Forget Taco Bell

Al Pastor Taco, $1.25
The only way to end a night of drunken messiness is with a hardy meal, before passing out makeup and all. For awhile this meant weekend trips to the McDonald’s walk up window and then driving a cab through Taco Bell--which was obnoxiously expensive--but anything to get your fix. Dante’s Pizza is of course in there plenty of times and I often stay away from VooDoo Doughnut because of that story I told you about where I ate an entire bucket of doughnuts. A new found favorite was just discovered and if you knew about this and didn’t tell me, I officially dislike you.

I might be super late on this one, but I was introduced to Taqueria Las Piedritas, on NW 4th and Davis St. Friday night. Taqueria Las Piedritas: a lone midnight taco cart, serving a short menu of classic Mexican, including fresh tacos with homemade corn tortillas for $1.25 and massive burritos for $4.50. Why have we been supporting Taco Bell when this place existed? I’m ashamed. The Al Pastor Tacos were incredible and the homemade tortillas were so fresh. You don't even need to feel guilty, because unlike the Tachos I inhaled  last night this midnight snack is fresh fresh fresh! See you there tonight?

Food Cart Frenzie

Summer To Do List

• Drink champagne for no reason at all
• Read in the park
• Eat raspberries, cherries and nectarines
• Buy a Digital SLR camera for you ;)
• Eat from a new food cart every week

Khao Man Gai, $6
 Her name is Nong and she serves traditional Thai street food. Apparently the streets of Bangkok are filled with venders selling Khao Man Gai (rice and chicken). Don’t be fooled by its simplistic appearance—Khao Man Gai is some serious cart food. Nong poaches a whole chicken and then with its carcass creates a Thai seasoned broth in which to cook the rice. The meal is complimented with Pungeon sauce: pureed soy beans, ginger, garlic, chilies, vinegar and dash of sugar. It’s served with few sprigs of cilantro, slices of cucumber and a small bowl of light, lemony soup to balance out the meal.

 

This little cart on SW 10th and Alder creates quite the stir, with constant lines, even aside from lunch rush hour. Her one item menu has even been recognized by Gourmet.com and the Oregonian votes it in the top 8 of carts. If you haven’t yet explored the SW carts, this is a perfect place to start.

Hot Damn, I want a Hoyt Dog

8 inch All Beef Hot Dog, Spicy Dog or Kielbasa $4.00

You’re out on a Friday night and suddenly hunger strikes. You scroll through the list of options: McChicken from McDonald’s, Double Decker with nacho cheese sauce from Taco Bell . . . but these are too obvious; too familiar from last weekend. Then you stumble (literally) into Hoyt Dog.


In front of a tattered house on the corner of NW 21st and Hoyt, sits a typical home grill and a plastic picnic table, covered with blue and white checkers and large variety of condiments. Two women, a mother and her daughter, stand grillin’ up three kinds of delicious Zenners dogs: 8 inch All Beef, Kielbasa and Spicy Dog.


Drunkards stand around, some waiting for a hot dog, some confused and others stuffing their faces. The mom and daughter tell us they are taking over for the owner for the weekend—their good friend who one night decided to bring out her BBQ as a joke. “She made a bunch of hot dogs and at the end of the night everyone was like, see you next weekend!” the mom told me. She said they’ve been setting up every weekend since. I didn’t have a chance to ask her when the plastic Hoyt Dogs sign was put up, but I’m guessing after they hit it big.


This place is equipped with all the condiments you could ever think of: ketchup (covered with duct tape to add to the ever so rugged ambiance), regular mustard, spicy mustard, grilled onions, raw onions, sauerkraut, relish, shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese and Sriracha.




So we bought an 8 inch All Beef and loaded it up with ketchup, spicy mustard, onions, sauerkraut and cream cheese and walked home handing off the hot dog with each bite.


I don’t have much more information on the place, I think they are open just on Friday and Saturday nights—maybe till about 3:00 am. If anyone has more information, please email me: mangiapdx@gmail.com