Food Pod Adventure in Portland

Food Trucks, Food Pods, Food Carts....they're basically the same in the sense that it's a mobile restaurant.  Last month I had the opportunity to visit Portland, Oregon where I was amazed at the number of stationary food carts within a few feet of each other.  

My sisters and I stayed in the heart of downtown Portland, near Pioneer Square. From the 10th floor window of our room of the Benson Hotel, I could see the line of food pods (a group of food carts known in Portland as a pod)  along Alder Street; one of the many blocks that is home  to a sampling of good eats.

It was rather difficult to resist the many choices of food pods. There were many to choose from.  What ever our belly desired, it was there: Mediterranean, Thai, Cuban, Colombian, Peruvian just to name a few.  It was truly food heaven!  Most of all, the food were very reasonably priced.  Most food carts in Portland sold their entrees for $5 to $12.  I enjoyed checking out at all the variety of food and the food pod stands.  Since it was stationary, many even provided tables and chairs for customers to enjoy their food. Although some chose to sit at the numerous parks nearby which my sisters and I did.  

If you plan to visit Portland, I strongly recommend trying the food pods.  They're everywhere!   A must try is the nitro ice cream for dessert.  We discovered this cart just across from VooDoo Donuts on 4th street.  

So keep your eyes peeled for my posts while I fill your bellies with another gastronomic adventure of this hungry tEATeacher!

One of the many food carts along Adler Street near Pioneer Square

So many to choose from

We loved Colombian food, we returned for more the next day. 

Salpicon (refreshing fruit cocktail with vanilla ice cream),
          Patacones (pronounced: "pa-ta-con") 

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream ready in seconds 

Waffles for dessert?  Yummy! 

Of course we had to try Cuban food.  This gentleman opened a new establishment in the area after operating from his food cart for a few years!  

Loved the Cuban plantains! 

My sisters and I couldn't wait to eat the plantains while waiting for our Thai food order! 

Friday Night Culinary Adventure

Have you ever had moments where you just want to try all the places you read about on Yelp in one night?  I do -- almost always.   Two Fridays ago, my kids, my niece, and I went on a culinary adventure.  We first ventured out to Korea Town or KTown as others call it.  Still too early for dinner, we went to Beer Belly in KTown for appetizers. Hidden behind a boba place sits this small building with its walls covered by a mural.  Yes, it's Beer Belly!  I must say, it was quite different, but certainly normal for LA.  Casual outside seating or standing if there are no seats available. Definitely for the younger crowd.

For dinner we headed over to Culver City's "A - Frame" restaurant, one of Chef Roy Choi's many restaurants in LA.  I'm assuming it got its name for its building style.  This place seats communally -- many were bench seating, inside and outside. It was a very casual atmosphere. It almost seems like you're among a group of people at a town barbecue.  Food was served on tin plates and platter.  Definitely not fine dining if that's what you're looking for.  The food entrees are meant to be shared (family style).  The whole idea of the restaurant was a picnic theme.

Of course we didn't end our Friday evening without having desserts -- And we were all craving for something sweet and delicious.  Having tried Osteria Mozza's heavenly desserts, we ventured out to Hollywood to try some of Pizzeria Mozza's dessert.  Our stomachs weren't satisfied just yet, we had to indulge on some amazing desserts from Pizzeria Mozza.   Boy was it delicious!  One of the best desserts I've had.

So keep your eyes peeled for my posts while I fill your bellies with another gastronomic adventure of this hungry tEATeacher!

On our way to our Friday night culinary adventure

Beer Belly
532 S Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90020    (213) 387-2337

Brussels

Brussels Sprouts, Apples, Onions, Pancetta

Duck Fat Fries 

Smoked Salt, Sweet Onion Sugar, Duck Skin Cracklins, Raspberry Mustard

A-Frame L.A. Modern Picnic

12565 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066   (310) 398-7700

"to munch on" while waiting....
FURIKAKE KETTLE CORN 
buttered and spiced Hawaiin style

and some more "to munch on"...
KITCHEN FRIES 
wedges of purple Okinawan potato, yam and Korean 
sweet potato with kimchi sour cream

"to pass around"
DON'T SAY A WORD
beef tongue pastrami, pickled fennel, onions and 
celery with gribiche and grilled garlic baguette

just couldn't get enough "to pass around"
OCTOPI L.A.
charred baby octopus with carrot kochujang puree misuma, pickled vegetables and nori

"get your hands dirty"
CRACKLIN BEER CAN CHICKEN
with kimchi, century egg, salsa roja and verde

more to "get your hands dirty" 
BABY BACK RIBS
air-dried and hoisin-chili glazed

this was definitely a "modern style picnic" at night

Pizzeria Mozza

641 North Highland Ave., Los Angeles 90036     (323) 297-0101

Our evening was not complete without Pizzeria Mozza's delicious desserts!  
Definitely a must try!

Heavenly Sweets

Decadent, exquisite, extraordinary are just a few of the words to describe the fabulous dessert selection at Osteria Mozza.  Truly hard to resist! Since my sister and I were already in the neighborhood, we decided to swing by Osteria to have their amazing dessert.   All sounds delectably delicious,  it makes it difficult to pick one.

Tonights choices were the Strawberry Crespelle (sauteed strawberries with spiced almonds) and the Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes, olive oil gelato and rosemary brittle.  Both were amazingly good.

So if you're dining at Osteria Mozza, don't forget to leave room for dessert.  It is out of this world.

                            Location: 6602 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA  90038

Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes 
olive oil gelato & rosemary brittle

Strawberry Crespelle
sauteed strawberries with spiced almonds

cappuccino

Txirimiri Pintxos

Txirimiri Pintxos (tx pronounced "ch"), is an amazing tapas bar in Madrid, – one of the best I've tried thus far.  Pintxos are like hors devours.  They are served in small plates and can often be shared and are usually served at bars or taverns as a small snack while hanging out with friends or relatives.  It is a basically another word for tapas and it originated from the Basque country in Spain.  

Glad to have been able to try the many delectable tapas.  The tapas at Txirimiri meld the varied cooking of the Basque region which embraces sweet and savory combinations.  It was a fabulous culinary experience!  Like many tapas bar in Madrid, it's located in the neighborhood.  Unless you are a local, you wouldn't know about this place.  I was lucky enough to have been introduced to Txirimiri by a friend who is currently living in Madrid.  I met with her at the Lista Metro station (who needs a car when you can take the metro -- definitely one of the things I love about Madrid)! So, if you happen to be visiting Madrid and want to try an authentic tapa, this is the place.  Don't expect anything fancy though.  The bar is in the front and dining is in the back.  Just remember to get off at the Lista Metro station. 

                         Location: Calle del Humilladero, 628005 Madrid

Lista was my Metro stop to Txirimi Pintxos

No menus but a board to look at for the selected tapas of the day

for starters: tinto verano (very similar to sangria) and olives

Foie C/Mermelada de higo (LIVER)...YES, IT'S LIVER! And i don't like liver, but this was actually quite good. It melts in your mouth! muy delisioso!

Provolone a La Plancha

Solomillo C/Caramelizada - good quality beef - very tender! 

Spanish Spring Rolls

mushroom with shrimp - delish! 

of course...postre - chocolate!

Meet Michella -- She was the one that introduced me to Txirimiri Pintxos. 

Neek's Kitchen

Friday night dinner at home is always a joy and the best treat for this “Hungry Teatcher” as the whole family relish a home cooked meal prepared by my aspiring chef son, Nikko.  This is a rare occasion since he has been very busy with work and school. 

Nikko prepared a home cooked family style dinner starting with a roasted carrot soup.  Wow! It was delicious! I never thought carrots could be so good. We then savored a delectable array of sides from zucchini squash and roasted asparagus risotto complementing the  roast chicken  as our main dish. All were delicious! We couldn’t get enough! 

Nikko just amazes me with his talent. For now, he’s currently working at one of the well-known restaurants in LA where he hopes to gradually move up and make his mark in the culinary world. Who knows where he will be one day, Food Network – here’s Neek’s Kitchen!

Nikko preparing our home cooked meal

carrots roasting in the oven

Roasted Carrot Soup 

zucchini squash

roasted asparagus risotto 

roast chicken

Cheers!  Another wonderful dinner with the family! 

Harina, Madrid

Visiting new places is always exciting.  I never know what’s in store.  My last visit to Madrid, I discovered Harina Cafe at the Plaza Independencia,   This was my third visit to Madrid and had passed by this plaza numerous times and never noticed this place existed until my last visit in Spring 2012.   

My son, Chad who was living in Madrid at that time was the one who introduced me to this place.  He had been here with his friend for some Cafe' con leche (coffee with milk).  He knew Harina would appeal to me so he took me here.  I immediately fell in love with the place as I spotted a bike parked inside leaning gently against the counter; the bike’s basket cleverly disguised as a magazine rack.  What a great idea!  I love bikes so I was immediately drawn to it.  

Harina's interior just appealed to me.  The white post gave it character, especially the white color palate -- it gave it a modern/rustic feel.  It was very inviting.  The tables and chairs were also different -- no two were alike. 

For those of you who have visited Madrid, you know it’s quite expensive.  The Euros doesn’t go very far.  But, it’s always good to at least try something.  I wanted to save my appetite for lunch so I didn’t order anything too heavy, but rather something healthy.  Ensalada de frutas temporada is what appealed to me.  It’s basically apples and strawberries with caramel over it.  Just a simple dish. Loved it!  

I will definitely return to Harina when I visit again.  It’s a great place to hang out for awhile especially if you are waiting for the bus or metro.  Better yet, grab a sandwich and some pastries and head over to Parque del Retiro (Madrid's Central Park) for a picnic.  

         Location: Plaza de la Independencia, 10 28014 Madrid

bike disguised as a magazine rack

Ensalada de frutas temporada (green apples and strawberries with sweet caramel)

breakfast just before our bike ride around Madrid

view of Plaza de Independencia

Zumo de naranja de natural (orange juice)

Cafe' con leche (coffee with milk) 

tostada con mantequilla y mermelada (toast with butter and marmalade)

Parque del Retiro (My favorite park in Madrid)