Luxe Beat Magazine MAY 2015 | Page 72

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