monthly magazine and a food cart fanatic.

Find out where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss!

The Chosen Carts

Addy’s Sandwich Bar
A Streetcar Named Inspire
The Big Egg
Bloop
Built to Grill
Brown Chicken Brown Cow PDX
Brunch Box
Bubba Bernie’s
Burgerville Nomad
Caraqueña
Cool Harry’s Yogurt
Eat This!!!
Etta
Eurodish
Garden State
Homegrown Smoker Natural Barbecue
Joslyn’s Ciao Chow
Koi Fusion
La Jarochita
Moxie
Namu Killer Korean BBQ
Nong’s Khao Man Gai
Nuevo Mexico
Parkers Waffles
PBJ’s
The People’s Pig
Perierra Crêperie
Potato Champion
Pyro Pizza
Saucy’s
Scoop Organic Ice Cream
Solar Waffle Works
Sol Pops
Spudnick
Sugar Cube
Swamp Shack
Tábor
Truck Yeah
Wolf & Bear’s
Ziba’s Pitas