Eat Mobile, Portland’s annual food cart festival is just around the corner on April 28. For 2012, OMSI is the host for the event which will feature food from over 40 of Portland’s best carts. Want to participate? Willamette Week is looking for carts who want to come and feed the masses. They provide you with a stipend to aid in food costs and the option to sell if you choose to do so. All concession proceeds benefit MercyCorpsNW. A great event to showcase your cart to around 3500 eaters from Portland and beyond, including local and national press.

If you’re a cart interested in doing Eat Mobile 2012, email Jess at Willamette Week at jsword@wweek.com. There are only so many spots available, so don’t hesitate. See you at the fest!

Prickly Ash

Location: N Mississippi and Skidmore, Mississippi Marketplace
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 11-4; Fri/Sat, 11-4 and 5-9pm; Sun, 11-4

The Story:

If you’ve eaten at Portland’s carts and done your best to try everything, I have a new cart for you. Prickly Ash at Mississippi Marketplace will remind you why we love the uniqueness of Portland’s street food scene.

Scott and Jody have worked in restaurants for more than twenty years and had hoped to open their own restaurant, but with things as they are, it was difficult. When the cart became available, the opportunity for them to have a business of their own blossomed. A Chinese restaurant was the plan, but with a cart, they knew they couldn’t offer the extensive menu with the quality they wanted to be proud of. After some research, they decided to create a Portland style Chinese Roujiamo flatbread sandwich which has its roots in northern China with its Islamic influences. They call it The ‘Mo.

The 'Mo from Prickly Ash

Prickly Ash makes their dough for the flatbread nightly, allowing it to rise overnight. It is then divided into small dough balls which, when ordered, are flattened and prepared for the sandwich, similar to a handmade tortilla. While the signature ‘Mo’s include pork belly or red oil chicken, I wanted something different, so ordered the Chinese ‘Po-Boy’ Mo with salt-and-pepper crispy tofu. Think of two thin slices of tofu with a light batter and deep fried before placing it upon a bed of Napa cabbage with a bit of Sriracha aioli and topped with homemade pickled chili peppers. Don’t let the Sriracha or the chili peppers turn you off, this was not a deathly spicy sandwich. The tofu, with its light salt-and-pepper coating was elegantly subtle, complemented by the cabbage, the peppers and the flatbread. I even ordered a side of pickles which blew me away. Scott and Jody know their food and do it well.

Prickly Ash officially opened on February 29, an auspicious choice. With sandwiches you really can’t find elsewhere in Portland, this cart will feed you for lunch during the week along with dinner as we move into the weekend. Come summer, watch for their sandwiches along with other delights available late night. Being 15 feet from the entrance to the German Pub Prost! won’t hurt their business. Drop on by soon and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Pork Belly Mo: Char siu pork belly, cucumbers, hoisin, scallions and cilantro – $6
• Red Oil Chicken Mo: Szechuan red oil chicken and garlic-ginger braised Chinese greens and pickled vegetables – $6
• Crispy Mushroom Mo: Tempura mushrooms, garlic-ginger braised Chinese greens and basil-cilantro aioli – $6
• Chinese ‘Po-Boy’ Mo: salt-and-pepper crispy tofu or chicken, nappa cabbage and Sriracha aioli, topped with pickled chilies – $6
• Bruce Lee Mo: char siu pork belly, avocado, nappa cabbage, basil-cilantro aioli, Sriracha aioli and cojita cheese, topped with pickled chilies – $6.50
• Tofu Mo: sauteed tofu, garlic-ginger braised Chinese greens, cucumbers, vinegar peanuts and Liang pi sesame chili sauce – $6

Hours: Tues-Thurs, 11-4; Fri/Sat, 11-4 and 5-9pm; Sun, 11-4
Phone: 503 977 8649
Website: PricklyAshPDX.com
Twitter: @PricklyAshPDX
Facebook: Prickly Ash

Ragin' Cajun Gumbo

Location: SE 50th and Division, A la Carts Food Pavilion
Hours: Wed-Sat, 12-7pm

The Story:

The first time someone introduced me to Gumbo, I chuckled. I was a child and thought they were jumbling their words. No way Gumbo could be the name, but it is the name of one of the best dishes out of the south.

Pat Marken, the owner and chef of Ragin’ Cajun is from Lafayette Louisiana, right in the heart of French Cajun country. It is there she mastered the recipe for her signature dish, the Gumbo, along with some other delights  with a little help from a rich culinary culture. I have eaten in New Orleans numerous times but understand Lafayette and the surrounding area will introduce me to even more amazing dishes.

At Ragin’ Cajun, there are items on the menu that I recognized, but others I did not. The Sweet Heat Cabbage is just that -  cabbage that has been simmering overnight to give it rich full flavor. The Savory T-Belle potatoes are red potatoes boiled and mixed with sausage. The Gumbo is shredded chicken and diced sausage with garlic, bell pepper and onion and served over a bed of rice. I tried a sample and was blown away. I actually opted for the simplest dish – red beans and rice. If someone can take those two staples and create an amazing dish, they get my business. Pat did just that with whatever magic she wields inside the cart. The dish was infused with some great flavors that reminded me of wandering the streets of the French Quarter.

Red Beans and Rice from Ragin' Cajun Gumbo

Ragin’ Cajun Gumbo is the real thing. Pat is welcoming and will tell you anything you want to know about the food or where it comes from. On Saturdays, she dishes up Chicken Lafayette, another specialty from the region. So special, it’s only offered once a week. Check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo – sm, $6; lg, $7.50
• Red Beans and Rice (vegan) – sm, $5; lg, $6
• Savory T-Belle Potatoes – $6
• Sweet Heat Cabbage – $6

Hours: Wed-Sat, 12-7pm
Phone: 337.315.9266
Facebook: Ragin’ Cajun Gumbo

Today is March 14, or otherwise known as Pi day – 3.14. In honor of the day, I wanted to let you know where to find some excellent pie at the carts.

• Whiffies Fried Pies – deep fried goodness; SE 12th and Hawthorne
• Crust and Common Pie Shop – both sweet and savory pies; NW 19th and Quimby
• The Pie Spot – known for their little pie bites; SE 32nd and Division
• Brother Bob’s Roving Bakery – fruit pies and other pastries; N Greeley and Killingsworth
• The Honey Pot – Portland’s newest baked goods cart; SE 43rd and Belmont

The Honey Pot

Some new carts have opened in the past few weeks. Enjoy!

• baoPDX – SW 9th and Alder
• Elba’s Seafood – SW 5th and Stark
• Remy’s Stewed Intentions – SW 10th and Alder
• Ragin’ Cajun Gumbo – SE 50th and Division
• Thai Mango – Cartlandia, SE 82nd and Harney
• Anything Else (Asian Fusion) – Cartlandia, SE 82nd and Harney
• Go Dogs – North Station, N Killingsworth and Greeley
• Food Art/Chef’s Hut – N Mississippi and Fremont

Other:

• Moctezuma Bros Southern Mexican has moved to Good Food Here at SE 43rd and Belmont
• Yoyo and Lefty’s has reopened and are renamed Nikki and Lefty’s. Still on SW Stark between 2nd and 3rd.
• Breakfast Lunch Today has moved to NE 13th and Alberta

Have a great day!