Portland food carts: An explosion of food made in trailers!

Yes, yes, we're all aware* that Portland loves to eat food from souped-up travel trailers instead of eating indoors like everyone else. Me, I've been more than a bit skeptical of eating from a kitchen on wheels. I dunno, I barely survived food poisoning once, I'm not willing to tempt fate (or room-temperature mayonnaise) again.

So it was with great trepidation that this weekend, I ate my first cart meal: a "Mississippi Bowl" from Native Bowl at N. Mississippi and Shaver. It was incredibly delish; a vegan bbq sensation of rice, fake bbq TVP, spicy bbq sauce, and topped off with cold coleslaw. And even better, the next day? No food poisoning!

Today, emboldened by my strong stomach and curious about what other culinary delights are out there, Chris and I ventured to the North Station food carts at N. Greeley & N. Killingsworth. We both decided to try Korean street food at the bright pink trailer housing Yogio. I went for the "paper and scissors" combo that included thin veggie pancakes with cabbage and thin sauce and a variation of the Korean dish dokpoki that included hot and fat noodles with vegetables in broth. It was good, but no Mississippi bowl.

I have to say, for the rest of the warm weather this summer, I can see more cart meals in my future. It's kind of addictive: after dinner we rode bikes back to the carts to try out the handmade ice cream.

(We were just voted #1 “World’s Best Street Food” by CNN/Budget Travel.)

Picnics In the Park

I'm in a picnic phase these days. Maybe it's the fact that the weather in Portland is foul for so much of the year that when the sun finally appears, I want to spend every second outdoors. (This, by the way, is the reason why Oregonians have such a high rate of skin cancer. But I digress.)

I think the easiest way to have a picnic is to grab a blanket, silverware, unbreakable plates then hit the deli counter at the grocery store for finger foods, salads, and cold drinks. Find a nice place to spread out at the park and enjoy yourself.

We have so many wonderful parks here in Portland: Waterfront, Washington, Peninsula, and Laurelhurst Parks are my favorites for dining al fresco. Do you have a special spot that's perfect for a picnic in your town?

(Photo: Blyton Vintage Picnic Basket $160 from PicnicFun.com)

Delish Oregon Strawberry Shortcake

This was dessert last night. It was super easy to fix thanks to the sweet biscuits from New Seasons. Cut the biscuit sideways then layer strawberries and fresh whip cream. Yum!