Running to the Reindeer Dogs

Where Ya At, Matt?

After creating a Seattle Street Eats guide on Foodspotting, I've been trying to make more of an effort to check out the burgeoning mobile food truck scene. Today the first truck that came to mind was Where Ya At, Matt? - a New Orleans restaurant on wheels that tends to get closer to my office than many others. Though 'closer' is a relative term.



I grabbed the #16 Metro bus at 3rd and Columbia, heading NW. Like every time I get on an unfamiliar bus in town, I felt apprehensive about whether I'd miss my stop and end up on the freeway. Seems like less than 1% of drivers in Seattle bother to call out stops, and 50% of those who do are unintelligible. Did he just say this is the last stop downtown, or the last stop in the free ride area? Big difference worthy of enunciating.

Anyway, a few stops into Belltown I spotted a street sign for Vine, where I hopped off and headed toward the waterfront. There at 1st and Cedar I spotted the big red truck parked at the Chase Bank, right where their twitters said they'd be. (Twitter turns out to be the communication channel of choice for mobile food trucks, particularly since Seattle's food laws aren't exactly encouraging of their enterprises. Recently, Skillet Street Food had to close up shop before they'd opened at their planned downtown location, thanks to the SDOT.)



I already knew what I wanted when I arrived, so when the guy taking orders (Matt himself, perhaps?) asked, I put in my order for a Fried Shrimp Po' Boy and a bag of Beignets ($12 even). While I waited, I watched other early birds glowing with glee as they got their muffuletta sandwiches and tubs of jambalaya. Sadly, I saw one guy drop his jambalaya, though the sturdy container thankfully didn't let much out, and the incident didn't seem to dampen his spirits.

After my order was up, I ended up walking the long trek back, finding myself unsure which bus would get me back. It was cold but dry, and my sandwich kept one hand warm. When I got to work, I dug into the sandwich and found it messy but flavorful, with bright red ripe tomato, crisp lettuce, and LOTS of fried shrimp falling out all over.



The beignets turned out to be messy in their own special way - three big bombs of confectioner's sugar waiting to go off. One exploded on my black hoodie, and the others I shared with some coworkers who share my sweet tooth (and frequently share their sweets with me, too). Later in the day, one still had white dusty evidence down the front of her jacket. Despite enduring the trip back to the office, the beignets were still light and fluffy.

A lunch of fried goodness leaves one feeling a bit on the heavy side in the afternoon, but this fried goodness left me feeling just as happy. Hopefully Seattle will loosen up the archaic laws that outlaw food trucks from parking on city streets, and technically forbid ice cream trucks, so these small businesses can flourish and Seattle diners can enjoy the variety.

My First Taco Truck

Ruth & Paul invited us out to their 'hood (White Center) tonight for a culinary (and drinking) tour. Ruth is a true adventurer and she & Paul have explored markets and bars, tattoo shops and even an underground gambling ring (an accident) in the area around 16th and Roxbury, just in the short year and half since Ruth bought her home in the area.

The first stop on our culinary tour was an amazing mercado overflowing with a variety of Latin and Asian foodstuffs, from fish I'm used to seeing in aquariums to pinatas. The experience reminded me of a childhood trip to Seattle's International District, where our young suburban minds were blown by the unfamiliar grocery items we encountered at Uwajimaya. The 'Waj has nothing on this little mercado in terms of obscure ingredients.



After oogling surprising seafoods and discounted produce, we grabbed a bite at Taqueria La Fondita #2 - a taco truck in residence at the end of the parking lot, with a covered eating area. Our hosts treated us to a round of carne asada tacos that were definitely tasty, which officially popped my taco truck cherry.

I have some strong opinions about people's strong opinions when it comes to Mexican food in Seattle, and have been turned off by too many people who turn up their noses at so-called 'Family Mexican Restaurants' as being inauthentic, but flock to taco trucks. Perhaps that's kept me from stopping at any of the half-dozen taco trucks I pass in our South Seattle neighborhood - like the one across from the light rail station at Othello, or the one in the parking lot of the Saars Mart on Henderson, or the one at the gas station on Graham.



Although delicious, I wouldn't categorize my taco as head-and-shoulders above the same offering from El Sombrero, nor would I call it more 'authentic' (whatever that's supposed to mean). It was different, and the experience is very different, and I enjoy them both. What may have made this taco experience a little better was that it was shared with me by good friends, which makes almost anything taste great. But I won't be shunning my neighborhood taco trucks any longer, and will try to make an effort to give them a try.

One word of warning, however - be careful with that salted, roasted pepper that garnishes your plate. It doesn't seem that hot at first, until you've convinced everyone at the table to take a bite and the heat is finally catching up with you. Definitely Caliente!

Akid'lleativytoo, Wouldn't You?

Today was the final day of the Puyallup Fair, and for the first time in a decade (at least), Dan & I made the trip down. Although nostalgia played a role, food and farm animals were the main draws for us.

With our chicken coop mostly completed and plans for even more urban farming in 2011, we wanted to visit the annual celebration of all things agrarian to check out chickens and goats, and nosh on some of the fair staples we haven't enjoyed in so long.



As luck would have it, just as we arrived a group of 6 month old and younger Pygmy goats were being judged, which had us cooing over how adorable and tiny they were. After the judging was completed, we followed the goats (and their handlers) into the barn and saw even tinier pygmy goats and little babies. It's a very real possibility that goats will be in our future if they're that cute - though some seem a little noisy.



Our next stop was one of the many Fisher stands, where we picked up two of their classic scones with raspberry freezer jam. Having recently realized that raspberry freezer jam is among my very favorite foods (I've been known to select my breakfast option at Julia's based on whether it comes with toast, just so I can slather it with jam), I was eager for this familiar treat and it didn't disappoint. The flaky, buttery scone is a wonderful vehicle to get raspberry jam into my maw, and I could've eaten a bakers dozen if we weren't trying to pace ourselves in order to gorge on other fair delights.



After checking out chickens and dogs, it was time for some lunch in the form of a Krusty Pup. The Sales family has been doling out food to ravenous fairgoers since 1923, and the Krusty Pup is their trademarked version of a corn dog with a thick corn batter fried to a golden brown.

Next up we ventured into the endless maze of the freaky commercial buildings, where TV infomercials come to life and harass you to come try out the latest and greatest telescoping flag pole, food chopper, or color-changing lipstick. I found myself drawn to the worm bin booth, but didn't want to lug a worm bin around the rest of the day. We also checked out the hobby halls, where I realized the important role the fair plays in the community, and remembered my own experiences at the Evergreen State fair during my 4H days. The fair provides a venue for showcasing any hobby or trade that may be undertaken by the youth and adults of the county, from collecting Mr. Ed memorabilia, to raising rabbits, to flower arranging, to woodworking (which was what my fair memories were linked to). From the impressive to the banal, all the handiwork is presented side by side, legitimized and embraced by the community, building self esteem and fueling passions. No wonder the fair grows bigger every year (it's one of the ten biggest in the US) - as the community grows and the variety of interests grows. Although I didn't see it, I wonder if less physical and more digital hobbies will begin showing up at the fair - a child's first web site, perhaps?



Before we left the fair, dessert was the final order of business. Dan went for some ice cream from the Dryers booth, while I pondered which fair treat to make my final taste of the day. I was almost drawn in by the funnel cakes, but fond memories of elephant ears won out. Back when I was in 4H and showed my woodworking projects at the fair, we'd spend many days there, hanging out and checking out our friends livestock and craft projects, and of course, eating fair food. Cinnamon & sugar coated elephant ears were a favorite treat, for sure. When I saw that they now come coated in raspberry freezer jam, my decision was made. I'd forgotten just how huge an elephant ear is - and the addition of jam made it a cumbersome culinary challenge (not to mention lending it a more-than-mildly gorey appearance). I opted to fold it burrito-style, wrapped in paper, and devour it from one end. This minimized the mess, though I almost left the fair looking like an extra from a slasher film - but with a big smile on my face.

Frugal Fridays: Dogs on the Docks

Although the fact that you can get a hot dog for under $5 isn't major news, in talking with people around my office, it seems like the fact that you can get a hot dog loaded with toppings in Downtown Seattle WAS a revelation. So today, I planned to go to Matt's Gourmet Hot Dogs on Pier 52. Nearly every hot dog & sausage on their menu is under $5 after tax - from the plain dog at $2.83 with tax to the turkey dog at $3.27 to the veggie sausage at $4.04. I was planning to go for their Spicy Polish (aka 'Fire Dog'), and enjoy it while walking along the waterfront, making sure to peek in Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.



But it wasn't meant to be...

The first bit of trouble occurred this morning, when - 2.5 miles into my 3 mile walk to work - I realized that I'd forgotten my camera at home. My camera phone would have to do.

Then, when I walked down to Matt's at 11:45am, they weren't open. I wasn't even sure they were still in business, the place looked so closed. But, the show must go on, so I kept walking.

And lo and behold, just a bit further (at Spring St & Alaskan Way), I spotted The Frankfurter. I grew up in the Everett area, and we had a Frankfurter up there when I was in high school, which a friend & I frequented. Seeing it reminded me of driving around town with nothing to do on a Summer day, stopping in for a simple hot dog with mustard.



Thankfully, their menu includes some dogs that come in under the $5 mark, including the Italian Hot, at $4.91 after tax. Not quite the deal at Matt's, but at least they were open, and the woman working the shop was friendly and quick. I had my dog, piled up with kraut in less than a minute, and was directed to the side of the shop for my choice of three kinds of mustard, ketchup (a sacrilege), two kinds of relish, and chopped onions. Matt's loads up their dogs for you, Chicago Style (mustard, onions, sweet relish, tomatoes, kosher dill pickle, hot pepper, and celery salt), but beggers can't be choosers.

At least I still got to window shop for mummies and Mexican jumping beans while eating street meat. And I walked back to the office full.

One word of warning to anyone walking down to the waterfront to enjoy a dog from Matt's or The Frankfurter: don't leave your dog unattended. The seagulls are aggressive, and won't think twice about grabbing your dog if they think you're not looking. And they don't care if it's Chicago Style or not.



(Frugal Fridays is a weekly series dedicated to finding Seattle lunch spots where you can walk in with a $5 bill and walk out with a fulfilling, preferably healthy, lunch. If you have suggestions of places in the Seattle area with a great lunch for under $5 after tax, post a comment - I'd love the help.)