Breakfast creations sizzle at Portland food carts
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PORTLAND, Ore. – On a freezing January morning, most of the food carts in Downtown Portland are still closed up, but Nick Ellis is already busy.
“It’s nice, peaceful and quiet when I get here,” said Ellis. “I have a lot of work to do.”
Ellis’ food cart, The Brunch Box, can lure hungry Portlanders early in the morning.
“That bacon just goes down the road and makes people walk right up.”
The Brunch Box, located near Southwest 5th Avenue and Stark Street, is known for its burger creations later in the day, but at 8 a.m. the griddle is sizzling with ham, sausage and spam.
“It’s one of the best ones open this time of day, and usually the only one that’s open,” said construction worker Justin Schaffner.
“I think it’s a great idea actually,” said Andrew Hramat. “I wish more of them were open for breakfast.”
Ellis showed us how to make one of his favorites, “the OMG.” It’s a bagel sandwich with ham, bacon, spam, egg and cheese.
Meanwhile, in Northeast Portland, there’s a food cart cooking up southern flavors for breakfast.
David Stokamer owns Flavour Spot on Fremont. He calls the foods on his menu “edible hand warmers.”
Thea LaMarche ordered a signature waffle sandwich. “It’s sweet, it’s crunchy, it’s tender inside,” she said.
Stokamer showed us how to make one with sausage and organic maple butter. He said they take no time at all.
“That’s my definition of street food,” he said. “One hand, beverage in the other, and go!”
It's kind of funny how a lot of you are complaining that food carts cannot be that clean or hygeinic... I am curious if you have ever been inside the kitchen of some of the restaurants you eat at? I bet you would be surprised at how little the staff cares about things in that kitchen. They make minimum wage and get pissed on at work quite frequently. Waitresses and cooks are always fighting, and dishwashers/prep cooks are always angry. (OK maybe not always, but in my personal experience)...meanwhile...
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Food Carts are usually ran by the owner and maybe a small handful of people at times. They're passionate about what they do, and their entire life stake is usually in that food cart. They do what they can to guarantee cleanliness and safe food. Some of the best and freshest food comes from there.... I think people are naive and afraid of new experiences.Â
Located at Heart Attack & Vine.Â
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I'm not to enticed to eat at one of those carts based on the cover photo for the story. I thought I was going to read an article from the Health and Fitness section!
This is a news item ??? Breakfast at food carts ???
Call me a nerd, but the idea of eating food prepared at a cart just doesn't appeal to me unless I'm at a carnival or something. Do these places even have hot running water?
 @correct They are held to the same standards as a traditonal restaurant, and since there's less space to clean, I'd probably say the kitchen is cleaner than the majority of restaurants out there. In fact, I love a good food cart.
The fact that much of what they are counting on is balled up in that little cart, I'd guess that most work hard to ensure that those foods are kept safe and contaminant-free. That's more than I can say for many restaurants.
 @correct I've never needed hot running water to cook...
@correct .....on this we can agree.!
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 @Mike Smith Hmmmmm, and what do you eat for breakfast? If prepared smartly (the OMG may not qualify though) most of these items could be eaten responsibly without a high impact on the carolic count. I'm sure it's got to be better for you than frozen, pre-packaged, preservative laden convenience breakfast items that many people indulge in.
@Mike Smith You sir get a big fat LOL (as my daughter calls them). Plenty of healthy offerings from the numerous food carts around the city. I, for one, am quite healthy and enjoy an occassional visit to the carts downtown and on 102nd.
Yummy!  Great, now I'm hungry. . .Â
I've had the waffles at Flavour Spot on Lombard - they're Grrrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaatttttt! (Apologies to Tony t T.) Especially the Maple & Sausage!
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I've often wondered where these food cart vendors use the toilet and wash their hands. Seriously, I though food prep folks were supposed to wash thoroughly and often. Also, which agency ever inspects them for sanitary or hygienic conditions. Twould be interesting to know.
 @jpk The one's I've seen have sinks and such so employees can wash their hands, and most of them do so religiously. It doesn't take much to put you out of business permanently and most of these cart vendors seem to really take their professions seriously. Of course there are probably bad ... um ... apples out there. Just pay attention.
How, Mikey! How do I ever prove I got something I didn't bargain for from these carts and their preparers? I'm sure that most of them are conscientious people, but still. I do want to know if they are ever inspected, and which agency is responsible for that inspection. As for finding the "bad...um...apples out there, I'd rather not be the one finding them. I realize, "let the buyer beware", or caveat emptor, applies at sit down restaurants, but they are inspected?Â
Most carts are fairly new, especially in the sense of a food location(restaurants). All carts must be inspected prior to opening, all permits in line, the menu must be approved, etc. Since you're on the internet, it's actually pretty easy to look up. There are a handful of sites that outline the appropriate steps to get a food cart going. They aren't usually cheap and they require the same things that a restaurant needs, depending upon the types of foods sold.
 @jpk The same health inspector that inspects restaurants, most likely. If you're concerned about it, give them a call and see. For most of Oregon, it's the inspector who has an office at the county health department, but I don't have any idea if things might be different in the Portland Metro area.Â
EXCUSE ME but what about "Fried Egg i'm In Love" cart on Hawthorne!!!!!Most delicious breakfast in town!!! Open til 2pm on weekdays, 3pm on weekends.
THIS my friends is why you are fat. Not some made up hypothyroidism....
 @oh4FS Oh, but what a way to go! LOL!
Theirs a 8 o'clock in the morning now?
 @Jeepers Yeah. That's when the birds all stop and take a smoke break. If you listen carefully, you can hear them outside coughing every morning.