Vegetarian in Portland

There are cities where it is difficult to be a vegetarian. Portland, Oregon is not one of those cities. 

In many places, restaurants typically offer a few choices for vegetarian diners. There are a few restaurants that offer exclusively meatless or majority meatless menus. In Portland, most restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan diners an array of options, and exclusively vegetarian spots seem to be on just about every block.

There are options in different settings and price points, and there is something for just about everybody.

The destination dining options in Portland seem a little more affordable since there is no sales tax charged in the state of Oregon. It is an extra incentive to justify eating out at the highest rated spots - or any restaurant, really.

Some of the best high-end spots for vegetarians in Portland include:

- Ava Gene's: Portland's premiere Italian spot features a menu rooted in the Roman tradition with a focus on the local bounty of ingredients. The place is popular in Stumptown, but the national media have also caught on: Ava Gene's was named the No. 5 new restaurant of 2013 by Bon Appetit.

- Andina: The Peruvian tapas restaurant offers an excellent selection of authentic vegan and vegetarian dishes in the Pearl District. 

- The Veritable Quandary: This Downtown spot is Portland's dining Grande Dame. The menu is a nice mix of Pacific Northwest with an international flair.

- Toro Bravo: The top destination for tapas in Portland is the swinging Toro Bravo. It is Spanish in much the same way that Olive Garden is authentic Italian; however, the capable kitchen puts spins on dishes that make it easy to overlook the elements that merely share a framework with the country that inspires them.


Not every restaurant in Portland is priced to clean out your bank account. There are plenty of affordable locations that offer a lot of bang for the buck.

- Pine State Biscuits: The popular breakfast spot makes damn fine biscuits, of course, as well as many other items rooted in the Southern tradition. There are two restaurants, and they also offer their wares at the Portland Farmers Market.

- Whiskey Soda Lounge and Sen Yai: Sure, you have heard of Pok Pok. Andy Ricker's tribute to all things Thai has locations in other cities (one is in NYC,  and Ricker will soon open two in LA). Whiskey Soda Lounge, his Thai drinking food restaurant, and Sen Yai, his noodle shop, are also located in Portland. 

- Clyde Common: The modern gastropub is found in the sleek Ace Hotel Downtown. The hotel is an attraction in its own right, but Clyde Common seems to be the most exciting place to grab a bite there.

- ¿Por Que No?: The festive Mexico-by-way-of-Portland taqueria has lines down the street waiting to sample its wares. It's difficult to tell if they are there for the tacos or the margaritas, so you probably should order both. 

- Lardo: This Italian sandwich shop goes above and beyond your typical deli. There is lots of pig on the menu, but the veggie burger should keep the meatless crowd satisfied.

A city with a reputation for quality produce and hippie vibes is bound to be full of world class vegetarian restaurants. Here are a couple of the main attractions.

- Tin Shed Garden Cafe: This is not a completely vegetarian restaurant, but the organic menu is about two-thirds vegetarian and features many vegan dishes. This restaurant is much of the classic throwback wholesome West Coast variety, and it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

- Harlow: Harlow is Portland's haute vegan/vegetarian spot, featuring dishes with local ingredients for meatless/animal product-free diners, as well as a nice selection of gluten free items. The cafe, Prasad, is more inexpensive and less formal.  

- The Sudra: This new vegan spot prepares international takes on Indian fare with some great happy hour specials to boot. It might not be the most authentic Indian restaurant, but luckily the kitchen kicks out food so flavorful that nobody will miss the animal products.


Portland is also a city on the cutting edge of mobile cuisine. Food trucks are incorporated into large blocks of the city, whipping up cuisine from all corner of the globe. An interesting vacation could be planned simply eating food served from wheeled kitchens. These are some interesting stops.

- Big Ass Sandwiches: These sandwiches, served on fresh-baked local bread and piled high with French fries and bechamel sauce, were featured on Man vs. Food and Best Sandwich in America on the Travel Channel. Why simply order fries when you can cover them in creamy sauce and eat them between two slices of bread?

- Koi Fusion: This truck fleet is riding the wave of Korean-Mexican fusion, putting Korean spins on tacos, burritos, quesadillas, sliders and rice bowls. The kimchi contains fish sauce, but there are still enough dishes made with spicy tofu to create an authentic vegetarian dish rooted in the culinary tradition of two continents.

- PBJ's: The gourmet spins on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't look anything like the brown bag lunch staple of school lunch rooms. There are menu selections built on challah, Oregon nut butters, house made jellies and other local ingredients as well as a build-your-own sandwich option. 

- Potato Champion: There are plenty of things you can put on fries, and Potato Champion does. Hand cut, twice fried Belgian fries come with a variety of sauces. There is vegetarian and vegan poutine, as well as fries topped with satay and palak paneer. 

- Kargi Gogo: Georgia is a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Dishes share characteristics with Eastern Europe, but are rooted in Asian tradition. The khachapuri, soft, layered, pita-like bread stuffed with a tart, mild melted cheese, can and should be eaten by the truckload.

- Emame's Ethiopian Cuisine: Ethiopian cuisine has lots of options for vegetarians, many of which can be scooped up with the pancake-like injera bread. The mesir wat is red lentils cooked with spices including garlic, ginger, paprika and cardamom, as well as tomatoes and onions. The sambusas, the cousin of the Indian samosa, is a good buy because it's about the size of a softball.

Challah

Challah is a regular participant in the Food Truck Food Court at the Columbus Commons, and it pops up regularly at other spots around town. The ladies behind Challah prepare fresh comfort food rooted in Jewish cuisine, particularly the kind from Eastern Europe.

There isn't a ton of options available for vegetarians from Challah, but there is a meatless sandwich and side dish on the menu. The bread is good enough to make sandwiches a must-have from the truck.

There were differences in the bread for the tomato sandwich on separate visits. The interior with heirloom tomatoes, Emmental cheese, endive and mayonnaise is a perfect marriage of ingredients for a summer sandwich. The sweetness of the tomatoes amplifies the richness of the cheese and the spice in the greens in perfect synergy.

The latkes, served with sour cream or apple sauce, are made with thin ribbons of potato. It is a superior side to the somewhat ordinary cole slaw.

The cart handled a high volume of business well with minor timing flaws. Staff capably handled vegetarian questions and fixed all service issues. 

Angry Wiener

The Angry Wiener is a Columbus food truck that specializes in hot dogs. It shares ownership with The Cheesy Truck, another food truck that makes appearances all around central Ohio.

The veggie dogs at The Angry Wiener are made by The Good Frank, a local company. They are served in a split New England roll, giving the dogs a unique bun that differs from many other local carts and shops.

Diners can build their own dog or choose from a number of off-the-menu options. Side dishes include beer battered fries and mac & cheese.

The Cheesy Wiener is topped with fried jalepeño peppers and elbow mac & cheese. It is a bit of a mess, and it goes down like a deeply satisfying heart attack.

The Greek is topped with  tomato, black olives, feta cheese, red onion and tzatziki sauce. The Mediterranean elements play together nicely.

The Angry Wiener makes regular appearances Downtown at the Columbus Commons Food Truck Food Court. Other appearances can be tracked on Facebook and Twitter, as well as other mobile food social media.

Mashita Noodle Bowl

Mashita Noodle Bowl is a food cart that serves ramen and other Japanese noodle dishes. While the traditional broth is prepared with pork, there are vegetarian sauces on the menu, and they capably prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes to order.

The choice of noodles was traditional and spicy ramen, as well as Korean sweet potato noodles traditionally called japchae. There is a limited selection of seasonal veggie toppings which included squash, zucchini and mushrooms.

The vegetarian preparations are cold. There are enough options and sides to create customized orders. There is also soy sauce and Sriracha to tinker with the taste profile of the dish.

Mashita can be located with Twitter and Facebook.

Tortilla Street Food

Tortilla Street Food is a new food truck that brings the Chipotle approach to Mexican street food. They whip up the usual tacos, burritos, quesadillas and bowls, and all of the ingredients are pictured on the side of the truck, allowing diners to customize their meal.

All of the ingredients from Tortilla with the exception of meats are vegetarian. Toppings include white rice, Mexican rice, black beans, refried beans, fajita veggies, cold veggies like peppers and onions, queso dip, cheeses, a variety of sauces and sour cream.

Overall, the fare at Tortilla is closest in character to California Mexican. It is a good stand in for Chipotle.

Dishes are prepared in the assembly line fashion of fast-casual eateries. The burrito is large enough to be a very hungry person's lunch.

Side dishes include chips and dips such as salsa and guacamole. Tortilla also offers churros with strawberry filling, dusted with cinnamon sugar with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces as dessert.

Mai Chau

Mai Chau is a Vietnamese food truck. It has a fairly limited menu, but luckily for vegetarians and vegans, it offers a vegan pate bahn mi sandwich on a regular basis that makes it a destination worth tracking down.

The pate is vegan mushroom walnut. It is a meatless equivalent of cha lua, the classic Vietnamese pate, though it has a deeper savory essence that mimics truffles.

The bahn mi is served on a perfectly soft French bread that is hollowed out and filled with pate, cilantro, daikon, carrots and hot sauce. It is a substantial sandwich.

The staff is receptive to vegan and vegetarian requests. Mai Chau can be tracked via Twitter, Facebook or related food-truck social media. 

Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites

Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites is a new food truck. It is operated by Ousra El Gamal and her husband. They are a Turkish/Egyptian couple who both have Ph.D.s. Their daughters also have terminal degrees, indicated that Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites could probably beat your squad on team bar trivia night.

But rather than dominating trivia matchups, Dr. Mom uses her nutrition background to create delicious, healthy Mediterranean fare with a focus on low fat and vegetarian diners.

There are two veggie panini sandwiches, a veggie burger and a bean salad as entrees on the menu. Sides include hummus, baba ghanoush, potato salad and potato chips.

The baba ghanoush works a tremendously deep smoke into the tender eggplant slivers along with garlic and parsley. This eggplant dip would stand up to almost any in the Columbus area.

The veggie panini had squash, zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms and onions. It was dressed with pesto that soaked nicely into the bread. 

Prices are inexpensive. Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites is at Dinin' Hall a few times coming up, and it can be seen at the Campus Pitt Stop too. Check out Facebook for location updates.

The Polish Nose

The Polish Nose is a new pierogi cart that operated for the first time at Independents' Day. Proprietor Brandon Wilburn prepares Polish dumplings in traditional and not-so-traditional flavor combinations with a variety of condiments served on the side.

Wilburn said that his great grandfather was Polish, and that he has fond memories of eating pierogi as a child. He figures that since pierogi are a versatile dumpling, it provides a nice palette on which to experiment with flavors. 

Experiments aside, the Old Faithful is, of course, a traditional potato and cheese dumpling flecked with garlic and served with a side of caramelized onions and sour cream or Greek yogurt. The dumplings are fried on the griddle to give them the traditional texture and flavor. The filling was soft, and the potatoes and cheese were sweetened slightly by the roasted garlic.

The Pumpkin Poser was a sweet potato pie pierogi. While dessert pierogi are common in Polish restaurants, this puts a Southern fried spin on the category. It is somewhat reminiscent of pumpkin pie. It is served with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbles.

Wilburn plans to operate the Polish Nose at a few bars and events in the future on a limited basis, possibly even preparing pierogi for a kitchen to sell. He said a brick-and-mortar location might be in the cards for the future, but for now, he'll operate a food cart and keep his full-time job. Updates on the cart's location can be found on Facebook.

These two pierogi are acceptable for vegetarians to eat. There was a third pierogi on the menu that contained meat that was prepared on the same griddle. Wilburn said that he had experimented with vegan pierogi dough, and mentioned that he might consider making vegan dough in the future, but he had to test the recipes.

Ajumama

Ajumama is a Korean street food cart that specializes in items that are a little deeper on the menu than simple kimchi and bibimbop. Proprietor Laura Lee makes delicious food that possesses a heart full of Seoul (soul).

The signature menu item is a pajeon, a Korean pancake with green onions and a variety of different fillings. The pancakes are made with egg; there is no vegan option.

The Nelson is a pajeon made with mixed vegetables. The veggies were different on two different visits. Both times they were prepared with green onions. There was roasted corn in the pancake on a second visit. The soy vinegar sauce gives the pajeon a salty, savory explosion of flavor.

Sometimes, a vegan rice porridge is on the menu. I have not sampled it.

The hodduk is pretty much the best dessert that I had never heard of before trying it this summer, and I am not certain how I lived this long without one. It is a soft pocket stuffed with nuts and molten brown sugar. It's hard to eat just one.

Ajumama seems to be a fixture at Dinin' Hall in Franklinton on Wednesdays this month. It can be tracked down on other days on Facebook and Twitter. 

Columbus Food Truck and Cart Festival 2012

Year two of the Columbus Food Truck and Cart Fest in Columbus Commons was a great opportunity to try a pile of food trucks in one sitting. This year's festival had 35 trucks from central Ohio and beyond take part in the 10-hour event.

Since I have tried many of the other trucks before, this was an opportunity to try vendors that I hadn't encountered before. I especially wanted to try the out-of-town options.


However, I displayed local pride by trying Sweet Carrot first. Sweet Carrot is a truck that is linked with a catering company. The primary focus is weddings and business catering. 

The fried artichokes, like other dishes, were served either plain with sauce in a paper boat or on a thin corn pancake. The perfectly breaded fritters came with a chipotle aioli. 

The mac and cheese had a thick, crunchy top and a gooey, cheese sauce that held the elbow macaroni together. It was a nice portion for $4.

Sweet Carrot's dessert, was of course, carrot cake. Unfortunately I didn't get to try it.

Nosh Box is a comfort food truck from Cleveland. It was profiled in depth on Eat Street, the food truck show on the Cooking Channel.

The menu allowed for sampling since half sandwiches could be ordered. Selections included burgers, a non-vegetarian mac and cheese sandwich,  Caprese pesto panini and tater tots.

The grill marks were evident on the Caprese  sandwich bread as well as its interior. The soft mozzarella picked up smoke and sweetness from the thin tomato slices. The pesto added a garlic accent to the crispy panino.

Not Guilty is a grilled cheese and smoothie cart that parks down the street from the Burrito Buggy in Athens. They focus on local ingredients - Not Guilty is part of Athens' 30 Mile Meal program.

There are three vegetarian sandwiches at Not Guilty, as well as seasonal specials. There are also vegetarian baked goods, gazpacho, watermelon and smoothies. 

The Meigs County Red is pepperjack and colby cheese with thick Ohio valley tomato on 10-grain bread. The great ingredients make an even better sandwich. 

Inner Circle Street Food

Inner Circle Street Food makes its own vegan sausage, and it's amazing. Track this cart down immediately and put in an order.

Rich Stewart, who owns and operates Inner Circle, is a Dragonfly alum. His sausages are made without a casing, unrolled from a plastic wrap on the grill surface. The texture is firm, and the herbal flavor is clean and bright.

There were three different dogs at the St. James Mobile Monday event. The Scioto Shore Sausage is topped with sauteed peppers and onions, fig preserves and spicy mustard. The jam adds a nice sweetness to the bright veggies, and the mustard gives the sausage a spicy kick. 

The Sommerwurst was topped with leafy greens, vegan mayo, mustard and red cabbage slaw. The slaw is visually striking with vibrant color and a nice crunch.

The Sweet Caroline-uh comes with mustard, tomato jam, slaw, sweet pickles and potato chips. The haphazard combination of ingredients works well together. The vegan bun is large with enough soft pockets to hold the hot dog and its ingredients in place.

With Rad Dog hanging it up for the foreseeable future, Inner Circle should comfortably satisfy the mobile vegan hot dog cravings of Columbus.

The Green Meanie

The Green Meanie is a food truck with bright flavor to match its paint job. The menu is international, held together by the common theme of green ingredients. There is one vegetarian sandwich on the menu that can be prepared vegan upon request.

The Green Thumb is a grilled portabella flatbread sandwich with fresh mozzarella, arugula, cherry tomatoes, avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro with a creamy sauce and a pesto sauce. The mushroom was soft and smoky with an excellent texture. The sauces added a nice herbal tone to a great sandwich.

Fries with aioli are available as a side. 

The truck can be found via the usual social media suspects. 

Spud Bus

Spud Bus was at the Park Street Festival. It sells fresh cut fries with a variety of condiments.

The Spud Bus is based in Reynoldsburg. It operated at a rapid pace.

There are Idaho russet and sweet potato fries prepared in peanut oil. Dip choices include sun dried tomato mayo, parmesan pesto, mustard, nacho cheese and ranch. They are served in a paper cone in a manner reminiscent of Belgian frites.

The standard fries were starchy and lacked crispness. Fresh cut fries are a nice idea, but this batch was imperfect.

The pesto dip was too thick and had a green, medicinal aftertaste. Perhaps one of the other dips or the complimentary ketchup would be better options.

The fries from Spud Bus were unspectacular. The Tatoheads truck is decidedly more fun and flavorful.

Sophie's Gourmet Pierogi

Sophie's Gourmet Pierogiis a new food truck specializing in the famous Polish dumpling accented with international flavor. It makes regular appearances at the Columbus Commons Food Truck Food Court, Dinin' Hall and other spots around central Ohio.

Sophie's prepares all of its pierogi in butter, so vegans are out of luck except for salads. The staff capably answered all vegetarian questions, and prepared a fresh order of veggies as a side after I asked questions about vegetarian items.

The Vintage is an order of potato and cheese pierogi served with sauteed onions, sour cream and compound butter. The pierogi are boiled and then pan fried golden and delicately crispy. It is an excellent example of a traditional pierogi. The only two minor issues were that the compound butter was a little cold and difficult to incorporate into the dish, and the number of pierogi varied in three different orders.

The summer salad was cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions in a vinaigrette topped with crumbled Asiago cheese. It was only available at my first visit to the truck.

The crew actually does a great job handling large crowds. There is a hot serving bar in the truck window, allowing pierogi to be churned out rapid-fire to waiting diners. At slower stretches, pierogi are prepared to order. 

OH! Burgers

OH! Burgers is a food truck specializing in sliders. There are two mini-burgers per order.

The veggie burger patty is quinoa, black bean, rice, onions and peppers. It is served on a soft white bun from the French Loaf in Grandview, and it is topped with bean sprouts, cucumber, tomato and mustard.

The flavor of the burger has layers of smoke and sweetness. The texture of the patty is soft, and the burger crumbles so much that it resembles a sloppy Joe more than a burger. The preparation of the veggie burger at OH! Burgers is evolving, so consider the recipe a bit of a work in progress.

The house made sweet potato chips were an addictive delight. They were paper thin, and the paper bag that contained the chips soaked up some but not all of the excess grease. It's a nice upgrade over ordinary bagged chips despite the minor shortcoming.

Market District Foodie Truck

The Market District Foodie Truck was my first experience with a mobile food vendor with big-time corporate backing. The menu is Asian influenced, and they operate most days during the week.

The menu at Foodie Truck has stayed consistently the same. Their most common location is the Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington, but the truck can be found around central Ohio.

The vegetarian items on the menu are Indian and Chinese. The truck also makes dishes from Vietnam and Singapore.

The samosa is stuffed with potatoes, peas and onions. The shell was perfectly crisp, but the samosa's flavor might benefit from mint chutney rather than the mango chutney that was served with it.

The vegetable jalfrezi is prepared with carrots, peas, green peppers and cauliflower in a tomato sauce with garam masala and ginger. It is served with naan, Basmati rice and mango chutney. The dish does not taste particularly authentic. The curry flavor needed additional cooking, and the tomato was flat and unappealing.

The truck has potential, but the menu could use a revamp. It's hard to recommend the place when there are so many excellent Indian restaurants in central Ohio.

Freedom a la Cart

If dining out during these economically trying times weighs on your conscience, Freedom a la Cart eases your mind by transforming your craving for a sandwich into an act of charity.

Freedom a la Cart is a Latin-themed food cart that always offers a vegan or vegetarian sandwich and side dish. The cart is run by Doma International, and proceeds go toward fighting human trafficking in central Ohio as well as organizations that support area survivors. 

The meatless sandwich is called the Papa. It is a vegan potato sandwich with a lemon white bean relish and a vegan garlic aioli made from almonds. The aioli added a richness to the bright cirtus flavors of the sandwich.

The vegan side was an orange blossom cole slaw made with organic red cabbage. The slaw was crunchy, and it displayed delightful floral notes from the orange blossom.

Freedom a la Cart can be found using social media. They are regularly at Double Happiness in the Brewery District on Wednesday.

Per Zoot

Per Zoot serves Italian sandwiches out of a little white school bus. Sandwiches are made on a tigelle, a thick Italian halved biscuit.

The vegetarian sandwich was roasted eggplant, red onion, asparagus and parmesan cheese. The eggplant had excellent texture and displayed sweet flavors balanced by smoke. It came with a side of green beans.

The sandwich at Per Zoot was fairly priced. I ended up eating two sandwiches in order to make a satisfying meal but spent only $10.

The bus looks great. It's red and white with Cupid worked into the design.

Street Thyme

Street Thyme is the latest food truck to hit the streets of Columbus. Although the focus is burgers, vegetarians need not fear: Street Thyme also makes a damned good veggie burger.

The Owner of Street Thyme, Steven Zeppetella, is the sous chef at Elevator. This menu gives him a chance to work with items that are more informal than those at Elevator.

All of the burgers at Street Thyme, including the veggie burger, are doubles. Burgers are served on a toasted Klosterman's bun.

The veggie burger, called the High Street Herbivore, is a house made patty with lentils, chickpeas and corn as well as a variety of other vegetables with a curried yogurt condiment. The texture is soft, and the flavor is bright and fresh.

The tater tots are dusted in barbecue spices. The outside of the tots was crispy, and the shredded potatoes are a great canvas to bring out its nuanced smoky flavors.

Street Thyme has a rotating cast of milkshake flavors. The Butterfinger banana shake was a match made in heaven. The other flavor was strawberry rhubarb.

Street Thyme keeps a schedule on its website. Like most other food trucks, they can be located on Twitter and Facebook.

Red Hot Food Truck

Red Hot Food Truck was featured last Monday at St. James' Mobile Mondays. The retro trailer makes tacos, quesadillas and various other Mexican sides.

There are vegetarian tacos and a few quesadillas on the menu. Some ingredients and menu items change seasonally.

The vegetarian tacos were made in soft corn tortillas with black beans, lettuce and salsa. It came with lime and a side of crema.

The quesadillas were excellent. Both were served with crema and salsa. The bean and cheese quesadilla was remarkably filling with a smoky flavor. The goat cheese, pumpkin and asparagus quesadilla was spicy and delightfully tangy.

Like other mobile food vendors, Red Hot can be tracked on Twitter, Facebook and Hungerly.