Researching Seattle Street Food Scene For Truck Food Nation Book Tasty Work
My friend Angie Mosier just spent a week in Portland and Seattle photographing the growing number of street food vendors for a book by John T. Edge. Truck Food Nation, a look at the phenomenon that's got the momentum of a souped-up GTO, is due out next fall. In the meantime, the author and photographer have been criss-crossing the country doing research from Madison, Wis., to Tuscon, Ariz., New York City to L.A., home of the superstar truck, Kogi BBQ.
I was absolutely tickled to tag along with Angie as she sampled and shot bites from Marination Mobile, Minimus Maximus, Kaosami Thai, Parfait Ice Cream and El Camion, considered by some as serving the best Mexican food in the city, period.
As we rumbled down the road, we found a gem I hadn't tried, thanks to a heads-up on Twitter.
Paladar Cubano -- on the southwest corner of 90th and Aurora Avenue -- has the kind of Cuban comfort food you're most likely to find in Miami. Or Havana.
The first sign that this truck was the real deal was the mamey shake on the menu. Mamey is a tropical fruit sometimes described as a cross between a sweet potato and a mango. That makes for a gorgeous shake, the color of autumn leaves.It was mighty fine with a side of fried tostones -- mashed and breaded plantains -- and a true Cuban sandwich: thin-sliced roast pork, ham, pickles and Swiss cheese, toasted on special bread that looks like a smooshed burger bun.
While music blasted from the trucks' boom box on a blustery day, Angie and I mmm-ed over our order, especially the tostones, pictured here. What fun research, huh?
A semi-random aside: Angie also worked on a new PBS show starring chef Eric Ripert. "Avec Eric" debuted this summer, but I was bummed to learn the Seattle PBS station is not yet running it. I'm going to be a squeaky wheel and write an e-mail to the powers at KCTS and ask them to get Eric on the air. Care to join me?
--Leslie Kelly
Tracy Schneider on October 24, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Leslie, I can't wait to try out Paladar Cubano. It's been ages since I've had a mamey shake!