Eat Mobile 2014 Recap

Even though I was drenched in a downpour of sideways rain the moment I stepped off the bus onto the Burnside Bridge to walk to Eat Mobile 2014, I was not deterred. Judging by the line of a 20 people already in front of me 30 minutes before the VIP admission started, neither were many other food court lovers.

This year, this annual food cart festival was held on a Sunday rather then a Saturday, and less tickets were sold, resulting in a less crazy experience in terms of lines and crowds. Although it alternated between rain and sunshine, the attendees persevered on, and I seem to be improving in terms of my food photos at food festivals held outdoors!
Eat Mobile 2014 Eat Mobile 2014

There were about 30 food carts that participated this year. The award winners for this year included PDX Sliders for the Carty Award (judged by a select panel) for their Broadway Slider, a juicy sammie of braised pork, Mama’s Lil Peppers, baby arugula, housemade spicy aioli all on ciabatta.
Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from PDX Sliders, won the Carty Award for their Broadway Slider, a juicy sammie of braised pork, Mama's Lil Peppers, baby arugula, housemade spicy aioli all on ciabatta Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from PDX Sliders, won the Carty Award for their Broadway Slider, a juicy sammie of braised pork, Mama's Lil Peppers, baby arugula, housemade spicy aioli all on ciabatta Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from PDX Sliders, won the Carty Award for their Broadway Slider, a juicy sammie of braised pork, Mama's Lil Peppers, baby arugula, housemade spicy aioli all on ciabatta

Meanwhile the People’s Choice award went to 808 Grinds for their kalua pig on crispy wonton with Asian Slaw.
Eat Mobile 2014 - The People’s Choice award went to 808 Grinds for their kalua pig on crispy wonton with Asian Slaw. Eat Mobile 2014 - The People’s Choice award went to 808 Grinds for their kalua pig on crispy wonton with Asian Slaw.

Here’s my Eat Mobile 2014 Recap in photos, which is all I know you came for anyway.

My personal vote for best food cart sample was Mama Chow’s Kitchen with their sample of fried chicken wings with honey soy glaze, garlic noodles… YUM. Also, their cart is adorable!
Eat Mobile 2014 My vote for best food cart sample was Mama Chow's Kitchen with their sample of fried chicken wings with honey soy glaze, garlic noodles... YUM. Also, their cart is adorable! Eat Mobile 2014 My vote for best food cart sample was Mama Chow's Kitchen with their sample of fried chicken wings with honey soy glaze, garlic noodles... YUM.

My personal vote for best style went to Hungry Heart Cupcakes for their beautiful display of baked treats on silver platters. Talk about being incredibly prepared for this event but never giving up on detail!
Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Hungry Heart PDX Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Hungry Heart PDX Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Hungry Heart PDX
I wanted to have more than one, but respectfully only took one sample, and of all the offerings zeroed in on the “Sweet n Salty” chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and bacon and salted caramel.
Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Hungry Heart PDX of the Sweet n Salty chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and bacon and salted caramel Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Hungry Heart PDX of the Sweet n Salty chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and bacon and salted caramel

The next vote for style would have been Mix and Match Creamery, who was putting on quite a show as they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap’n Crunch.
The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch The ice cream show at Mix and Match Creamery as they they were making various combinations of ice cream and toppings with liquid nitrogen at their station, such as mint + Heath bar, vanilla + Butterfinger, and what I tried which was with Cap'n Crunch

The longest line of the whole food cart festival was for Fifty Licks. You could have a little mini scoop or baby ice cream cone with choices of flavors such as Blood Orange Creamsicle, Jasmine Rice with Pandan, Coconut Lemon Saffron Sorbet, Stumptown Coffee, Chocolate Brown Butter, or my choice, the current new seasonal flavor of Pip’s Original Salted Honey Doughnut! They won the prize for Style Award.
The longest line of the whole food cart festival was for Fifty Licks. You could have a little mini scoop or baby ice cream cone with choices of flavors such as Blood Orange Creamsicle, Jasmine Rice with Pandan, Coconut Lemon Saffron Sorbet, Stumptown Coffee, Chocolate Brown Butter, or my choice, the current new seasonal flavor of Pip's Original Salted Honey Doughnut! The longest line of the whole food cart festival was for Fifty Licks. You could have a little mini scoop or baby ice cream cone with choices of flavors such as Blood Orange Creamsicle, Jasmine Rice with Pandan, Coconut Lemon Saffron Sorbet, Stumptown Coffee, Chocolate Brown Butter, or my choice, the current new seasonal flavor of Pip's Original Salted Honey Doughnut!

I couldn’t help but adore the deep dish pizza served up by Thick Deep Dish pizza since I am originally from Chicago.
Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Thick Deep Dish Pizza Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Thick Deep Dish Pizza

Also, I loved the enthusiasm of Bro-Dogs & Burgers who was killing it with their sample bite of Baby Dude, which includes a smoked bacon and cheddar sausage, bacon, cream cheese, and house bbq sauce.
Eat Mobile 2014- Bro-Dogs & Burgers who was killing it with their sample bite of Baby Dude, which includes a smoked bacon and cheddar sausage, bacon, cream cheese, and house bbq sauce Eat Mobile 2014- Bro-Dogs & Burgers who was killing it with their sample bite of Baby Dude, which includes a smoked bacon and cheddar sausage, bacon, cream cheese, and house bbq sauce Eat Mobile 2014- Bro-Dogs & Burgers who was killing it with their sample bite of Baby Dude, which includes a smoked bacon and cheddar sausage, bacon, cream cheese, and house bbq sauce

Hapa Ramen’s Shaka Bowl, or pork belly ramen
Eat Mobile 2014 - sample of Hapa Ramen's Shaka Bowl, or pork belly ramen Eat Mobile 2014 - sample of Hapa Ramen's Shaka Bowl, or pork belly ramen Eat Mobile 2014 - sample of Hapa Ramen's Shaka Bowl, or pork belly ramen

I really like the ratio of the pimento cheese to crackers that Southern Belle’s served up. I also loved the intensity of flavor from the half of a chicken dumpling sample from Momo Cart, the dumpling is stuffed with chicken, garlic, onion, and Nepali spices. Gonzo also delivered on flavors and texture fun with their falafel and hummus sample.
I really like the ratio of the pimento cheese to crackers that Southern Belle's served up at Eat Mobile 2014 Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Momo Cart, nice intensity of flavor from the half of a chicken dumpling sample from Momo Cart, the dumpling is stuffed with chicken, garlic, onion, and Nepali spices Eat Mobile 2014 - Gonzo's also delivered on flavors and texture fun with their falafel and hummus.

Props to the personable service and considerate option of meat or vegetarian from the Love Belizean cart of either Roasted Red Pepper Tritip or Red Beans in Coconut Curry, either one served with coconut rice and habenero hot sauce was very tasty. Meanwhile, Koi Fusion previewed a taste of their just opened Division brick and mortar location via their sample of Kimchi tortilla soup and that now they can rotate and try out more Korean American fusion dishes.
Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Love Belizean, option of meat or vegetarian from the Love Belizean cart of either Roasted Red Pepper Tritip or Red Beans in Coconut Curry, either one served with coconut rice and habenero hot sauce Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Love Belizean, option of meat or vegetarian from the Love Belizean cart of either Roasted Red Pepper Tritip or Red Beans in Coconut Curry, either one served with coconut rice and habenero hot sauce

Whole Foods also thoughtfully offered a meat or vegetarian option with their healthy samples of Asian Rice Noodle Salad with seasonal and organic vegetables, with or without French Prairie Pork.
Eat Mobile 2014- Whole Foods also thoughtfully offered a meat or vegetarian option with their healthy samples of Asian Rice Noodle Salad with seasonal and organic vegetables, with or without French Prairie Pork. Eat Mobile 2014- Whole Foods also thoughtfully offered a meat or vegetarian option with their healthy samples of Asian Rice Noodle Salad with seasonal and organic vegetables, with or without French Prairie Pork.

Moberi also provided a healthy option with their bicycle powered kale coconut water mango pineapple mint smoothies
Eat Mobile 2014 = Moberi also provided a healthy option with their bicycle powered kale coconut water mango pineapple mint smoothies

Taqueria la Merced delivered on flavor with these tacos
Eat Mobile 2014 - Taqueria la Merced delivered on flavor with these tacos Eat Mobile 2014 - Taqueria la Merced delivered on flavor with these tacos

Samples of all the colors via the chicken thighs brined in Thrive Special sauce over brown rice and vegetables from Thrive Pacific NW / Khao Man Gai dish over brown rice from Kesone Asian Fusion
Eat Mobile 2014 - chicken thighs brined in Thrive Special sauce over brown rice and vegetables from Thrive Pacific NW Eat Mobile 2014 - Khao Man Gai dish bite from Kesone Asian Fusion

Two kinds of popcorn were at the festival this year, Topped IKC (kettle corn that could be topped with chocolate or caramel or both) and also a little booth for Masala Pop (mixed with Indian spices)
Eat Mobile 2014 - Topped IFC (kettle corn that could be topped with chocolate or caramel or both) "Eat

Bite from the Art Institute of Portland / a sample from Creperie du Lys / sweet taste of dessert thanks to Mildred’s Sweet Treats
"Eat Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Creperie du Lys Eat Mobile 2014 - bite from Mildred's Sweet Treats

Since like before, it was held in the OMSI parking lot, OMSI had some food science demos roving around.
Eat Mobile 2014 - OMSI food science demos roving around the food cart festival

I am looking forward to the festival again next year, rain or shine!

Did you attend Eat Mobile? Did you wish you did? What taste would you have said was the best?

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Comments

  1. So fun! I want to go next year! I have been wanting to check out the Mix and Match cart. What did you think?

    • I thought the Mix and Match cart was really fun, it’s both dessert and a little bit of a show, and I like that you can customize the ice cream per your tastes, which is fun.

  2. Deep Dish Pizza? All of your pictures made me salivate (they are beautiful!), but I am definitely going to try the Thick Deep Dish pizza cart ASAP. I’m from Wisconsin and my mom always used to make deep dish pizza and I crave it from time to time. Thanks for sharing your experience. Delicious as always!

    • Thank you for the compliments on my smartphone photography skills, heh. I agree, as a midwesterner deep dish pizza is something to crave.

  3. Laetitia - French Fries and Apple Pie says

    Great Post! Actually I did not attend the Event because 1- I had no clue it was happening, but no regret because 2- I was on a business trip to Chicago…. Where I got to try (and fall in love with) the deep dish pizza!

    So I am so glad that I can actually find this type of delicious pizza in PDX! You made my day!!
    I’m totally in for 2015 event however!

    • It is a great event, rain or shine. It always happens at the end of April, and I will usually do a post earlier in the month advertising when the tickets go on sale!

  4. I want to put bacon into a chocolate cookie, if it works in a cupcake I need to make it happen!

  5. The chicken wings from Mama Chow’s Kitchen look SO good! And the cart is really cute! I’ll have to check them out. Thanks for the great round-up!

  6. WHAT?! Isn’t this early this year? I can’t believe I missed it! The Eat Mobile food cart fest has been one of my absolute favorite events of the past couple years! Looks as delicious as always, glad you had a blast despite the weather 🙂

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  1. […] go grab lunch at one of the food carts that really impressed me at Eat Mobile 2014 this year (as I recapped previously). This was the Mama Chow’s Kitchen food cart, which had provided a sample of fried chicken […]

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