The Limp Noodle cart has relocated to the corner of 3rd and SW Ash, next to Rick’s Wild Seafood (they don’t have any vegan options, well, maybe the drinks)   and the Ninja Cart. The move came after a summer of traveling to serving festival patrons. The bright red box of a cart reads “Italian Pasta” and “The Limp Noodle” , with a cute dancing ravioli.

The menu is simple – meatball subs, spaghetti with marinara, spaghetti with meatballs, and ravioli, but only one vegan option - spaghetti with marinara. The cart is very clean inside, which must be easy since most the food is prepackaged. You won’t find fresh made pasta here. You will find quick lunch food for a great price. Every time I’ve eaten here I’ve never waited longer than 5 minutes. 5 minutes for $5.

The egg-free, packaged spaghetti (no other pasta shapes are offered) is cooked to order and coated with a simmering cart-made marinara. The noodles are not served al dente as I would have expected, but cooked perfectly through without being too hard or soft. They’ve got it down to the T here. I was surprised to find that even after a 5 minute walk back to the office the noodles were still not overcooked or mushy at that point, but still perfectly firm and tender. The sauce is medium in chunkiness and overall fairly mild with garlic undertones. The sheen of olive oil on the sauce was a bit unnerving but did help to transfer the great tomato taste to each of my taste buds. The Limp Noodle could take a page from Yarp?! and provide a shaker of nutritional yeast to add some flavor and attract some vegans.

The dish comes with a complementary piece of focaccia and a small side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The bread is from the wonderful Pearl Street Bakery a few blocks away. Fortunately, the bread is vegan, and perfectly fluffy and firm with a sprinkling of herbs on top. The problem with the little container of mixed olive oil and vinegar is that it’s difficult to taste the vinegar. I shook up the container, opened the lid quickly and stuck my bread in only to be coated with olive oil before reaching the balsamic. While we all love the food that comes from our carts, there can be issues with the way it is served in various containers. I later found the best solution was to add a dollop of tomato sauce and shake it well.

If you’re looking for a quick and simple pasta lunch before heading to Voodoo Doughnut, spend 5 minutes and $5 for a Pastini type of meal (they use the same noodles as Pastini). Two facts set The Limp Noodle apart from other carts – it’s open late on the weekends (this is good for the club going crowd), and they take Visa and Master Card. Not being a big pasta fan I won’t make The Limp Noodle a staple cart in my lunch options, but I will put it in my top quick and cheap list.

Spaghetti with Marinara:

~
Trying to break my wonderful food cart habit, I headed to Taste of Jakarta for a second visit one day. They were temporarily closed, so I popped into Chef Naoko next door for a casual sit down meal. This lunch spot had been slipping my mind for some time – the pull of trying every single vegan friendly food cart is fierce.

Chef Naoko is a lunch time, bento based café with limited hours and two fresh vegan meals for your consideration. Chef Naoko sources locally with Ota Tofu and keeps with the beautiful tradition of using local, organic produce in their authentic Japanese cooking. The proprietor, Naoko Tamura, was raised by one of Japan’s leaders in their organic food movement, and has a strong history with the organic culinary field.

The café itself is a small, popular establishment with a crowd different than most of hustle and bustle I’m accustomed to downtown.  It’s a mix of business folks, student types, and leisurely lunchers.  Getting a table can be a matter of luck.  There are a handful of tables for two, including high tables, a couple for four, and weather permitting, two more tiny outdoor round tables.  The outdoor tables are of the tiny metal variety that I never feel comfortable at, so if I’m looking to dine outdoors I head to the South Park Blocks. It’s nearly a nook of an eatery, so if you veer towards claustrophobia, I’d recommend taking your meal to go. I’d be comfortable lunching with a friend, but skip it as a business lunch spot or place to dwell alone over rice and barley tea.

All staff members at Chef Naoko I’ve spoken with have been very knowledgeable in regards to their menu and vegan options.  It was confirmed via email prior to my first visit that there are two clearly vegan options: the Farmers Veggie Bento ($9) and the Jefferson Tofu Bowl ($6.75).  There is always an option for tofu on the weekly Business Bento selection, and a couple other items can be modified.

There’s a certain delight that comes with being served a bento box, and there are curious elements in the Farmers Veggie Bento, but the most enticing elements are those that also make up the Jefferson Tofu Bowl. It’s the lengthy pieces of fried tofu, vegetables, and steamed rice with house tomato sauce or teriyaki sauce that bring me back to Chef Naoko.  The box is made up of segmented departments, which includes the veggies and rice, a cold, slightly grilled, adorable cube of tofu with dollop of sauce, a salad topped with hijiki, and ginger dressings, and a side of chilled eggplant. The delicate texture of the cooked eggplant is intriguing at best.

For less money, I say skip the presentable box and go for the Jefferson Tofu Bowl.  If you order it to go, it’s served in a large, reusable bowl with a lid. It’s a simple combination of moist brown rice, topped with sautéed cabbage, green pepper, thinly sliced carrots, onions, tofu, a light and sweet teriyaki sauce, and sesame seeds.  The spongy tofu is cut into large squares, which I like to tear into small pieces and savor mixed with the sweet sauce. I assume it’s spent some time in the freezer, if you know what I mean. And I don’t know how they do it, but their sauces to veggies to rice ratio is right on. Whatever their measuring system is – stay in place!  Note that I have not seen any hot sauces available, and there is no heat to the sauce. If you require Sriracha, you’re out of luck.  Enjoy the flavor of the well cooked vegetables.

With their speedy service, satisfying food, and weekly Business Bento offerings, Chef Naoko seems to be a staple for takeout lunch in the Safeway neighborhood.  My takeout orders have assembled within minutes of ordering.  Ironically, when I’ve dined-in my wait has been noticeably longer, but we’re still talking within 10-12 minutes of sitting down.  Nearby PSU students should take note, I rarely such satisfying quick lunches in college.

Look at this, a Stumptown Vegan recommending yet another bowl meal in Portland.

FYI, The staff at Chef Naoko does not accept tips.  Not being able to tip just makes me want to return for another meal sooner.

Farmers Veggie Bento

Jefferson Teriyaki Tofu Bowl

Exterior

Updated 10/28/2009 We hear that Todd has opened a small, rice ball-selling storefront around NE 28th and Alberta. Congrats, Todd!

As a farmer’s market addict, I often find myself eating a fresh piece of fruit or picking from pint of berries while walking around. The samples will only satisfy one’s hunger so much. While the fresh produce at the market is wonderful, so are the vegan-friendly food vendors. The locally crafted food is a reason to go in itself, with vendors like Dave’s Killer Bread, Tastebud Pita, Sweetpea Baking Company, Hoda’s, and the newest addition of Todbott’s Triangles.

The triangles, which are really rice balls, have been sold wholesale to the People’s and Alberta Co-ops for a while now, but Todd has recently started tabling at the People’s and Eastbank markets. He wanted to show people how appetizing the fresh ones were that he prepares for each order. As a food vendor, Todd is one of the friendliest I’ve come across. The preparation itself takes less than a couple of minutes, and before you know it you’re walking away with a rice ball. I mean, triangle.

It was the cheap price of $2 that first caught my eye. This was followed by the quick realization that this was something cheap and vegan! There is usually one vegan variety available, if not two. There is a vegetarian ball with honey, but the filling is premixed so it cannot be prepared sans honey. He also makes a ball with salmon that will be sold at the Eastbank market, but not People’s.

Depending on how you eat them, the balls can be on messy side. You can pick it up and bite into it, carefully keeping the wrapper in each bite, or get yourself a fork if you must. Traditionally called o-nigiri, the balls consist of a salty filling encased in lightly seasoned blend of organic white and brown sushi rice, all seated in a piece of dried nori. Todd’s signs describe them as both balls and triangles, so think what you will. I’ve heard them sweetly called heart shaped as well.

I’ve tried three flavors now, and each has satisfied every craving for salt that my mouth could possibly have. The dulse, soy sauce, and sweet sesame is a pleasant combination of sweet vs. salty. It’s like when you pour just enough soy sauce on your rice and didn’t over do it. The tempeh, local shiitake, miso, and tahini has a more rounded out salty vibe, with textured tempeh and tender shiitakes making for a substantial filling. There is another tempeh filled, with mustard, with an excellent amount of spice upon reaching the middle. As with all of them, make sure to eat some rice and filling at the same time to even out the bite. No need for soy sauce or wasabi with these gems, they are perfectly flavored. They all stand on their own as fantastically yet appropriately salty experiences.

The unfamiliar may assume these balls are too simple and boring and overlook them. If you are a fan of sushi at all, or just a fan of salty flavors, stop by a farmer’s market, pick up your produce and try this snack. You could make a small meal out of two of them, but I think it’s best to eat one. Recently I bought two, and even though it was dinner time, I was full with half of each and saved the rest for another small meal. There’s no need to fuss over the same old veggies in your boring vegan sushi anymore. Now that I’ve had the fresh and the refrigerated, I have to agree that the fresh are far better.

Todbott’s rice balls are a welcome, vegan-friendly addition to the farmer’s market food vendors.
Definitely unique. Definitely tasty.

Rice Balls

The cart

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Markets: People’s Coop Farmer’s Market
Wednesdays Year-Round 3pm-7pm
3029 SE 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97202

Eastbank Farmer’s Market
Thursdays 5/15/2008 – 9/25/2008 3:30pm-7:30pm
Hinson Church, SE Salmon and 20th

Updated 10/27/2009 -

Vegan grilled cheese is back at Savor Soup House! They are using Daiya cheddar, and grilling it wonderfully.  I swore I despised Daiya till I tried it this way.  I recommend adding sliced tomato. It’s still pricey at $5/sandwich, but the slices are big, it’s cooked quickly, and well, look at this:

Updated June 23, 2009 -

Sorry folks, the vegan cheese is no longer available, but we hear folks ask about it now and then. If you want it, let them know! The soups, however, are still fantastic! I had a superb bowl of tomato, fennel and orange this afternoon.

The glowing review of this food cart is at my fingertips.  I want you to visit this mini house-shaped  business that warms my heart and feeds my stomach with its sincerity. There are two things that halt review from the get go, besides the obvious problems of you not being able to visit if you don’t happen to go downtown on weekdays, or if you’re one of those crazy people who fear food carts.

Let’s quickly get them out of the way:

1) While a cup of soup is reasonably priced at $3.50, and a bowl for $5, leaving with a cup plus a basic vegan grilled cheeze had me willingly taking $8.50 plus tip out of my pocket.  It was a wholesome meal that was worth it, which I’ll discuss soon, but spending above the $6 range on my lunch hour without leftovers isn’t financially responsible of me, no matter how much of a soup and grilled cheeze habit I want to enter into.

2) The split pea begged for more salt. I like salty food and left the cart without doing so, my bad.  They do have salt and hot sauces available on the counter.

With those notes out of the way, let me admit that it truly is going to be difficult not developing a soup and grilled cheeze habit this spring.

With its infamous rainy season, Portland is obviously a city with eight months of soup appropriate weather. Check the bottom of this post for local vegan soup recommendations. This past January, a new cart brought more vegan soup to the downtown lunch crowd. Run by chef Nancy Ettinger of Savor Portland, Savor Soup House is a pastel, picturesque cart with a light pink roof and a big spoon on its sign on the corner of SW 10th and Alder, just above the cart mania on 9th. The cart prides itself on being local, seasonal, and sustainable – three things Portlanders love to hear and eat.  A loyalty card encourages you to bring your own container ten times and receive a cup of free soup. There are no tables provided, but O’Bryant Park is around the corner with plenty of wall to perch on.

There seems to be at least one vegan soup per day, if not two, although sometimes you will need to request a non-vegan addition on the top to be left off. This is the case with a recent French Onion Soup, which is labeled as vegan, specifically minus the goat cheese toasts. Typically, you get two slices of Grand Central bread with your serving. Vegan soup choices have included Tomato with Fennel and Orange, Hungarian Mushroom with Fresh Dill, Curried Cauliflower and Red Lentil, Indian Spiced Lentil, and Smoky Split Pea. They also serve stews for a bit more per bowl, but they’ve yet to include a vegan option.

This Stumptown Vegan has tried two soups so far. The Curried Cauliflower and Red Lentil was a visually appealing golden cup of the pulses with spots of cauliflower and colorful chunks of red tomato. At first spoonful, the soup was seemed a tad bland. By sips two and three, I realized there was a buildup in the mingling of subtle spices.  By what could have been spoonfuls thirteen and fourteen of this semi-thick cup of lentils, I realized I was not going to have leftovers.  It’s a wonderful, memorable variation of a classic soup.

The Smoky Split Pea was listed as flavored with fresh herbs, inluding thyme and rosemary, and smoked paprika.  As I mentioned earlier, it just seemed to be missing something. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a soup I would order again, but I would reach for something to enrich this otherwise delicious earthy, green, and creamy porridge.  Surely these soups are made in big batches, and hopefully the next cup of split pea will fulfill the saltier and smokier potential.

A cup with the side of bread is a satisfying amount of food for lunch, but if you have a big appetite opt for the bowl.  If you’re even hungrier and looking for more vegan comfort food, please try the vegan grilled cheeze. Savor Soup House has a gourmet grilled cheese menu with additions of Dijon mustard and caramelized onions, and they have added Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheddar to the menu  for us vegans. At a base price of $5, it’s a well-melted, sunny orange filled sandwich on perfectly grilled, sliced como bread that is cooked pressed-style on a griddle right in the cart. If you like this brand of packaged vegan cheeze or are curious to try it, support this cart’s vegan grilled cheeze effort and stop by.

Besides the beloved Bye & Bye, the only other place I can think of in town to get a classic grilled vegan cheeze is your kitchen, but correct me if I’m wrong!  If I didn’t dislike fennel so much, I’d be all over a cup of their Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheeze, and simply in denial about the price and brown bagging it the rest of the week- because it is totally worth it.

You can follow the cart on twitter here.  It’s an active feed with updates on the daily soups.

Cup of Curried Cauliflower and Red Lentil with side of bread

Cup of Smoky Split Pea and Grilled Cheeze

Grilled Cheeze

The cart

Looking for more great vegan soup options in Portland?  Check out No Fish! Go Fish! (which also has a cart downtown), Sweetpea Bakery(rotates seitan stew!), Red & Black Cafe, Papa G’s Deli, and Blue Moose to name a few.

In Portland, you get a sandwich.
At The Peoples’ Sandwich of Portland, the sandwich gets you.*

The Peoples’ Sandwich of Portland opened its doors in July serving the people of Portland great sandwiches. The space is sparse with a few steel tables and chairs in their medium sized restaurant, so it seems larger when not fully occupied. Bar seating is available that provides a great view into their kitchen. The only seemly intended decoration is the mural on their wall with communistic style avant-garde art seen in the early 20th century in Russia. This simple style is carried through their overall image and their good humor of communism never ends, as the shop name implies. The menu is written on a brown craft paper and held up with painter’s tape, but don’t let that throw you off to the complexity of their sandwiches.

The menu only offers one vegan sandwich, appropriately named The Peoples’ Sandwich ($8), and one vegan salad, ‘Merican ($5). Don’t ignore the rest of the menu because it is fun to read about sandwiches like The Hammer and Pickle. The handcut fries and potato chips are other vegan options. I look forward to the addition of soups to their menu. When I first read about this place I heard someone said their life turned to gold after eating here. I thought it was a bold claim, but I now believe it was possible.

While their other sandwiches may be adaptable, there’s no need to even bother because The Peoples’ Sandwich has two pan fried tofu slabs amidst the best combination of condiments I’ve had in a while – a housemade hazelnut pesto, which they call soylent green, and marinated sweet peppadew peppers, all on a white wheat hoagie. The shop prides itself by providing local, organic, and housemade ingredients, which it should – because they are great. The tofu is pan fried with little seasoning. On my various visits the tofu has been cooked inconsistently, which I do not mind but it has been barely golden brown and a deep brown with a greasy crust. The winning ingredient here is the peppadew pepper which, unfortunately, are not house marinated, but canned. I will see past this one packaged item because of the way the sweet, balsamic heat of the pepper brings out the perfect pesto for a little dance, but not while Big Brother is watching. The flavors are great and will stay on your tongue for a while, which is good because of the $8 price tag. That is, unless you follow it with the side of house made chips. These potato chips have just the right amount of crunch and salt to round out the sweet, spicy, and acidity from the sandwich.

The only flaw of the sandwich is in the bread itself. It is a little too soft so the juices are absorbed quickly. I tried to save one half of my craft paper wrapped sandwich for later only to find a soggy mess of deliciousness. However, no matter how many times I go there’s nothing else I’d rather eat or even ask them to sub it for Dave’s Sin Dog which they have for other sandwiches.

Since living in Portland I’ve had a hard time finding French fries I love. The $3 Curly fries served here may be the best I’ve found. They cut fresh and include the skins when fried to perfection, then sprinkled with a bit of all-purpose seasoning. The Peoples’ Ketchup provided is a special blend of tomatoes and spices, including a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg. Unless you have a very healthy appetite I do not recommend ordering both the sandwich and a side of fries. First, the sandwich could be too much food and you won’t be able to fully enjoy the fresh fries and ketchup. And second, it may be too greasy, depending on just how pan-fried your tofu is that day. Try the sandwich and fries separately to ensure full enjoyment of all the care and attention paid to each item. Or split the three items with a friend for a nice priced meal.

Another great thing about The Peoples’ Sandwich is that it’s open until 3am on the weekends. I encourage you to stay and enjoy your food, assuming you can grab one of the few tables or bar seats. If not, spread out on the ample floor space and see if the Department of Sandwich kicks you out. Because, despite their tough appearance, they are really nice people. Besides, you’re paying $8 for a great sandwich, stay and enjoy The Department selected music and steel chairs, it’s probably raining outside anyway.

Inside:

The Peoples’ Sandwich:

Curely Fries:

*If Yakov Smirnoff had eaten here,  I am sure he would have said this.

Introductory Post

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We’re such happily spoiled Portland vegans.

On my first visit to the brand new Mississippi Marketplace cart lot,  I overheard two girls lamenting about how there is nothing vegan to eat on Mississippi Street. How did they get through their days without an all vegan cart within walking distance? I’m not a fan of the ginormous, mushy tofu scramble at Gravy down the block, but it’s an offering, along with Por Que No, great thin crust slices at Mississippi Pizza Pub, quite a few menu items at Muddy’s Coffeehouse, the rotating vegan options at Equinox, and Portland classic Laughing Planet, to name a few on the actual street.  And who could forget Portland superstar and Stumptown Vegan favorite Flavourspot?

Don’t mind me rolling my eyes at how happily spoiled we are. It’s time to celebrate the opening of more vegan food carts! The Mississippi Marketplace is brand new and was specifically designed to host carts. Ruby Dragon is one of two new, all-vegan additions to Portland’s cart fever of 2009, in this lot alone. The other addition is only one spot away- Julie and Jay Hasson’s superb Native Bowl.

As usual these days, the Ruby Dragon cart is charming. It reminds me of Savor Soup House – it’s like a little house. It has a gable style roof and vertical wooden panels on the bottom half of the cart, and a pleasant green on the upper half.  There are tables for four across the parking lot – mostly covered under a large canopy; there’s still a ton of room to have an impromptu picnic on the lot grounds if the weather permits, and sweetest of all, there is a row of bar stool seating built into the side of the cart itself.

The menu is large, somewhat comparable in size to a small restaurant’s. It’s larger than a lot of corner cafe’s! There is a breakfast section, Eternal Mornings, Soup and Salad offering, and a large Afternoon Til Sundown listing.  The breakfasts include tofu and tempeh scrambles with vegetables, sandwiches, baked oats, pastries, and more. The breakfast menu states offerings are served all day, but a chalk board at the cart usually lists a handful of specific offerings and specials. There are seven curries described on their menu, and they have two available every day.  They announce the designated curries, such as the Ruby and Cashew Eggplant, on their twitter and on the chalk board, all of which are served with sticky rice ($7 per curry).  Daily desserts rotate as well, from their ginger-friendly take on apple pie, to cupcakes, sweet bread, quinoa chocolate chip cookies and small cinnamon rolls (2 for $3).

Ruby Dragon proudly features Oregon based Dave’s Killer Bread, Surata Tempeh, and Dae Han Tofu. It’s no surprise that there is a focus on local, organic produce.  From the cart itself, to the staff, to the menu, to the food on my plate, everything at this cart sang ‘made with love’.  Just check out this statement from their blog:

Our foods mirror our own creativity and passion to nurture others on how to live a sustainable lifestyle. Our dishes are meant to appeal not just to the life long vegan, but the omnivore, and the experimentor.

I headed savoury  on my first visit and ordered a single version of the Abbot ($4.50 single, $6.50 double), which was described as an open-faced, ‘world class sandwich’. There are obviously worldly flavors at this cart, such as: Ethiopian, Indian, Japanese, Thai, and dear, Portland hippie.  The sandwich was on Dave’s Sprouted Toast, always fantastic; with creamy, generous Vegenaise; snappy, curry glazed cashews, a thin length of seasoned, addictive tempeh, and a side of subtle Ethiopian spiced home fries with chopped onions. I’ll be honest, I didn’t find it easy to pick up this sandwich, I opted to use a fork for my meal.  Regardless of how you eat it, the sandwich is unique winner. It’s a whole lot of brown, color wise, but not flavor wise. The meal itself was prepared in less than ten minutes with a couple orders ahead of mine, and my herbal teapot was also ready quickly.  As it was ordered for there, it was served on a real plate with silverware, to be returned after use.

On my second visit, I intended to turn sweet and order the Tiger’s Paw quinoa and hemp seed pancakes.  I’ve heard raves from friends and back to my eavesdropping, I heard someone call this “the best pancake I’ve ever had in my life” on my initial visit. The heated intrigue was there, but the staff was out of batter and my cart companion and I decided to share a single version of the Jade Abbot (single $5.50, $7.50 double), along with tasty panko-crusted rolls from the Sushi Tree stand (soon to be a cart).  Indeed, it’s the same base sandwich, upgraded with Ruby Dragon’s rich and raw kale salad with avocado, lemon juice and sea salt. I swear, the only thing I felt was missing from the previous sandwich was something green on my plate, and here ya go.

Were they faced with limited ingredients one day in the kitchen and discovered this gem?  Was it simply divinely inspired?  I don’t know, but I’m getting the tingles just thinking about salty kale, avocado, tempeh, cashews, Vegenaise and Dave’s together again.

The combination of food made with love and the range of flavor influences at this cart is sweet.   If you find your way here after a long night and hard morning, I feel confident their cooking and a soothing pot of herbal tea could cure your woes. And for the early risers – it opens at 8am daily!

The Mississippi Marketplace may seem a bit fabricated, but it’s an astoundingly clean and family friendly cart lot with a vegan nook of awesome potential. You’re likely going to throw down $6-$10 for a meal, but the quality and experience is worth it.   I envy this neighborhood’s new lunch options!

There are portable toilets on the lot, an ATM coming and once Prost opens on the corner, you’ll be able to bring your cart food onto their deck and enjoy with a beer.

The Jade Abbot

Single Abbot

The cart

Herbal Tea Presentation

~

I first happened upon this cart by chance. I was heading to D.C. Vegetarian down the row, and naturally, perused this small and shiny new cart’s white board menu. Realizing there were no mentions of dairy, meat or eggs, just grains and veggies, I inquired and learned it was all vegan and open for the first time that same day.  Oh, Portland.  Sonny Bowl has since put up a permanent sign against its metal walls advertising its three vegan bowl options.  This is on top of the recent addition of two small tables out front. It’s not every cart that can offer actual seating in its own parking spot, shaded by the taller carts alongside it. You do have to squeeze past the bushes out front on SW 3rd to order at the counter, let alone grab a table.  There surely must be a secret password to get the tall bushes to part and let you in, to order, because it’s a tad awkward to push by.

Look, there’s not a lot to fuss over at this cart, so that’s probably why I do fuss over how much I appreciate what it serves. Everything is as it’s labeled. There are three bowl choices.  Each comes with mixed, chopped vegetables, assigned housemade sauces and beans and/or soy curls topped with a garnish.  After a few visits, I thought my preference was with Bowl #3.  I find it hard to pass on tender BBQ soy curls, and they dominate this selection. They’re paired with crisp, chopped green beans tossed in a mild citrus ginger sauce and a great helping of moist, short grain brown rice, topped with crispy chow mein noodles.  Sonny Bowl has a flare for adorning all bowls with a nifty garnish. I’m happy to see soy curls becoming such a common protein on menus. The soy curls themselves are cooked in a light, tangy BBQ sauce with chopped onions and joined with the citrus ginger vegetable.  It’s interesting to see which flavor wins out in each bite, the earthy BBQ soy curls or the gingery green beans.  I dig the everyday style of this bowl, but I admittedly reach for the plethora of hot sauces and other condiments to choose from to spice it up.  Personally, I go for the Secret Aardvark and Braggs.

Bowl #1 has a cilantro herb sauce, veggies and black beans.  The bowl that stole my preference is Bowl #2.  This round meal has the brown rice, the colorful, chopped veggies, welcome chickpeas for that added something special and something super vegan, and a creamy, pineapple coconut curry sauce.  The sauce is a bit fruity and decently spiced, and the amount is generous.  I encourage you to quickly mix up your sauce’d veggies, chickpeas and rice as to spread out the goodness. And the bonus? A few chunks of fresh pineapple. To complete the routine, my recent bowl was sprinkled with golden raisins and slivered almonds.

When I think Sonny Bowl, I think of wholesome, affordable food and sweet service.   Ordering the Pineapple Curry Bowl #2  seizes all of that.  The cart’s proprietor, Sanjay, prepares all bowls to order, so be prepared to wait more than a few minutes if there’s even just one person  ahead of you.  Each meal, served in a reusable bowl with a sturdy lid,  is $5 a piece, with the option of adding soy curls for $1 to bowls #1 and #2.  I have finished a bowl on a very hungry afternoon, but typically, I’m left with a small portion of leftovers.  Big eaters may want to pair this with the giant salad rolls from Just Thai down the cart row, or the daily soup from D.C. Vegetarian.

The bowls are all simply well-priced options for the downtown daytime crowd, looking for a meal that we could make at home, because we enjoy home-style, vegan cooking.  There’s no gimmick.  One of my habitual downtown lunch spots in Portland is the veganized Whole Bowl, because I like the taste and I know what to expect.  It’s entirely reliable and worth my money.  This is on the same page with the nutritious addition of vegetables and variety – and I’m a repeat customer.

BBQ Soy Curls – Bowl #3

Pineapple Curry – Bowl #2

The cart – it’s since been moved back and has two small two-person tables out front.

~

Sweetpea Baking Company is too awesome for a review. You should know we love them.

Enjoy the photos, visit and have some of the best vegan baked good you will ever have.

Here are a few of our favorite things…

• Warm, flaky danishes on Wednesday mornings.
• Yeasted Boston Creme donuts on Saturday mornings.
• Specialties: A recent oh, so, sweet, creamy coconut lime bar with graham crust was the stuff dreams are made of.
• Daily soups: Seitan Noodle that leaves you with a delicious black pepper high, Wholesome Lentil, Uber Satisfying Tomato, Kale & Kidney Bean. Just like you wish your mom used to make, but vegan.  Served with house made foccacia adorned with sea salt and fresh rosemary that’s begging to be dipped and nibbled.
• Housemade Schmears! No, not the bagels themselves, but the flavored cream cheeses Sweetpea offers. Bacun Scallion, Strawberry, and Fiery Chipotle are the Stumptown Vegan preferences.  We also love that they’ll let you do half one flavor, and half another.
• Lattes: We insist that if you like coffee, you order one of their Stumptown espresso based, superior latte creations. This vegan bakery & cafe offers almond, rice, soy, and hemp milk.  Always great Stumptown house coffee in cute mugs, too!
• Absolutely gorgeous cupcakes and layer cakes.
• Sandwiches: The TVP un-chicken salad is one of their most popular.
• Happy Bowls: Will make your muscles strong as you devour a bowl full of fluffy grains, green vegetables, beans and a tasty sauce of your choosing. Choices include BBQ, Garlic Aioli, Lemon Tahini and Peanut.

We’ve previously reviewed the justifiable frenzy that is Sweetpea Brunch.
Go early and see who you spot! Our favorite things from brunch are the chicken seitan, warm waffles, biscuits, gravy, and giant heaps of steamed kale.

Visiting Portland? You must stop here!

Located at the corner of SE Portland’s vegan mini mall with Food Fight! Grocery,  Herbivore Clothing, and Scapegoat Tattoo. Check out their new on-site baking classes as well!

We’ve wasted what seems like years trying to capture how awesome Sweetpea is.  So, until a more thorough review comes out – enjoy the photos!

Apple Fritter and Coffee

Bagel Schmeared with Chipotle and Black Olive Cream Cheeses

Hemp Almond Latte

Coconut Lime Bar

Seitan Noodle Cup with Foccacia

Tomato Kale Soup with Foccacia

Mock Chicken Salad Sandwich

BBQ Setain

Iced Sweet & Spicy Almond Chai

Chic-o-stick cake

Photo by Sweetpea’s own Katie Jane.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Cookies

Black Forest Cake

Whoopie

Blueberry Muffin

Danish

Coffee Cake

Updated 10/27/2009 New hours from their twitter: NEW HOURS: Thursday-Saturday 12-7 Sunday 12-5 Closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

Updated 10/6/2009 The cart has moved to NE 27th and Alberta, and now has wood fire heated seating!

Updated 8/24/2009 – Gluten free news! From their Facebook:
Homegrown Smoker: Well the cornbread recipe is done as we all like it. Gluten Free now and made with Cornmeal, Flax and Maple. Beginning Thursday our Chronic Tempeh Ribs will also be Gluten Free. All GF menu items: Beans, slaw, Cornbread, ribs, sauces, soy curls & tofu Soon to be GF Frito Pie!

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The Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ has been scientifically proven as a reason I venture out of my nook in SE Portland to Alberta Street.

If you are lucky to have vegan family in Portland, this is where you should take them. This is a memory-making, happy family picnic’s dream food. Sorry for getting all sappy, but I’m so proud of them! Yet I barely know them! It’s a heart warming operation, that is family-based itself.  I know the young staff is clearly older than I go on about; there’s simply this older sister in me who has siblings across the country who wants to hug them and thank them for being vegan and doing this. Just imagine your younger siblings making vegan food!

This is how I feel going to the Homegrown Smoker open cart on Alberta Street.  They’ve taken up residence in a spacious corner lot with the even newer Open Heart Cafe, and have their smoker, ordering station, and picnic tables just waiting for you to wander by for vegan home cooking. They’re part of this new trend of carts like The Grilled Cheese Grill and Wolf and Bears, who have vast amounts of property and specialty seating areas, in comparison to the packed downtown cart blocks.

Their menu features four primary home smoked vegan proteins: BBQ Chronic Tempeh, Extra Firm Tofu, Smokey Soy Curls, and Field Roast Chorizo. All involve the smooth, tangy Kansas City style BBQ sauce, the perfect example of the staple BBQ sauce you want in your fridge, but better.  The father of some of the staff has a true passion for BBQ, and you can taste it.  The first item I tried was the BBQ Chronic Tempeh.  A couple of my friends say that it could use some additional roasting or grilling, but I love some soy bean and am down with the straight up, nutty, smokey sauce-smothered strip.

Whenever someone has mentioned HGS to me since they’ve opened, I find myself raving about the Smokey Soy Curls.  I’ve visited four times, and every time, they’ve found their way into the combo I’ve shared. Anyone who knows the trick, the importance, of the soy curl marinade, can respect these. The smokey flavor thrives in these tender pieces.

HGS added tofu to their menu due to public demand, and that’s rad. Unfortunately, I must say that the dense super firm tofu is almost too much for the coat of sauce.  The Field Roast Chorizo is store bought, but I think it’s one of the best of the best fakes, texture and flavor wise..  The smoking tops that, and it is the most practical protein, size wise, to order in a sandwich ($6). But brace yourself: I suggest you skip the sandwiches of folded pita, smoked protein, sausages, and peppers altogether.  They’re greatly overshadowed by the combos. That is unless you’re there for the revolutionary Macnochito ($6), a burrito of macaroni and cheese, soy curls, beans, peppers, onions, chorizo, and sauce. I was impressed when I saw someone ordering it!

One combo ($8) is enough to split with a friend for a small meal, one large appetite or for one with a portion of leftovers to take home. Pick two of the smoked vegan proteins and your choice of two sides. All combos come with a square of the moist molasses cornbread. The sides include the creamy chipotle coleslaw, sweet and smokey BBQ white beans, and the macaroni and cheese consisting of classic elbows in a semi-thick nutritional yeast sauce. My vote to best complement the protein goes to the macaroni and cheese and adding a side of corn on the cob for $1 extra ($2 as a separate item).  If you like corn, you must.  The ear of corn is once again, memorably smoked, and rubbed with the HGS custom seasoning blend. The beans are whole and the sauce sure is sweet, but there’s enough sweet and smokey elements in a combo.  Keep them in mind if you’re only there for sides.

There is a bottle of homemade Mellow Yellow mustard based hot sauce on the counter that was recommended for the mac and really works with it. The mac itself is like the first version of the vegan, nutritional yeasty tradition you refine and makes its way into the vegan potluck repertoire. I tried it on opening day and it was dry, but since then it’s really improved and come into its own.

Sticking with the family BBQ theme, they offer homemade lemonade, sweet tea, and the ever- popular Jarritos soda. The tea is refreshing, but hell yeah, tamarindo! I’ve yet to indulge, but you can complete your meal with Clara’s daily desserts. These have included fresh baked cookies and brownies.

Finish your leisurely meal  with another round of conversation at the picnic tables, because unless it’s Last Thursday, this cart hasn’t seemed to yet attract the foot traffic it deserves.  If I lived in the Alberta neighborhood, it would be on my mind for speedy, righteous take out and long lunches, no doubt.  It’s not a sit down dinner– this is a casual affair and comfort food.  I’m noticeably a fan of the whole package HGS encompasses and offers:  It’s really good food, and their soy curls and corn are fabulous.

Combo with Tempeh and Soy Curls

BBQ Chronic Tempeh

Combo with Tofu and Soy Curls

Iced Tea

Menu

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Habitually, like any caffeine-addicted Portlander with a soul, I find myself walking past big name coffee shops for a great cup of coffee at my spot of choice.  When I’m at work, my pick is the downtown location of Coffee Plant. It’s the most realistic, vegan-friendly coffee shop I can get to on what I deem a coffee break. Don’t get your hopes up, they don’t have vegan paninis or anything more lunch appropriate you can find at, well, a coffee shop without vegan sandwiches. If you want one with sandwiches downtown, head to Half and Half or Backspace.  What they do offer is reliably well-made Stumptown Coffee and espresso beverages and vegan baked goods.

Unlike most other coffee shops in Portland, where you can grab a plastic wrapped vegan delight that may hit the spot, or just may be mushy or stale, Coffee Plant offers vegan pumpkin muffins and cinnamon rolls ($2.50 each) that are baked daily.  They are specifically labeled vegan, and it’s certainly not just the vegans asking for them.  You can smell the pumpkiny spices drifting through the door on weekday mornings. I normally consider myself a fan of bakery style muffins, with a slightly crunchy crust sprinkled with coarse sugar, but whenever I give into the moist pumpkin muffin for breakfast temptation, I am delighted. There’s no crunch, but there’s one fluffy, filling, spiced bite of dark pumpkin goodness after another.  I’ve been sporadically giving in since 2005, and they’ve always been this satisfying.

The cinnamon rolls are gorgeous. The frosting is generous and infused with cinnamon, something I wish more rolls would hit up.  Admitting another of my pasty preferences: I’m a soft, Cinnabon type gal, and I’ve had very few vegan cinnamon rolls that accomplish this emulation. This cinnamon bun has all the sweet flavor, but it’s sturdier than what my dreams are about.  The tempting discounted day-olds on the counter are even sturdier, understandably, and are quick to go.  For that matter, the cinnamon rolls themselves are usually gone by late morning. Please don’t think I’m insulting their cinnamon buns, they’re probably dreaming about being dipped in a cup of coffee, and I think they’d be dynamite there.

Besides the muffins and cinnamon rolls, Coffee Plant usually has a tiny selection of vegan  Voodoo Doughnuts available, of the cake variety. The shop itself is small, and from the rotating art on display to the comfortable baristas, to the scent of pumpkin, it’s a bit of downtown hustle mixed with the attraction of neighborhood shops elsewhere around town.  Like any other coffee establishment, there’s continuously a line in the morning, but the staff is well trained and you can sense the customer service through the little bits of obligatory cool attitude.  There are two small tables outside the shop, inside window nook seats, tall tables with bar stools and a table or two inside the actual downtown building the shop resides in.  While it’s a place I have caught up with a friend over coffee during the afternoon, I take my order to go 99% of the time.  I can’t envision myself sitting down with a book in its small environment with the to and fro through their doors, but that’s me, and my focus is on heading back to work.   Despite running out the door, the act of sipping one of their pretty, rosette adorned lattes alone relaxes me. Of course, they offer espresso, americanos, cappucinos, and bottled sodas, on top of house and French pressed coffee.

The  Stumptown Vegans don’t regularly review coffee shops, but Coffee Plant is one this reviewer frequents and it stands out with its commanding of foamed soy and two freshly baked vegan items.  Again, none of their paninis are vegan, and I can’t help but have a tragic, faint recollection of salads in the cold case from their former neighbor, the vegetarian Divine Cafe cart, which moved in 2007.   Rice and soymilk are both additional charges, as it goes, and you do have to ask for these nondairy milks for coffee (at no charge).  I’ve never had so much of a raised eyebrow at that casual request.  It’s definitely no magical Sweetpea Baking Co., but it’s my workday fix for splendid soy lattes. And as you now know, I’m really enjoying my love affair with the pumpkin muffins.

Coffee Plant opened a second location in the Corbett Building in the SW Johns Landing neighborhood in 2006, which also offers hemp milk. Both locations have cute green and orange punch cards promising a free drink one day.

Cinnamon Roll and Soy Latte

Soy Latte

Pumpkin Muffin and Iced Coffee

Where’s your favorite vegan friendly coffee shop in Portland? We’ll be writing about the very, very best soon, hint hint!