Category Archives: Street Food

Where Ya At Matt? (Seattle, WA)

Posted on by
Reply

I had some time before class today so I decided to walk around a bit and to my surprise/delight I saw the Where Ya At Matt? food truck hanging out in Belltown near my school.  There are a lot of great things about this truck and my favorite thing about it is the cuisine…..Creole Soul Food.   I used to live in Louisiana so any chance I have to eat this type of cuisine I run towards it (I work at Blueacre and Chef Kevin is from Louisiana….I ran towards the restaurant to work there!).

Things that get me excited no matter how full/hungry/awake/asleep I am……. Gumbo, Jambalaya, Po Boy, Red Beans & Rice, and so much more….. I heard there was a food truck in Seattle called Where Ya At Matt? that served all these things and when I walked around the corner and saw it I was so happy.  On the menu was one of my favorite sandwiches of all time, the muffuletta.  This sandwich rocks because of the meats and olives…I’ve eaten them down in Shreveport, Natchitoches, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans many times and I drool when I see the word muffuletta (I wear a muffuletta bib sometimes….it’s embarrassing but I rarely have to use it…but now that I know that this food truck serves it I’ll have to order some more).  Look at this thing and drool with me!!!

I have a feeling in a few weeks I’ll be stalking this truck on a regular basis when my parents come into town, they love creole cuisine just as much as I do so we’ll all be asking “WHERE YA AT MATT?!?!??!”

Here is their contact information so you can find them for yourself, try the muffuletta!:

Eric

 

Damiana’s Truck Special-Fundraiser November 7th!

Posted on by
Reply

I love food trucks. I have spent countless hours visiting/stalking my next meal from these culinary crusaders on wheels.  Marination Mobile, Minimus Maximus, Skillet, Dante’s, Parfait, Where ya at, and more…(click).. …I love them all.

There is a new truck coming to town and a good friend of mine, (CHEF BRIAN!!!) asked me to help him and his girlfriend, Damiana, cook for a fundraiser they are having for their new food truck.    The goal of the fundraiser is to raise a little money to help that blue truck get on the move around town.

Hold on, before I go any further.  Does this do anything for you?


DUCK!!!

How about this?

Mmmmm, galette.

That’s a preview of what’s going to be available at the fundraising dinner.  ”Eric, when is it and can I come?!?!?!”  Yes, you can. Here is the press release.

Damiana’s Truck Special is excited to announce a one night pop-up restaurant experience. Chef Brian O’Connor and Damiana Merryweather will prepare a four course seasonal meal served in an intimate setting with family style seating and service. Chef O’Connor is the highly lauded local chef and previously of San Francisco’s Cliff House.

Menu:

Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad- watercress, feta yogurt emulsion, honey crisp apple

Curried Cinderella Pumpkin Soup- roasted root vegetables, pineapple quince, pepitas

Coriander Braised Maple Leaf Duck Leg- green lentils, smoked cauliflower, bacon, confit garlic

Caramelized Comice Pear and Rosemary Galette- creme fraiche ice cream

Price: $40/person. Wine and gratuity not included. Recommended wines and pairings available by the glass and bottle.

Location: Swirl Wine Bar, Magnolia. 3217 W McGraw Street.

Date/Time: Sunday, November 7 @ 6:00PM

Secure Reservations Required
Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134029

-Damiana’s Truck Special: A forthcoming mobile food adventure committed to serving our neighbors delicious, delightful, and unpretentious food.

-Pop-up Restaurant: Using an existing restaurant, bar or commercial space on its closed night for a wholly unrelated dining experience.

This is a huge event and if you live in Seattle then you should definitely make it out on November 7th.  You’re in for a fantastic dinner and you’ll be helping a few people achieve their dreams by helping them raise funds for the truck.

BUY TICKETS NOW!!!!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134029

Eric

Pork and Gourds: October 31, 2009

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_3041

The Queen Anne Farmers Market will be hosting a Pork and Gourds event on Saturday, October 31 from 3-7 PM.

Street Food + Costumes + Candy = BESTFREAKINGHALLOWEENEVER!

Check out the Queen Anne Farmers Market Association’s Website for a list of participants and updates. (Click)

Eric

Mobile Chowdown 2009!!!

Posted on by
1

IMG_3028

PARFAIT ICE CREAM

IMG_3021

SKILLET

IMG_3027

EL CAMION

IMG_3029

KAOSAMAI THAI

IMG_3031

DANTE’S INFERNO DOGS

IMG_3038

GERT’S CATERING

IMG_3034

MARINATION MOBILE

IMG_3033

MAXIMUS/MINIMUS

Seattle Magazine’s Mobile Chowdown 2009 was a hit. I was there a little early so I was able to capture the calm before the storm. I am happy to say that Seattle is a street food town!!! Long lines, lots of smiles, and great food.

This was the first time an event like this has been held so of course there were a few hiccups but overall I think everyone did a great job handling the enormous crowd and lines that were there. Luckily, I showed up early and I was able to eat food from the vendors I haven’t visited yet.

Dante’s Inferno Dogs- We (Mindy and I) had a Jalapeno Cheddar Dog with some Sriracha Hot Sauce. The dog is amazing and I am a little angry with myself for not visiting before.

IMG_3056

El Camion-  Beef Taco, Chicken Gordita, and Pork Tamale with Habanero Sauce with a Mexican Coke (Real cane sugar no HFCS). The Habanero Sauce was amazing and it gave the perfect kick to the three items we ate.

IMG_3049

Gert’s BBQ- Ribs with GBC (Green Bean Crack…best name ever).  I could have eaten a whole rack of these the rub on them was to die for and the green beans were fantastic. Bacon in green beans? Oh yeah, like crack!

IMG_3044

Finished it off with a little Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Parfait. I know, not very adventurous but it was amazing. The quality of ingredients used to make the ice cream was apparent. I will definitely be searching out more ice cream from Parfait!

IMG_3053

We would have stayed longer and ate more food but the crowds/lines took over and Mindy was freezing so we left. I have now crossed off a few more street food vendors on my list so I’m happy with that and I’m happy that this scene is alive and thriving in Seattle. You can never have too much street food! There are rumors that this event will be happening and there will be live music and beer so get ready for the next one.

Thanks again to all the vendors and Seattle Magazine for putting this together, it was a blast!

Now for a little video.

Eric

Seattle Magazine’s Mobile Food Chowdown!!!

Posted on by
3

p7130168

What: Mobile Chowdown — a gathering of some of Seattle’s favorite food trucks.
Who: Marination Mobile, Skillet, Maximus Minimus, Gert’s BBQ, El Camion, Parfait Ice Cream, Dante’s Inferno Dogs
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10
Where: 1616 W. Bertona (Interbay)
Cost: No ticket fee for the public; just the cost of the food they order
Bring your own: If you want to hang out a bit, byo lawn chair.

I will be there because I still have not had a chance to eat at Gert’s BBQ, El Camion, Parfait Ice Cream, and Dante’s Inferno Dogs.  Come on down…..eat food………eat more food…..leave happy! :)

Want a little more information about Marination, Maximus/Minimus, and Skillet? Click here!

Want more information about Seattle Magazine? Click here!

THIS.IS.GOING.TO.BE.AWESOME!!!!!!

Seattle Street Food: Kaosamai Thai

Posted on by
1

IMG_2710

STOP!!!!!! WE HAVE TO STOP!!!!!!

Ok, now let;s see what they have on the menu….

IMG_2714

Sweet, they have my favorite!!!! Chicken Phad See Iew!!!!!!!!

“How spicy would you like it……1-5 stars????”

5!!!!!!! Ok, I have a few minutes to kill while the food comes out…..can’t wait for it……………can’t wait……………OMG THERE IT IS!!!!!

IMG_2716

Soooooooooooooo good! I love Thai food.  I love Thai Street Food.  I love Street Food!!!!

Kaosamai Thai

Location: Who knows, you’ll have to find them!

http://www.kaosamai.com/

First Annual Street Food Crawl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted on by
2

Ladies and Gentlemen!!!
Boys and Girls!!!
Fans of food of all ages!!!!

Eric Rivera’s Cooking Blog is proud to announce (I’m speaking in third person!!):

Eric Rivera’s Cooking Blog First Annual Street Food Crawl (say that three times fast)!!!!!!!

On September 13th get ready to chow down on some of the best Street Food Seattle has to offer, in one day!!!! (I love exclamation points because they’re free!!!!!!)

Are you ready? Would you like to be part of this? Well then let me know!

The details are a little shaky because I have to track down where these mobile street food vendors will be so there is still some planning left in the air. Also, I’m assuming you’ll want to know how we will all be moving around to each stand……….when I figure out how many people will be attending I’ll figure out the easiest way for us to move around.

Confirm today!!!! Come hang out with a bunch of people that like to eat fantastic food out in the open. Street Food people, get with the program!

Eric

Times, Vendors, and Locations to be announced soon….

Stay tuned!

Maximus/Minimus/Awesomus

Posted on by
6

(Click each picture to make it larger)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…….I’m a little behind with this whole street food movement in Seattle. I’m not “hip” enough to find out about things before they happen so to most Seattleites this will be a “well duh” moment for you.

To everyone else, let me introduce the coolest F’ing street food truck in Seattle and possible the world! MAXIMUS/MINIMUS!!!!!! That’s porkin’ awesome!!!! Anyway, the folks over at Beecher’s cheese invested a little time and money to create the end all says all mobile food truck. I’ve been quietly stalking them for some time and today I finally had a chance to visit them, it’s nice going to a culinary school that is located a few blocks away from the greatness.

I parked my car at 2nd and Pike and ran over because I only paid for 30 minutes and there was a small line so I was panicking because the parking lot attendant already had the look in his eyes that told me, “stay here a minute longer and I’ll have your S**t towed before you can say Maximus/Minimus”. So I ran over and to my surprise Maximus/Minimus accepts credit cards and was able to move the line pretty quickly….what a considerate piece of pork.

The crew is amazing and they greeted me with open arms while I stumbled a little through their menu trying to figure out the secret words on how to order.  “I’ll have the Pork Maximus with the hurt and some cheese with some maximus slaw and chips!”………I said it but I think I did it wrong but they knew what I was talking about and everything came out exactly how I wanted it to.

I stepped over to the side and there was a portable table around a tree and I proceeded to devour a spicy pulled pork sandwich like it was trying to run away from me. Slaw, I’m coming for you next………..awesomus. Alright chips, here I come…………awesomus…..potato chip medley with green beans and chili’s…………….awesomus!!!!!!!

I was done so I walked over to one of the employees there and he asked me, “how was it?” I didn’t say anything, I just gave him a huge high five, shook my head in agreement of the awesomus, and walked back to school. Yes, I high five….you would too if you felt the awesomeness that is Maximus/Minimus.

They don’t pay me to say this stuff, they don’t even know who I am. I’m a huge fan.

Eric

Yes, I realize I just made up a word, awesomus. I’m trademarking that (I’m lyingus).

Seattle Street Food: Marination!

Posted on by
Reply

(Click each picture to make it larger)

I’m addicted to street food!!! I was meeting up with my wife to help her out before her promo in Seattle and on the way there I spotted was has become my new obsession, a street food truck!!! i was thinking in my head, “ok, drop this stuff off for Mindy then I have about 10 minutes to eat and head over to Bellevue to meet a friend for dinner”.  Ruin dinner? Oh no…..just getting the evening food coma started!!!

I walk up and to my surprise it was Hawaiian/Korean food!!!! Spam, P.O.G. (passion, orange, and guava juice), Musubi, Kimchi, and more Spam!!! I was so excited that I just started snapping pictures, drooling, and just trying to figure out what is it that I wanted. The best part about street food is that it’s inexpensive and you don’t have to choose one thing, so I chose four! I chose the Spam Slider, Spam Musubi (block of rice topped with Spam and wrapped in seaweed), Aloha Sliders (Kalua style pork), and a nice refreshing P.O.G. to wash it all down.

F’ing amazing! It’s very simple stuff but the execution is flawless. I’m a street food stalker so Marination was a nice surprise for me. They’ve been open for 1 1/2 weeks and I think you’ll be hearing their name over and over again. They’re onto something great and I wish them the best!

Click here to be Marinated!!

Eric

Skillet Street Food

Posted on by
9

(Click each picture to make it larger….Camera B was allowed outside for the day)

Street Food, it’s the talk of the town here in Seattle and a few other cities around the country. Great food made accessible to anyone willing to find it. Instead of the traditional idea of going to your favorite place on the corner that serves that fantastic sandwich that you have been eating for years, Skillet Street Food is taking that idea and making it a lot more fun.

They have an attitude towards food that I share, they’ll cook wherever people will let them. They take an Airstream Trailer and fit it with a small kitchen then hitch it up behind a van then look for places that will house their trailer for the day while they cook fantastic lunch for anyone willing to search them out.  Their locations and menus change on a weekly basis leaving the average consumer with something new to try or find their own “favorite” to return at a later time. This is my kind of place!

I met up with Rob Salvino the owner of  Terra Preta Sales. Terra Preta works with local food businesses to provide marketing and sales services for companies that care about the consumers palate, health and environment. He recently started this business, three months ago, after working for “the man” for 11 years. He was bogged down by it all and decided to do work that makes him happy………..sounds like someone I know who runs a blog and is going to culinary school. Rob and I were supposed to meet last week but weren’t able to make that happen because I wanted to test out all the varieties of berries for a company that he is working with called Northwest Wild Foods, Inc.  Anyway, more on that in a separate post and you know what that means………..recipes!

Skillet Street Food!!!!! I checked out this week’s location of the aluminum food bullet mobile and saw it was down in the SODO district about 1/4 of a mile from Safeco Field. You know what happens when I’m close to Safeco Field? Oh yeah, Mariners jacket! Rob and I checked out the menu and everything sounded fantastic!

MENU:

Burger W/ Fries
Duck Confit
Pappardella Pasta
Chop Salad
Poutine
Lavender Shortbread
Blackberry Lemonade

After about 1/2 a second my order came out, without a question…..DUCK CONFIT! I couldn’t believe it, I love that stuff and I love the idea of storing duck in its own fat then frying it.  You might think that sounds gross and that’s when you order the burger……that’s when I say, “the burger is just fine but you’ll enjoy duck fat a lot more” (conversations with myself are always awesome). Fine, I’ll get some healthy too, I’ll try that Blackberry Lemonade!

Verdict? Oh yeah……fantastic! Will I go there again? F@*K YES!! My name is Eric and I support this street food movement. Now, if there was only some way to fool these guys into thinking Federal Way was the city of the future……………

Skillet Street Food (CLICK)

Eric