Sampling Our
Way Through
Portland, Oregon’s
Food Carts
By Jan Ross
Sampling from the
array of choices
A
s huge fans of local foodie
tours, my husband and I will
often make a foodie tour
of a city our first priority
when visiting. It gives us
a chance to sample some local
restaurants and make a decision
about whether or not we would like
to return to enjoy a full meal. In this
manner, we have explored Seattle,
Scottsdale, San Francisco and lots
of other locations.
But truly one of the most unique
foodie tours was one we participated
in just recently in Portland, Oregon,
72
given by Food Carts Portland. Long
before food carts or trucks became
a phenomenon spreading throughout
most major cities, Portland started
the popular craze that other cities
are now trying to emulate. Always a
place on the cutting edge of culinary
daring, Portland is the perfect place
to check out the food cart scene.
For the uninitiated, food carts are
basically just mobile kitchens from
which food is served to pedestrians
passing by. While food carts are
technically mobile, those in Portland
are stationary, set up into pods all
over the city. Food carts are versatile,
offering an array of goodies, and
appealing to a variety of customers,
from businessmen on a lunch break to
families of all ages to students.
Food carts are often creative in
design as well as in the food they
offer but it’s pretty easy to tell
which are the most popular carts –
just follow the lines! But how did
Portland become what is arguably
the food cart capitol of the United
States? Most of this is due to
Portland’s cart-friendly regulations.
Not much red tape, reasonable
start-up costs for entrepreneur
chefs and a very supportive
community all add up to the perfect
food cart venue. In addition,
Portland is a very walkable city with
a culture that fosters creativity and
craftsmanship so it’s no surprise
that the food carts have flourished
and had a huge impact on the city.
Empty lots and parking lots have
filled with food cart pods and the
influence in the surrounding areas
can be seen when you stop for a bite.
Local parks have turned from places
you would not want to walk through