Basically I’m obsessed with food tours. After the one I did in Vietnam I can’t believe I havent done dozens of them already anywhere i go. Not only is it a great way to get to know the cuisine and try a lot of new things it is also a great way to get to know the culture.
Granted I was in Portland so there culture is not all that different to what I am used to but every city in the US is vastly different from the next. One of the most interesting things about the US, to me, is that we are all from the same country but we are nothing a like.
From state to state from city to city our values, tastes and instincts are so very different.
Portland is no exception. The moniker “Keep Portland Weird” is every where. The city is so quirky it is no surprise the way they eat is quirky too. Food carts rule the world. Of course they have restaurants but you are missing out if you are not willing to try the variety of food the carts offer.
Portland Walking Tours was nice enough to host me on a Food Truck tour.
There are approximately 730 registered food trucks in Portland. Where do you start when you have so many options? On a food tour of course!
We made eight stops all together. I really enjoyed the more unique spots we hit up.
My favorite stop was Kari Gogo the Georgian food truck. Honestly I have no idea what they eat in Georgia and had not even really thought about it. The menu seemed delicious. I wanted to go back and try everything. What they gave us was a dumpling, Khinkali. It was boiled in a delicious broth and filled with meat. The dough was shaped into a circle and twisted up at the top.
Our last stop proved to be one of my favorites as well. A paleo cart called The Cultured Caveman. There are a few located in Portland. The paleo diet is basically eating anything that can be foraged out of the ground or hunted like the cavemen used to do. We tried a date filled with nuts and wrapped in bacon. AMAZING. It changed my mind about the fad diet.
Steak your Claim was a fantastic sandwich truck. Boasting the best pastrami sandwich outside of New York. I am not generally a fan of pastrami but the meat paired with the spicy mustard was a treat.
Just before I was wowed by paleo food we stopped at a Columbian cart called El Pilot. We had the most delicious Arepas I have ever had. A corn tortilla filled with meat and cheese! It didn’t matter how much I had eaten I wanted to keep going.
The other stops were just as delicious!
The Dump Truck : an interesting twists on dumplings.
Altengarte : The oldest cart on the street. Great German food.
Korean tacos! Who knew that wasn’t real Korean food but a twist on some of their dishes.
Ayla: Do you love falafel? I do! A Mediterranean food truck.
If you are in Portland and interested in talking a food tour I recommend joining Portland Walking tours.
Check out their website www.portlandwalkingtours.com
You can find listings for all their tours with prices and times.
The guides are friendly and knowledgeable and its a great way to discover a new city.
thanks! I look forward to meeting you as well.