Eating Our Way Through SE Portland’s Most Evolved Food Cart Pod
On SE Division street, just a few blocks away from the original location of Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok, you’ll find Tidbit Farm and Food Garden. This Portland food destination is one of the city’s most sophisticated food cart pods, offering beer by the glass, a communal fire pit, deluxe porta-potties, and a sink with soap and water. The food served up from Tidbit’s carts is top-notch as well, you’ll find everything from wood-fired pizza to authentic Japanese ramen. And here’s where it gets really cool: not all of the carts sell food – you can also find jewelry, handmade lotions, vintage clothes, and more. Join us as we discover the most unique and innovative things the forward-thinking SE pod has to offer it’s patrons.
Paper Bag Pizza
Paper Bag isn’t just good pizza. It’s wood-fired right in front of you, family owned and operated, house-made everything, naturally-leavened dough, and they choose local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Seriously, what more could you ask for? Co-owners Tom and Emily are doing Portland-style pizza the right way.
Scout Beer Garden
Beer. At a cart pod. If nothing else on this list on this list gets you excited, this should do the trick. Scout Beer Garden doesn’t just serve any old beer, either. We’re talking about a rotating selection of Portland’s finest craft microbrews, lovingly curated by founders and local beer experts Joe St. Martin & Sean Oeding. The ability to enjoy your food with a cold, locally brewed beer while sitting around the fire is truly the crown jewel of the Tidbit experience.
Smaaken Waffles
Smaaken is Dutch for “tasty”, and once you’ve tried their crispy and flavorful Dutch-style waffles you’ll realize just how appropriate the name really is. The waffles are made with organic, heirloom variety wheat grown in the Willamette Valley, and it takes 24 hours for the yeast and barley malt in their batter to develop it’s complex and delicate flavors. You can order them filled with a range of sweet and savory ingredients, from eggs and sausage to bananas and nutella. The menu at Smaaken is filled with unique options, so you’ll never run out of new things to try.
Lodekka Double Decker Dress Shop
This is about as Portland as it gets. A vintage clothing shop inside of a double decker bus, parked in a food cart pod. Inside Lodekka, you’ll find lovingly curated vintage finds and a friendly staff that will assist you in navigating the tight quarters. Don’t forget to check out the upper level!
Hapa PDX
According to their website, “Hapa” describes the fusion of Japanese cooking techniques and Hawaiian recipes used to make their ramen dishes. At Hapa PDX, you’ll find traditional Japanese ramen served with fresh ingredients like pork chashu, egg, green onions, spinach, bamboo shoots, and more, with vegan and vegetarian options available. If you’re looking to warm up on a rainy Portland day, look no further than a bowl of Hapa’s authentic and lovingly prepared ramen.
Back to Eden Bakery
After eating our way through Tidbit, discovering delicious and hand-crafted pizza, beer, Dutch waffles, and ramen along the way, there was only one thing left to do: get something sweet! We grabbed a cupcake from Back to Eden Bakery, not realizing until after we had happily consumed it that 100% of the bakery’s offerings are both gluten free and vegan. We were surprised, to say the least. It was better than many non-gluten free, non-vegan cupcakes that we’d had elsewhere. For those with dietary restrictions, Back to Eden is a no-brainer. For those without, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
A Smorgasbord of PDX Culture
When it comes to food carts, there’s nothing wrong frequenting the tried-and-true favorites. But next time you’re feeling adventurous, head over to Tidbit and experience the best of Portland’s most unique outdoor foodie paradise.