Category Archives: street food

Oct 13 2012
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bacon, street food, vancouver

Pig on the Street – Food Truck Friday!!!

Every Friday, if I’m downtown, I try to have lunch at a food truck. This week I tried Pig on the Street which is probably the smallest food truck in Vancouver. It’s actually not a truck, it’s a Volkswagen camper van and it’s super cool. They make flatbread sandwiches, soups and delicious sounding (I didn’t have one) Bacon, Bourbon and Caramel Brownie Bites. Almost everything on the menu is “Pork-centric” with the exception of the vegetarian sandwich called the No Piggy. When you place your order you’re handed a small wooden pig with a pork related name on it, it works like taking a number but it’s way more fun.

I had The Porker which comes loaded with locally sourced double smoked bacon, sausage stuffing with apple and sage, goat Gouda, caramelized onion mayo and greens. $10 tax included is a pretty good deal for this epic lunch. I was FULL and very happy as I settled into my pork coma. The bacon is incredible and the smell wafting down the street from the little Volkswagen is intoxicating. The sausage stuffing is amazing, the goat Gouda is a unique but perfect choice and the mayo and greens finish things off nicely. Pig on the Street is the cure if you’re “achin’ for bacon”.

The Porker

You should make Food Truck Friday a part of your routine. It’s easy, fun, delicious and affordable. Download the free Street Food App for you smartphone HERE and get started!!

Twitter – @Pigonthestreet

Facebook - www.facebook.com/PigOnTheStreetVancouver

Web – www.pigonthestreet.com

 

Scott.

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Jun 10 2012
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street food, vancouver

Tacofino!

I’ve had a lot of food from trucks lately thanks to my awesome location downtown during the week. My latest street food lunch came from Tacofino, the orange taco truck, parked on Howe street outside the Art Gallery. Tacofino also has a blue truck that serves burritos at Burrard and Dunsmuir and the original truck in Tofino.

I had the Tuna Ta-Taco, actually I had two of them. Seared sesame soy Albacore tuna, seaweed salad, shredded cabbage, wasabi ginger mayo and mango salsa on a fire roasted flour tortilla. These taco’s are among the best fish tacos I’ve ever had, seriously good. The tuna is delicious, actually I’m not going to bother going item by item here because this whole taco just works together. All of the ingredients work so well together that it’s hard to focus on one at a time, just take a bite and enjoy. It’s made even better by the toasted flour tortilla with its subtle crunch.

Street food rules. As always I use @StreetFoodApp to find great local food trucks and so should you!

Scott.

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Jun 10 2012
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street food, Uncategorized, vancouver

Off The Wagon Tacos

When I walk up to a food Truck and they’re playing Grizzly Bear I know I’m going home happy. I found Off The Wagon Tacos parked on Dunsmuir and Burrard in their cool little red school bus.  The tunes were pumping, the ladies inside were smiling and the tacos filled the air with with an intoxicating smell.

I had 3 tacos, 2 pork and 1 chorizo. I like the fact that Off The Wagon has such a small menu, they get the chance to do a few items really well and these tacos didn’t disappoint. The chorizo was may favourite, very rich with a little heat. The pork was seasoned well and of high quality and the toppings on all 3 tacos were fresh and paired well with the flavours of the meat. My only quibble is the use of double tortillas. I know that this is the traditional way to serve this type of taco and I know that a lot of other places serve it the same way but I’m not a fan. You end up with way too much tortilla compared to the amount of filling. That’s not to say that the tacos aren’t great because they really are, I’m just anti double tortilla.

Go check them out for yourself near the Bentall Centre or check them out on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/OffTheWagonTacos or on Twitter @OffTheTacoWagon.

Scott.

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May 13 2012
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street food, vancouver

Street Meet Truck!

Have you ever had a bad meal at one of the many food trucks dotted around the streets of Vancouver? Looking back on the past couple of years I can honestly say that I’ve only had one sub par meal, and it wasn’t really “bad” it just could’ve been better. One of the newest trucks to hit the streets is the Street Meet Truck, this is one of the coolest looking trucks in town. It has a sweet chrome flying pig hood ornament, crazy graphics and sweet underside lighting but you’ll have to find them somewhere at night to check that out. Their truck is also a slightly different model than the ones used by other food truckers, it has a more “big rig” look to it, quite impressive.

Seeing as I decided to visit on the first really nice day of the year the line up was predictably long but the crew in the truck were upbeat and very friendly, pushing out food like a well oiled machine. The menu is described as Mediterranean food and it definitely is, with a decidedly Italian influence. Chef Alessandro Vianello and Chef Mike Carter say their goal is to bring addictive fine foods at an affordable price to the streets of Vancouver, let’s see how they did.

First up I had the Crispy Fried Risotto Balls with slow braised pork, green onions and truffle aioli. These are some tasty balls people. The crunch on the outside is just right and the rich warm goodness inside is very rich and full of flavour. Served on a bed of greens the left over aioli also makes a nice little salad to accompany the risotto balls. Very nice.

Next I had the Grilled Spicy Italian Sausage with stewed red peppers and Taleggio cheese served on a toasted baguette. The sausage is made from high quality local pork and it tastes great, just a little heat and not too salty. The casing has a nice snap to it as well. The baguette poses a challenge to those looking to stay clean, it takes some biting power to get through the toasted crust and you may end up with stewed red peppers on your shirt. The bun is great though, very fresh and airy inside. The Cheese is very soft and gooey and adds a nice creamy balance to the acid of the peppers and the heat of the sausage. There are also some scratch made potato chips with this dish that are really good.

So there it is, another great meal from one of Vancouver’s ever growing family of food trucks. To find out where the Street Meet Truck is at Follow them on Twitter @StreetMeetTruck, Check out their website at StreetMeetTruck.ca or use the uber awesome Street Food App on your iPhone (an Android version would be nice…nudge nudge)

Scott.

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Apr 29 2012
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street food, vancouver

Kaboom Box with VANEATS.ca!! #KaboomInABox!!

The VANEATS.ca crew have done it again, a dining pass for a food truck? That’s my kind of package!! The Kaboom Box is located at the corner of Robson and Granville (beside Sears) and offers local and sustainable food including Oceanwise seafood and organic veggies whenever possible. This package is called Kaboom In A Box, search for #KaboomInABox on Twitter, and offers your choice of a fried oyster po’ boy or the hot salmon smoked “Salmwich”. It comes with an amazing poutine and a beverage all for $8.50? Yup, that’s a sweet deal!

I chose the Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’ Boy sandwich. It’s made with locally sourced sustainable oysters that are panko breaded and deep fried. They’re nestled lovingly in a great whole wheat bun with some signature slaw and house made tartar sauce. Grab some napkins, this guy’s as messy at it is tasty. The oysters are full of oceany (yes that’s a word…) goodness and the flavour of actual oyster is still front and centre with the sauce, slaw and bun playing their backup roles perfectly.

The “BC Poutine’ is a nice departure from heavy animal based gravy poutines. The gravy is made with local mushrooms and the crispy fries and real cheese curds make up quite the threesome of flavour in your mouth. The green onions are a nice touch too, adding a little freshness and bite to the dish. I opted for water to drink as I did’t want any sugary drink messing with these great flavours.

Make sure you say Hi to Andy, Brian and Matt, the Kaboom Box crew! They’re doing some great things out of that tiny food truck!

The #KaboomInABox pass goes on sale May 2nd at 7am and you can get it at VANEATS.ca!! I would also like to give a special shoutout to Kev and Billzzzz from VANEATS.ca for their support and for filling me with delicious food on a regular basis, you guys ROCK!

Scott.

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Apr 14 2012
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Restaurant, street food, Uncategorized, vancouver

Roaming Dragon menu launch at District 319

The Roaming Dragon is the rock star of the Vancouver food truck scene and has been on quite the roll since I first met the team a couple years back. They’ve recently brought Chef Tina Fineza on in a consulting role to update and relaunch their menu on both the street food and catering sides of their business. A bold move for something that was already a success but Jason Apple and Jory Simkin. Roaming Dragon co-owners, are always looking to improve and grow their empire on wheels.

The venue for this relaunch was District 319 on Main St between Hastings and Cordova, not a part of town I frequent but the space was super cool with Asian inspired décor that suited the event perfectly. The new food was a big hit as was their well known basil lychee lemonade with a shot of vodka added for adults only. This event really showed what an awesome job these guys do with their catering business.

It’s always great to see Jason and Jory, they’re really great people. Check them out for your next event! catering@roamingdragon.com

Scott.

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Apr 01 2012
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street food, vancouver

Mom’s Grilled Cheese, Food Truck-tastic!

I have been blessed with a long term assignment that has me stationed smack dab in the heart of downtown Vancouver for the foreseeable future and I’m ecstatic. Why you ask? Well because of the food you silly little monkey!! My first visit was to a food truck I’ve been hearing great things about, Mom’s Grilled Cheese. I found them on Howe street right beside the Vancouver Art Gallery ( the VAG) which is their usual spot.

The menu is small but awesome and the obvious choice for a carnivore like me was the Meatloaf Grilled Cheese that comes with marinara, mozzarella and Parmesan all grilled around a delicious slice of meatloaf. It came with a slice of pickle and some nice kettle cooked chips. The sandwich was awesome, it kept me full through dinner time, no small feat for a sandwich vs. a big eater like myself.

The staff were awesome and very conversational with each other and the customers. It’s great to see people having fun while they work which is sadly not seen very often these days. I will visit Mom’s Grilled Cheese again, next time I’m taking on the Jackson 3 with bacon. Grilled cheese was also the subject of WFLBC’s April Fool’s joke last year so the timing of this visit was perfect! AND April is grilled cheese month, so, you kind of have to go with what the universe is telling you on this one. Get some grilled cheese!!

Scott.

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Mar 06 2012
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street food, Uncategorized, vancouver

Bada Bing food truck

I happened to stumble upon a food truck I had never tried the other day after my lunch plans fell through. Bada Bing, which was parked on Broadway just off of West Georgia, specializes in Philly Cheesesteaks offered with either chicken or beef. The truck looked pretty cool. lots of flames,  clever windshield signage and the smell wafting up the street was irresistible.

I ordered the beef cheesesteak with a side of fries.  They offer hot sauce and garlic sauce as toppings and of course I took them. The sandwich itself was big and fresh but the meat lacked any sort of seasoning and was quite grey and lifeless ( as one would assume a dead cow would be, I guess?). Luckily the garlic sauce and hot sauce were there to add some flavour. The bun seemed super fresh and the peppers and onions weren’t overcooked or mushy. The appearance of the sandwich in the picture isn’t a true representation of how it looked before it was wrapped in paper and carried 2 blocks to the HSBC building where I ate it.

The fries were actually outstanding, probably the best I’ve had from a food truck if not a close second to Fresh Local Wild. They were fresh, hot and crispy with great seasoning and a hint of garlic. Food truck fries seem to be a bit of an art form in terms of them actually being fresh. Most other vendors struggle with soggy, limp fries that are often cold. Whatever Bada Bing is doing is working.

Check them out at 655 Burrard street, outside of the Royal Centre/Hyatt Regency hotel.

Scott.

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Nov 24 2011
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food, Gourmet, Portland, street food

Savor Soup House – Portland

Soup is not a typical food served from a truck/trailer. It seems like something that wouldn’t work as “street food” given that it’s a liquid, it’s hot and it’s not very portable. Luckily if you decide to go “Food Truckin’” on a weekend in Portland a lot of trucks are closed providing ample eating surfaces and protection from Portland’s Pacific Northwest fall/winter weather.

Savor Soup House is luckily one of the spots open on Saturday and it provided the perfect warm up on a cool rainy day. The obvious choice for those who want to try more than one soup is the $6 soup flight, consisting of decent sized servings of 3 different soups. I went for the Vegan Tomato Fennel and Orange topped with Parmesan and Croutons, the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice and finished up with the Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque topped with spiced pumpkin seeds.

The Creamy Chicken and wild rice (on the right) was good, loaded with tender chicken, rice and lots of mushrooms and nicely seasoned. The Tomato soup (on the left) was a surprise, the orange added a great citrus kick to it and the croutons were and nice fresh. The Butternut Squash and Apple bisque (center) was amazing, sweet, savory, velvety, rich and the spiced pumpkin seeds were a perfect partner to this delicious soup. Soup on a cold and rainy day is unbeatable, it’s like wrapping yourself in a blanket that came straight out of the drier, so good.

Once again Portland street food has blown me away.

Scott.

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Nov 15 2011
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Portland, Restaurant, street food

Brunch Box – Portland

The street food love affair continues, this post focusing on Portland’s Brunch Box, as seen on Eat St. on the Food Network. Known for their over the top burgers with even crazier names like the You Can Has Cheeseburger, the Slaughterhouse IV and the Redonkadonk, the later being named one of the most unhealthy foods in Portland. My weapon of choice was the OMG, a hand pressed black angus beef patty with cheese, bacon, ham, Spam, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo. It sounds crazy right? It is crazy, crazy good. I think my heart rate dropped about 20 beats per minute after I was finished but it was so worth it. You would think that with bacon, ham and Spam that the burger patty would be totally lost but it was so good, super high quality and so flavorful. This is a messy burger so load up on napkins! All of the toppings are fantastic together (yes, even the spam) and the bun is made fresh by the Brunch Box.

The other burgers on the menu all look great but there is one that takes the OMG to a whole other level, the Redonkadonk. It’s an OMG with 2 grilled cheese sandwiches in place of the buns, one on top and one on the bottom. I wasn’t in the mood to visit the world famous American hospital system as I hear it’s quite pricey…so I settled for the less (not much) ridiculous OMG. Portland is crazy awesome.

Scott.

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