VeganFabulous

the lowdown: Give Pizza a Chance | Between 4th and 5th on Stark, Portland, OR | 503.333.4434 | Items $2 - $10 | ****

This food cart rocks!

StumptownVegans are Portland’s vegan food cart connoisseurs. If it’s a food cart that serves something vegan, they know about it. This especially comes in handy when I am trying to figure out a quick meal on a work lunch break. With their comprehensive reviews I know exactly what I am getting into before I go.

Admittedly, food carts are sometimes difficult for me. Many of them occupy dilapidated trailers or makeshift shacks whose cleanliness would surprise me if they met code. The row of carts on 5th and Stark is no exception. As I was slowly walking by each one looking for Give Pizza a Chance I cringed but as I rounded the corner, I was pleasantly surprised by the well cared for cart that serves pizza by the slice, whole pies, and calzones! As a vegan your options are limited to freshly baked items as the pizza slices ($2-$3) all contain cheese. Based on the StumptownVegans recommendation I ordered a vegan calzone ($7) which included my choice of any of the following ingredients: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives, and peppers. Although it took 20 minutes (record wait for food cart dining), it was well worth it. The piping hot calzone had the best crust and fillings around. I hadn’t had a calzone in years but I’ve never had one made with such fresh ingredients. If you are going to give any food cart a chance, let it be this one!

the lowdown: Sip | 3029 SE 21st Ave., Portland, OR 97202 | Dessert (Closed Tuesday) | Shakes $2.75 - $5.50 | *****

Super good vegan milkshakes and smoothies!

Remember those pre-vegan summer days when the only thing you craved was a huge milkshake and finding one was never an issue? You can stop longing for those times and put away your blenders because the most fabulous cart rolled into town and is parked in front of the People’s Food Co-Op, offering delectable all vegan shakes and smoothies.

It was fantastically hot last weekend when we ventured out to the Clinton St. hood to confront the blogosphere hype created about Sip. With an opening just two months ago, Sip has created a name for itself that reverberates throughout Portland. Not more then an Airstream-esque trailer with an interior of vintage wallpaper and a 70’s milkshake machine; Sip produces soy based, organic milkshakes in an array of flavors. At $4.75 each we enjoyed the Chocolate Peanut Butter and Orange Creamiscle. Both equally perfect. Other options include Cookies-n-Cream, Chocolate, Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry, Mocha, and Vanilla Latte. In addition there is freshly prepared juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass. If you order it “For Here” it comes in a classic milkshake glass where you can occupy the outdoor seating in front of the Co-Op and people watch all the hippies doing their grocery shopping.

the lowdown: Taqueria Los Gorditos | SE 50th Ave & SE Division St., Portland, OR 97255 | 503.875.2615 | Lunch, Dinner | Items $1.5 - $6 | **

Mexican food truck with vegan menu.

Hitting up a food truck that happens to be nearby is one thing, but traveling the to other side of Portland to visit one takes a whole different level of dedication. The first time I tried to visit they were sealed shut, despite the Sunday hours I’ve seen posted on the Internet. The second time was on a rare day that I had off from work and my sister and I were sort of in the neighborhood.

Over the last year Los Gorditos has graced blogs raving about their vegan menu. At one point they were offering an entirely vegan menu on Sundays. I don’t know if this is still the case since they were closed when I tried to go on a Sunday, but they do offer a lengthy 11 item vegan menu during normal hours including tofu tacos ($1.50), a tofu burrito ($5.50), enchiladas with tofu or soyrizo ($5.50), and a quesadilla ($5.00). Tofutti Sour Cream, Soyrizo, and Follow Your Heart cheese can be added for an additional $.50. Perhaps I made the mistake of ordering the tofu burrito, but I was not impressed. The tofu was soggy and tasteless and the beans were overly refried. I certainly want to give them credit for having so many offerings but I would not bother going out of my way 30 blocks. Based on the number of people waiting in line for their lunch I’m going to guess I am the minority, but I’ll go ahead and create a longer line at La Bonita.

the lowdown: Whole Bowl | 1100 NW Glisan, Portland, OR 97209, Last Thursday on Alberta, and other locations| 503.757.2695 | Website |Bowls $5.50 - $6.50 | Lunch | *****

Quick & Super Healthy!

Now that I have a house 3x the size of my condo, I have an embarrassing amount of bare wall space. The best place to procure local art at a reasonable price is quite simply Alberta Street’s Last Thursday. For those who are either not from Portland or completely in the dark on what’s going on in this great city, Last Thursday is a year round “art walk” that occurs the last Thursday of every month. Local artists, jewelers, and everyone else gather to sell clothing, accessories, art, sculpture, food, and other great stuff. Unfortunately for me, my boyfriend and I can’t agree on anything to hang on our walls but we did snag an amazing dinner at Whole Bowl.

The Whole Bowl is a food cart that has several locations throughout Portland and a traveling van for special occasions. Word is the Whole Bowl is a permanent fixture in Last Thursday’s street of endless food options. Last month they were located between 24th & 25th near the strawberry lemonade stand. A Whole Bowl by default includes brown rice, sour cream, olives, avocado, cilantro, Tali sauce, cheddar cheese, salsa, black beans, and red beans. The cheese and sour cream can be easily dropped for a vegan version. Tali sauce is a lemon-garlic sauce that has been known as “crack sauce”. This combination of ingredients makes an excellent lunch or dinner and won’t break the bank.

the lowdown: FlavourSpot | North Lombard btwn Greeley & Denver, corner of NE Fremont & Mississippi Ave | 503.289.YUMM | Website | Breakfast, Lunch | Waffles $3.50 - $6 | ****

Unsuspecting food cart offering unique waffle combinations!

Don’t ask me why it took fellow blogger Melisser from TheUrbanHousewife to visit Portland from San Franciso for me to find out about FlavourSpot. Apparently I’ve had my head in the sand for a few weeks too long because the buzz had completely missed me! Anyway, thank god for out of town visitors to spruce things up in a city where you thought you knew it all!

What is FlavourSpot? Simply put, it is a food cart that holds two residences in vacant parking lots around North Portland. They serve sandwich style waffles and black coffee. We rolled up to the Mississippi Ave location last Sunday by bike around 12:30 and the gravel parking lot with chairs scattered about was popping off! The menu consists of a variety of waffle combinations, PB&J, Sausage & Maple Butter, S’More, Nutella and the list goes on. We pulled out four cinder blocks and enjoyed the hyped vegan Sausage & Maple Butter. The magic consists of a folded waffle filled with maple butter and two garden burger sausages (add $.50). It was heavenly but for $6 I was hoping for a bigger portion size because it didn’t take long for me to burn off the 1200 calories on my ride home.

the lowdown: Shelly’s Honkin’ Huge Garden Burritos | 800 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205 | Lunch, Food Cart | Items $5.25 -$6.25 | *****

Way too easy to overeat at lunch!

I’m nearly thirty, no kids, unmarried, and own a home with my boyfriend. What’s a girl gonna do? Go to an attorney of course and get some legal documents written up to further the commitment! That fateful day happened this last week when I put my life in someone else’s hands (my hands are full too). Not only did I will everything I own to my boyfriend (which isn’t much), I gave him the authority to pull the plug and take over when I go Britney. Nonetheless, the epic moment passed quickly and we were hungry for lunch!

The Honkin’ Huge Burrito food cart has been my favorite for quite some time. Shelly, the owner, has some serious burrito kung fu and is always ready to hook you up. The line is generally 8 people deep but she is a pro at turning things around quickly. When you get to the front of the line you have three simple choices. Small, Medium or Honkin’ Huge and the prices are $5.25, $5.75, and $6.25, respectively. I ordered the small and requested no diary which knocks off $.50, bringing my lunch to a mere $4.75! Lots of love goes into Shelly’s burrito making. The tortilla is grilled to perfection and stuffed with rice, beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, homemade salsa, and lettuce. To top it all off you have a choice of about 15 hot sauce varieties. A Honkin’ Huge burrito is an excellent way to celebrate your intensely romantic new commitment or lunch break.

the lowdown: No Fish! Go Fish! | 5th & Yamhill, Portland, OR | Website | Lunch, Food Cart | $6 Lunch Special | ****

Fantastic food on the go!

What do you do when your lunch plans are canceled and you didn’t bring a sack lunch because you thought you were going out? I go to No Fish! Go Fish! Truthfully, picking up food at the Fish is perfect for any occasion. Whether you are going stag or meeting a friend. Just be sure to have a back up plan if it starts raining. You don’t want to end up eating your food in the trough called the food court.

I remember No Fish! Go Fish! back when I first started working downtown eight years ago. After all these years the same guy is still serving up the fantastic fish and soup combo, which, due to inflation, is now $6. I can’t argue with that price though because you get two fish shaped crispy cornbread inspired pastries stuffed with a variety of fillings and a pint of the “Soup of the Gods.” Depending on the day you will have your choice of 3 flavors. I always pick the Dal but I’ve heard that all of them are great!

the lowdown: India Chaat House | 804 SW 12th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 | 503.241.7944 | Lunch, Food Cart | $5 - $7 & 5 course Lunch Special $5.50 | ****

Indian to go!

When it comes to grabbing lunch downtown, it turns out you’ll find the majority of the vegan/vegetarian options are at food carts. Knowing which food cart to go to can be problematic as there are a large number of them and they all look the same! If your lucky enough to know someone privy to the food cart scene then you end up finding the hidden gems!

The Indian Chaat House is a bit off the beaten path standing solitary on the corner of 12th & Yamhill. If you are like me and tend to judge eating establishments by the outward appearance, you may have never noticed this place. Luckily I have an incredible lunch partner who knows her way around town and for $5.50 we each enjoyed the 5 course lunch special! The menu clearly states that dishes are vegan upon request, the portions are enormous, and your food will be ready is less than 5 minutes. With only two picnic tables you will need to find an alternative place to dine or prepare to squat in the Starbucks outdoor seating at Pioneer Square.