Four Wheel Meals

Posted by Eric Hess

06/05/2009 10:36 AM

Street food is making a comeback in Seattle...How does your city fare?

I’ve mentioned before that I have a bit of a food obsession (and Roger recently divulged my baking prowess), so I hope you’ll tolerate a digression for our usual policy bent to discuss a phenomenon that brings together two things nearest and dearest to my heart – good food and common sense sustainability solutions

You can read the scoop at the Stranger, but the gist is that the seven-year street food ban in downtown Seattle has been lifted. And the masses rejoiced!

I hail from Portland, and when I moved to Seattle I was perplexed – where were the city lots packed with street food vendors: tricked out RVs, gutted third-wheels, tin shacks on tires? Where were the 3rd and Starks or the 10th and Alders? Even a small town like Walla Walla has half a dozen taco trucks roaming the streets.

Behold: the answer in all its porcine glory:

Pig Bus

The news that the city of Seattle is actively working to bring back street vendors was music to my (and many on Sightline staff’s) ears. It’s not just that they provide cheap, quick, and diverse food (it’s like a mini United Nations, tucked into a single city block). There’s something about a line of culinary carts that represents smart urban living: an array of affordable selections – walkable for thousands of downtown workers (not to mention the delight of seeing steaming gyros being delivered from a spot once occupied by parked cars).

I don’t think I’m alone on this one. Do any of our cousins from more street food-friendly places care to weigh in? How does street food compare across Cascadia? Vancouver, BC? Vancouver, WA? Salem? Spokane? Missoula?

PS. Some pictures of food cart centers – like the one above – would make a great addition to Sightline's Flickr photopool. Send ‘em our way – with your culinary critique!

Update 11:30am: The Wall Street Journal has a tantalizing take on this issue, and so does the Oregonian.

Update 6/11: Sightline staff did a field study at Maximus Minimus with positive results.

Top photo courtesy of Maximus Minimus, Seattle's newest street food vendor. Bottom photo courtesy of Oran Viriyincy via Flickr under the Creative Commons License.

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Comments

Posted by Matt the Engineer 06/05/2009 02:40 PM

Wonderful!!! That's the best thing that could happen to Seattle short of banning cars on half the roads.

All of the cities I've been to are mapped out in my mind by their street food. The Masala Dosa in India and strange egg pancakes in China top the list. Ooh, and hand-made street noodles - now that's an art form.

Posted by Eric Hess 06/05/2009 03:49 PM

That video just blew my mind. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by Matt the Engineer 06/06/2009 02:44 PM

While I'm sharing, here's the best street food I've ever had. It's quick, the stand doesn't take up much space, and it would be easy to make that station sanitary with a little refrigerator or ice and plastic gloves.

Posted by justin 06/08/2009 12:31 PM

thanks for the article and the photos... it would be great if you'd provide a direct link to the flickr photo for those sourced from there (to make it easier to find the original photo and hopefully more info on its context... e.g. where was this taken?)

Posted by Eric Hess 06/08/2009 01:05 PM

The first photo is from the food truck's website Maximus Minimus and here's a link to the food carts in Portland.

Posted by Anna Fahey 06/11/2009 03:20 PM

I heard a Seattle foodie rumor that some of the folks from Sitka & Spruce (a Seattle slow-food legend) are running a taco truck across the street outside the 14 Carrot on weeknights. I'm not sure that anyone can come close to my favorite Pasco, WA tacos from a beat up old camper, but I'm eager to try this urban version sometime soon. I <3 taco trucks. (Alan just told me that you can make a heart with a < and a 3.)

Posted by Michelle 06/12/2009 11:38 AM

Well, here in the People's Republic of Eugene, top foodcart-kudos deservingly go to Ritta's Burritos at the Saturday Market -- with photos!

And since we're also sharing videos, here's a great good-homecooking-is-cheaper-than-eating-out-so-make-it-yerself video. Enjoy!