FALL VACATION 2011 – Wednesday, 10/5/11 - Heading Home

We LOVE Portland!

We have had so much fun here – the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Lan Su Gardens, Mount Tabor, The Grotto, 3D Museum, and of course the fabulous and wonderful food carts.

We feel we accomplished our goal here:  To taste the many and varied food carts of Portland.  We have been looking forward to this ever since we watched “Eat Street” on the Food Network.  Here are the food carts we sampled:

FOSTER POD

Wooster’s:  chicken fried steak and fried green tomato sandwich with banana pudding for dessert.

MISSISSIPPI  MARKETPLACE POD

Big Top Waffle:  corn meal waffle topped with mushrooms, chili, onions, sausage.

Garden State:  meatball hero with chickpea fries.

The Big Egg:  Monte Cristo sandwich

SW STARK and 5^TH STREET POD

La Jarochita:  banana leaf wrapped tamales and tacos

Brunch Box:  fantastic hamburgers, the “You Can Has It” and the “Outlaw”

Tabor Czech:  pork schnitzel sandwich

BELMONT AND 4^TH POD

Nusha’s:  beer brats

Sweet Pea’s:  crème brulee

12^TH and HAWTHORNE POD

Potato Champion:  French fries smothered in BBQ pork and chili beans

Pyro Pizza:  margarita pizza

Whiffie’s Fried Pies:  mixed berry fried pie a la mode

La Creperia:  turkey, brie and cranberry jam filled crepe

Out of this list of carts, here are our top five favorites:

TOP FIVE FAVORITE FOOD CARTS

Brunch Box

Potato Champion

Wooster’s

Big Top Waffles

La Jarochita

Some of the best food we have ever eaten came from these food carts and we firmly believe it is because of their spirit of independence and their love of what they do.

Today we head home to Ventura.  We wish we could keep heading down the road to parts unknown.  But, reality calls and it’s time to return to the homestead.

It’s been fun keeping this journal and for those of you who have followed along, we hope you have enjoyed sharing our experiences, food, and travels along the way,

Susan and Fred

FALL VACATION 2011 – Tuesday, 10/4/11 - Portland Day 6

Our day begins with Fred returning a pair of shoes he doesn’t like – too hot for his feet.

From there we head for brunch at Wong’s King for Dim Sum.  We are big Dim Sum freaks and don’t often get an opportunity to indulge our craving.  We have heard from a few people that this is THE Dim Sum place to go in Portland.

It’s a large restaurant with a huge open space dining room and petite ladies in purple uniforms pushing shiny Dim Sum carts.  We start out slowly with a steam basket of shrimp and pork dumplings.  Superb.  My only problem is getting a bite of it and holding it in my chopsticks.  I really just barely get by with chopsticks.  


Our next selection is a plate of sesame balls.  I love them.  Fred takes one taste and gives me the rest.  From there we go to cilantro and shrimp dumplings, beef short ribs in pepper sauce, BBQ pork pie,  and we top it all off with little dainty custard cups.  All of this is washed down with a pot of green tea.

All in all we enjoy it but the experience is not as satisfying as the Jade Garden in Seattle.  For one thing, our friends Jack and Sarah are always with us and so that makes it much more fun.  And the Jade Garden has a lot more character.  The steam trays are bamboo and not metal and the little carts flow in a constant stream by our table.   Plus it's noisy and chaotic and oozing with my notion of authenticity. Here they sit off to the side and wait. 

If you like Dim Sum, the food is good.  The shrimp and pork dumplings are some of the best we have ever eaten.  But if you are looking for a more interesting experience, go to the Jade Garden in Seattle.

After brunch we drive to Mount Tabor Park.  This is a patch of greenery in the city that was once an active volcano.  We take a stroll to the top, take a few pictures and head to our next sight on our list of things to see.

This is The Grotto.  It is a Christian shrine built by a man who prayed to the Virgin Mary for his ailing mother to return to health and his prayers were answered.  This is one big Thank You card to the Virgin Mother.  The shrine is perched on a huge escarpment and visitors are carried to the top in a 110 foot high elevator shaft.  It is a truly serene experience walking the manicured paths.

We are hoping to squeeze in one last food cart on our last night in Portland, but it is Tuesday and most carts are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  We finally find La Jarochita open on Stark Street and order some food to take home.  I order one of their tasty banana leaf wrapped tamales and Fred orders a couple tacos.  We are happy campers when we arrive back at the RV and dig into our dinner.

We read a little and call it a day. 

Lights out around 9:30.    

FALL VACATION 2011 - Monday, 10/3/11 - Portland Day 5

We awaken to gray skies and light rain.  Fred is still trying to track down the elusive cargo pants.  Today’s attempt is Portland’s Columbia Outlet store.  Still no luck.  All they carry are zip-offs.  He seems to be one step (or three) behind the fashion curve.

But the CROCS store is an entirely different matter.  Fred finds not one but FOUR pairs of shoes he likes.  The man has lost his mind.  I buy a pair of snuggy warm CROCS for my continually freezing feet.

Time for lunch.  Most food trucks are closed on Monday but we find a pod on Belmont and 43^rd in the Historic Hollywood District.  It’s named for its historic 1920’s-era Hollywood Theatre.  Evidently the district figures prominently in Beverly Cleary’s KLICKITAT  STREET book series.  Never heard of it.

Only a few carts are active in this pod today and we share a beer brat at NUSHA’S cart.  It’s just ok and we don’t finish it.  We are looking for the true mouth watering food cart experience that we have come to love and adore.

So, we head for the pod at 5^th and Stark.  We share a pork schnitzel at TABOR’S CZECH food cart.  Again we are disappointed.  Not enough seasoning for us but many regulars are placing orders.

We pass the BRUNCH BOX and stop in our tracks.  Yes, we know this is the best burger ever so we split “The Outlaw” burger.  Our silence says it all.  We savor each bite.  The sauce, the sautéed onions, the bacon, the tender burger…heaven.

Finally I have whined enough about wanting to see Lan Su Chinese Garden and Fred punches the address into the GPS.  This is a walled garden enclosing a full city block.  Opened in 2000, its name “Lan” represents Portland and “Su” represents Suzhou the sister city in China.

The garden features Lake Zither, an artificial lake at the center of the garden.  There are many covered walkways and bridges and some of the plants are over 100 years old.

We take many many photos until Fred suddenly takes my hand and says, “Come on, we have to have tea in the tearoom.”   Something has caught his attention and I discover it is the lilting sound of a Chinese erhu floating from the windows of the tearoom.  Evidently it is a two-stringed instrument that is often referred to as a “Chinese violin”.

(Click "Play" to watch erhu video)

Once inside we try to decipher the menu of unfamiliar tea terms:  oolong, types of black teas and various green teas.  I select a black tea, “Golden Monkey”, and Fred chooses “Pine Smoked Black”.  Our tea is served and Fred makes a startled face.  He claims his tea smells like a wet burned log.  I take a whiff and am overwhelmed by the strong aroma of a doused campfire.    Surprisingly it tastes quite good.  My tea is superb and Fred says my tea is “exactly what tea should taste like.”  This from a man who only drinks Lipton Cool Brew Ice Tea. But I have to agree, it is perfect.

As we sip our tea we enjoy watching and listening to the elderly Chinese gentleman play the ehru.  We are transported to a different time and place.  This is ultimate tranquility.  Bliss.

We reluctantly leave the garden and head to Powell Books.  Fred browses the western books one more time and I scribble some notes for the blog. 

It is difficult to describe what happens next.  We leave the book store and as we walk under the damp dripping street trees, something catches our eyes.  Inside a corner café we see light bouncing off little moving plates.  We stop and look through the window.  The little plates are covered with clear plastic domes and they are winding their way through the café on a conveyor belt past customers sitting at a counter.  It reminds us of a miniature model train set.   IT IS A SUSHI BAR!  We walk in and plop ourselves down.  How could we do otherwise?

(Click "Play" to watch sushi video)

Yellow, blue, green, and orange plates continue to saunter by us on the moveable belt.  Fred picks up the menu guide.  Each colored plate indicates a different sushi delicacy.  We sit mesmerized by the parade of colorful dishes.  Being neophytes of sushi, we fall back on our dependable stand-by:  tempura shrimp sushi.  We grab an orange plate.  We end up eating three little dishes full.  And it’s actually good.  Not great, but good.

The big surprise of the evening comes when we are handed the bill.  A total of $4.00.  What?  Huh? Are you sure?  Yes, that’s correct:  $4.00.  No wonder there are so many people in the place.   It’s fun and it’s  CHEAP!

 It’s dark and still drizzling as we drive back to the RV campground.  We’re tired and glad to be “home” and cozy.

Lights out around 10:00.

FALL VACATION 2011 – Sunday, 10/2/11 – Portland Day 4

Portland’s notorious rain is still gently falling.  We decide it is a good day to do some shopping.  Fred is still looking for cargo pants.

We head once again to the Bridgeport Village.   They have an REI store that might have what Fred is looking for.  They also have The Container Store.  Have you ever been in one? Incredicle.

Fred doesn’t have any luck with cargo pants at REI.  We wander over to Z Gallerie, one of our favorite shops.  We are disappointed.  They have changed their style and we are not crazy about it.

It’s lunch time and we haul ourselves across town to the Hawthorne food cart pod for some more of those fabulous french fries smothered in chili beans and pulled pork.  It’s drizzling outside and we have trouble finding a place to park.  We take a chance and park across the street in a parking lot that says in huge letters, “CUSTOMER PARKING ONLY  -  ALL  HOURS ALL DAYS”.  

We order lunch.  I glance at the parking lot and can only see the very front of the VW. We enjoy our decadent french fries  and a crepe filled with turkey, brie, cranberry jam, and arugula.  I check the parking lot again.  A red car is now parked there and I can’t see the van.  Must be ok since now there’s another car there.

We finish lunch and cross the street.  But our minds don’t register the image.  There is no van in the parking lot.  The red car is there, but no van.  Did we park it in this lot?  Did someone steal it?  Where is it?  The sign on the building has a phone number for a towing company.  Thank goodness I have my cell phone in my pocket…my purse is in the van.  I call the number and sure enough, they have our van. 

Fred and I are dumbstruck.  We should have paid more attention.  When did they sneak in and tow her?  We then notice two cameras pointed toward the parking lot.  Should have noticed them in the first place.

Oh well, what can you do.  We laugh at our stupidity and chalk it up to a lesson learned.  We know it will be BIG BUCKS to bail her out, but worse things could happen on a trip.  I’m proud of Fred for handling it so well.  He’s pretty philosophical about it and we both are in good spirits in spite of this crazy turn of events.

We call a taxi and he takes us to the tow yard.  I ask the man at the counter, “Is there any discount for people from out of town who are stupid?”  He laughs but says no.  Oh well, doesn’t hurt to try.

 We are on our way and head to Powell Books, a favorite spot of ours in Portland.  Fred finds some Louis L’Amour books he’s been searching for.  I find some books to download on my Kindle.

Back to the RV where we recoup from the day.  A dinner of leftovers (still have yesterday’s pizza and some of those fries from lunch).      

Lights out early.

FALL VACATION 2011 – Saturday, 10/1/11 – Portland Day 3

We return to the Mississippi food cart pod for breakfast.  I am determined to have one of those Monte Cristo sandwiches at The Big Egg.  We arrive around 9:30.  She takes my order and tells me it will be about a 25 minute wait.

We are learning these food cart entrepreneurs are an independent lot.  If they run out of ingredients, so what, they just mark it off their menu.  If their hours say, “Open at 9:30”, no big deal if they show up at 10.  Those are the benefits and joys of being independently owned and operated.  I get it.  I like it.

I wait 25 minutes and Fred orders a cornbread waffle with eggs and sausage from Big Top Waffle cart.  OMG it is the best waffle I have ever eaten.

Ok, you may be thinking I am exaggerating with all “the best” stuff but Fred and I both agree we have had some of the most wonderful food from these food carts that we have ever eaten on a trip.  We are absolutely sold on food carts.  There is something about their pride and love of what they do that carries over into their food.  We are BIG fans.  Obviously.

Unfortunately my Monte Cristo sandwich is a disappointment.  If I had read the description I might have known they fill it with blue cheese and a fried egg and it is not made in the traditional way.  It is good, but not what I have in mind.  My bad, not theirs.

It is beginning to rain lightly as we pull into the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).  

We buy tickets for the exhibits, a tour of the USS Blueback submarine, and an Omnimax showing of” Big Waves Tahiti”.  Fred picked the tour (submarine) and I picked the movie (Tahiti).  We both enjoy our selections.  The USS Blueback was built in World War II and was one of the first fish-shaped submarines. It was one of the last diesel-electric submarines and was decommissioned in 1990.

USS Blueback

We take a lunch break from OSMI and drive to the food cart pod on 12^th and Hawthorne.  This is a small pod of only six carts, but all of them sound delicious and we have difficulty deciding what we want.  One choice for sure is “Potato Champion”.  She has a crazy selection of french fry concoctions.  Fred chooses fries smothered in chili, cheese and pulled pork.  I pick the Pyro Pizza cart and a wood-fired mozzarella cheese and basil pizza.  We are both happy with our choices.

For dessert we choose “Whiffie’s Fried Pies”.  It’s a mixed berry fried pie with vanilla ice cream.  Sooooooooo good.  A sweet/tart filling oozing out of a golden flaky crust.

Back to OSMI to visit some of the other exhibits.  We  particularly enjoy the Chemistry Lab and the Physics Lab.  We make wine glasses filled with colored water sing.  We create bright colored flames from chloride.  We become mad scientists.

We leave OSMI laughing and talking about all the fun we had.  The rain is still gently falling.

We return to the RV and share a light dinner of leftover tamale and taco.  The rest of the evening is watching the opening season show of "Modern Family".  Funny.

By the way, just for your information, in spite of all the food cart eating, Fred and I have gotten skinnier and taller:

Lights out around 9:30.

FALL VACATION 2011 – Friday, 9/30/11 - Portland Day 2

It is early morning and Fred begins to map out our strategy for the day.  He locates a couple outlet stores (still searching for cargo pants) and a new food cart pod:  Mississippi Marketplace. “The Big Egg” is located there and I have my eye on their Monte Cristo sandwich.  Haven’t had a really good one since The Pierpont Inn in Ventura stopped making them.  They were absolutely to die for.

However, I am fearful  we will miss some of the sights of Portland if we only focus on our stomachs so I map out other sights to see:  Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI), Portland Japanese Garden, Forest Park, The Grotto, Ira Keller Fountain, Portland Aerial Tram, and last but certainly not least, the 3D Center of Art & Photography. 

First, we head out to do some shopping at the Bridgeport Marketplace, described as a “European” style mall.  Evidently this means it is not enclosed and has an eclectic mix of big name department stores and small independently owned shops. We arrive to find it is also beautifully landscaped with flowering pots and greenery.

Our first stop is Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up some coffee for our Keurig coffee maker.  We have one in our RV and we love it.  Next door we find one of our favorite stores, Crate and Barrel.  We see some dishes we just might buy tomorrow (have to think about it a day).  But we are getting hungry so we cut short the shopping.  

We head to the Mississippi Marketplace food cart pod for lunch.  I am dying to try The Big Egg’s Monte Cristo sandwich.  Haven’t had a good one since The Pierpont Inn in Ventura stopped making them.

The “Historic Mississippi District” of Portland is what Fred and I would call the “village”.  Small craftsman-style houses in an older neighborhood dotted with corner cafes and bakeries. 

We find our food carts nestled on a corner lot in this quiet little neighborhood.  We have our choice of Mexican food, Big Top Waffles, Korean food, Thai, Italian, and, of course, The Big Egg.  I stampede toward The Big Egg and notice instantly that a “Sold Out” sticker is covering the words “Monte Crisco Sandwich”.  They tell us it is a popular item and it usually sold out by lunch time.  What???? 

Bummer.  We need a Plan B and it is sitting ten feet away from us.  It is the “Garden State” cart that their hero meatball sandwich was featured on the Food Network.  It’s better than good, it’s mouth-watering - really yum.  And the chickpea fries are crunchy and savory.  We are happy.

After wiping our lips and rubbing our tummies, we head to the 3D Center of Art and Photography.  We learn all about the history of 3D, originally called “Stereoscopic” photography that began in the 1840’s.  It is fascinating and beyond what I have time to describe here.  But take my word for it, if you are interested at all in photography be sure to visit this museum next time you are in Portland.

For dinner we search out another food cart pod.  670 in the City and we have so far only tried two!

We come upon a huge pod on Alder Street between 9^th and 10^th.  A whole block and a half of unique and independent food carts.  We walk around the block and Fred tries BBQ ribs, one at a time, from three different carts.  Still they are not exactly to his liking.

Alder Street pod

I want to see the Ira Keller Fountain so we head in that direction.  We find it in the middle of Portland and it is a spectacular sight.  It reminds us of the downtown fountain we saw in Seattle.

Ira Keller Fountain

For dinner we hunt down the “Brunch Box” food cart in downtown Portland.  It, too, was featured on the Food Network.  I order their specialty, the “You Can Has It Burger”, a cheeseburger that is surrounded by two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun.  Yes, that’s correct, you read that right.  I bite into it and am in hog heaven.  I thoroughly expected it to be a gimmick, but guess what, it’s honest to gosh the absolute best cheeseburger I have ever eaten in my entire life.  Fred absolutely agrees. It is one remarkable cheeseburger. 

On the same block is the “La Jarochita” food cart also featured on the Food Network. We buy a chicken tamale to go.  We can’t take a chance on missing it. 

The day is winding down and we squeeze in a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram.  Not as exciting as one would hope – too short a trip.  But the views are pretty and we are glad we did it.

Back to the RV and we are pooped.  A long day and we are tired.

Lights out around 10:00.