SALEM IS MOPO FOOD CARTS food carts & food pods Who says you need to decide between tasty tacos and sumptuous sushi? Salem’s downtown is flush with global bites. You’ll find food carts and trucks dishing out everything from empanadas to crab Rangoons. Better still, many of the city’s food carts are clustered together in collective pods, ideal for diners who want to try a bit of everything. South Salem’s Beehive Station (1510 Fabry Road S.) is one such pod. At this buzzy hub, you’ll find a cluster of eclectic food carts serving savory plates from Jamaican jerk chicken to rich Indian curries. There’s even a taphouse cart. Don’t miss the freshly cooked steak, fish, chicken and veggie hibachi dishes at Osaka Hibachi, one of the newest members of the hive. Head downtown to Fork Forty Food Hall (440 State St.) to feast on a world of flavors. At the city’s first food hall, you can snack on Asian-fusion plates cooked up by Chubby Bao House and Aleppo-style cuisine from The Syrian Kitchen. A scoop from Slick Licks ice cream, small-batch and scratch-made, is the perfect dessert. The Yard Food Park (4106 State St.) is another popular choice, offering 18 food carts and both indoor and covered-patio seating. Fill up on spicy kimchi chicken and bulgogi beef at Get Seom Aloha or go for a boiled seafood platter at AristaCrab. The newest addition to Salem’s growing food-cartpod scene, Checkpoint 221 (1233 Riverbend Road NW) showcases an eclectic mix of outlets offering everything from Korean corn dogs to craft beer. There’s also a large indoor dining area for rainy days and open-patio seating for when the sun shines. If you’re in the mood for comfort fare, make your way out to The Den in Silverton (311 N. Water St.), a food-cart pod and pavilion offering everything from gourmet grilled cheese to traditional Costa Rican casado and empanadas. You’ll find some tasty treats outside of Salem, too. For a hearty meal, drive over to the nearby city of Woodburn to try the tacos, burritos and flautas at Lonchera Uruapan (490 S. Pacific Highway) — its handmade tortillas are considered among the best in the region. For veginspiration, head out to Dallas to try the popular Joyful Foods Vegan Food Truck (995 Main St.), where panini comes stuffed with portobello mushrooms and a side of chickpea slaw pops with coconut-harissa dressing. For a hearty plate, try the smoked BBQ-tofu steak with rice. PROFILE OSCAR CRUZ RODRIGUEZ Oscar Cruz Rodriguez never dreamed that he’d one day own five Don Bigote dessert food trucks that regularly sell out of handcrafted churros, ice cream shakes and sweet crepes. After catering tacos for summertime Mexican rodeos for about 10 years, he decided to start a new project to keep him busy during the winter months. Salem didn’t have any churrerias at the time, so Rodriguez opened his own. He bought a food truck and started thinking up a very creative menu. Needless to say, when the first Don Bigote truck opened on Salem’s Portland Road in 2019, it was a hit, and Don Bigote became Rodriguez’s full-time culinary obsession. Today you can find the mustachioed logo of Don Bigote on food trucks in Salem, Albany and Portland; and Hillsboro, Eugene and Vancouver, Wash., trucks are slated to open next year. People can’t get enough of Rodriguez’s churro ice cream sandwiches and Energy Drizzles. Pay the truck a visit the next time you have a sweet tooth — just don’t ask Rodriguez what’s in his Energy Drizzles. The ingredients are top secret. DonBigoteChurreria.com Oscar Cruz Rodriguez 13 TravelSalem.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==