Karel and Monika had me at "Chicken Paprikash", one taste and I was left wondering when I would eat it again.
The WW Eat Mobile Food Cart Festival is what I'm sure will be an annual favorite. $5, 17 food carts, and unlimited amounts of great food and drink (note: to avoid the lines and maximize your noshing go at least a 1/2 hour early, hit the outside carts first, than head inside). And while there was much to love Sip, Garden State, Al Forno Feruzza, Grilled Cheese Grill, and Junior Ambassadors to name a few I was facisnated with Tabor.
Having traveled to Prague, I found the city impressive but the food not so much. While left in awe of the red roofs, the golden spires, the cobblestone streets, and the underground jazz clubs I recall little of the food. Not so with Tabor, this cart doesn't just look good, it made me a believer in Czech cuisine.
"Chicken Paprikash" is a special (not always available), so calling ahead is advised if that's really what you seek. But I'd go anyway since the Schnitzelwich is always on the menu and always good. Pounded Pork cutlet, fried to moist juicy crispiness, placed in a Grand Central Ciabatta with a paprika spread and some horseradish. It's no surprise that this sandwich's fame has spread from St. Johns to Sellwood (to the NY Times). While I personally could do with a tad less horseradish, the fried piece of pork is pure art, so good it could probably stand alone (or better yet be dipped in the cream sauce of the Chicken Paprikash and served over spaetzle). In truth its probably best to ignore my food fantasies and enjoy the Schnitzelwich as is.
In a more recent visit (cue: "At Last" by Etta James) Karel and Monika, the affable owners, hooked me up with not just some "Chicken Paprikash", but Spaetzle as well. Usually this creamy flavorful savory dish comes with dumplings (delicious in their own right), on this occaision though Monika offered to do half dumplings and half spaetzle since I purchased two orders of the dish (and a Schnitzelwich, its hard to leave without one).
Best food cart in Portland? I'm not sure there's such a thing (and I'd have to eat at a few hundred more to be completely sure). But one of the best, certainly. Go Czech it out! (Yeah, I know...I resisted as long as I could).
Tabor
SW 5th St & Stark St
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 997-5467
www.schnitzelwich.com
Hours: 10am-3pm
Monday thru Friday
(I recommend parking on 3rd between Oak and Stark then walking just a short ways up Stark)
Tabor is so good--it makes me a believer in Czech cuisine in Portland. I'm still on the fence about Czech cuisine in the Czech Republic--my husband is Czech, so we've visited a couple of times. I miss vegetables and fruit there, but one bite of salad (lettuce in sugar water) and I'm happy to go back to nothing but meat and dumplings!
ReplyDeleteBut at Tabor, my favorite is always their bramborák (a wonderful potato pancake)--great stuff! Thanks for reminding me to get over to Tabor...
So true about the vegetables, fruit, and salad. Thanks for the heads up on the bramborák, love getting tips like that, will have to try this when I visit next.
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