corner of SW 3rd & Ash Street
Portland, Oregon
February 26, 2010
I grew up in Honolulu, where there is a fair share of lunchwagons. Tsukenjo was a wagon we ate at every few weeks (more like every month) and we looked forward to it. It was a spot my dad loved and it would become a personal favorite. I went to a "summer care" thing in the 3rd grade not too far from where I loved, where there was a green wagon that served great burgers and incredibly greasy fries, and a chili & rice wagon which had the design of those paper cardboard bowls that often held poi in some circles. One could drive to any part of Oahu and find a wide assortment of foods, and since I've been gone, more have popped up out on the North Shore.
Here in the mainland, more specifically SE Washington State, there is little to no variety, but there are taco and burrito wagons, including the one I tried in my last entry. 200 miles West of me in Portland, Oregon, there has been a food cart revolution in the last few years. I love fast and portable, but I also want quality, which you're not going to get at most fast food joints. Plus, I like to support local businesses. Anyway, there are food cart events and if you want to keep track at what's new, what's closed, and what is worth searching for, check out Food Carts Portland.
Yesterday I went to Portland to see Medeski, Martin & Wood at the Roseland. My plan was that after the show, I would go and try a sandwich I have been wanting to try for three months at a food cart that proudly calls itself Big-Ass Sandwiches.-
The cart was started by Brian & Lisa Wood, and after doing a number of trial sandwiches at home and having friends try them, they were ready to commit themselves to starting a business. After a few delays, they opened up in late December 2009. I had intended to try it back then during their opening first week because I was in Vancouver, Washington (the city across the bridges from Portland) with my cousin's family for Christmas, and it would've been perfect. Christmas fell on a Friday last year, which meant I could try a sandwich on the next day, right? Well no, because their weekend hours start at 11pm, unlike their weekday schedule which originally started at 10am (they now open at 11am Monday through Thursday), and since I was leaving the PDX/Vancouver area on the morning of December 26th, I knew I was out of luck. I made a promise that I would return.
What moved me about this place? C'mon, they're called Big-Ass Sandwiches, that's what hooked me first. I had no idea about Brian or Lisa's background but found out Lisa and I share roots in radio, a plus. I later found out that Brian and I have a friend in common, someone I went to high school with (Steve T. played with a number of bands, including D.N.C., and if anyone has their demo tape from 1992 or so, I'm on there speaking gibberish on the intro to one of the songs.) Those are good things, but in the end I just wanted the damn sandwich. Anyway, Big-Ass. That's funny. They have been enjoying a good amount of buzz and promotion in various blogs and websites, and through interaction on Twitter (they are @BigAssSandwich), people became aware of them very quickly. Because of their name, they had to compromise by covering the ss in their name on the banner on top of their cart. Originally it was with asterisks, but that wasn't enough, so it's covered up with tape. Nonetheless, it's all in the name and let's face it, when people talk about food, we're all free with the mouth: "oh damn, that shit is sick" or "that is one motherfucking big ass sandwich." Why not cut to the chase, right?
After the concert, I changed into my Big-Ass Sandwich T-shirt (which I lovingly model here) and walked to the cart. I stood there for a minute or two as Brian had taken ordered and cooked. Then Lisa popped out of the window and says "hey, I recognize you." I wanted to order a standard sandwich, and I say this because they have since added a unique feature to their menu: limited edition sandwiches. The mixture of the contents are not on their menu, but they included one sandwich that featured deep fried macaroni & cheese, and one week they created a sandwich in honor of Portland mayor Sam Adams (who does his share of Twitter interaction with the people of his proud city).
So, what exactly is a standard sandwich? Their "Big-Ass Sandwich" consists of "choice of roaster turkey, roast beef, or ham with homemade French fries, grilled and piled into a ciabatta roll." Their rolls are made by Fleur De Lis Bakery & Cafe. You also have extras such as homemade horshradish, side of ranch dressing, raw or grilled mushrooms, and raw or grilled onions, and a bechamel cheese sauce. Again these are optional. They also have a very good (and local) hot sauce that is optional called Secret Aardvark. I actually got this hot sauce as a gift and I really like it, especially with Mexican food. Now, if you're feeling really hungry, you can order their "Gutbomb", which is double the meat. I love breakfast and wanted to take home their "Big-Ass Breakfast Sandwich" but I wasn't sure what it would've tasted like after eight hours of being in a refrigerator. I also could've eaten it right there, but again, I wanted to do the "standard" thing as my introduction. Despite all of this carnivorous goodness, they also make a vegan sandwich, which sounds good too.
As I waited for my sandwich, I could smell the contents being grilled up by Brian and it smelled so good. There were a few others waiting for their orders. I looked around and there was a guy with dreads and thermals singing as if he was Wayne Coyne, while you had club goers going in and out of Voodoo Doughnut, which is across the street, no more than a few yards. Next door to Big Ass Sandwiches was a pink cart called Ninja Plate Lunches who serve local Hawaiian favorites. Basically, if you've ever been to Hawai'i and have eaten a plate lunch, that's what's on there, everything from shoyu chicken, loco moco, chicken or tofu curry, and even Spam musubi. As a Hawaiian, all I could think was "lucky they're not open".
For my Big-Ass Sandwich I chose roast beef and added grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, and cheese sauce. Again, each sandwich comes with fries and they are inside of the sandwich. You can order a side-order of fries, but again, you're already going to have fries inside, so keep that in mind if you visit and decide to order a sandwich with a side order of fries. Both Brian & Lisa were very cool, as they were talking with other customers they spoke freely, which means that if you're offended to swearing, you have been warned. It's very casual and loose, but everything is up to code, nothing is pilau (dirty) about it other than the verbals you may here. I was going to eat the sandwich on the spot, but it was cold and my hotel was nearby.
This video consists not of me eating it, but opening and investigating the sandwich before... well, you'll see.
For those who don't want to or can't see the video, here's my verdict. The sandwich is incredible. Unlike a fast food sandwich where you'll eat it and wonder what exactly you just ate, you taste everything. The roast beef is quality, the fries in and out of the sandwich are good, the cheese sauce, onions, and mushrooms have a lot of flavor, now combine them together: mind blowing.
Is the sandwich worth the 200 mile to-and-from drive, yes. Will I venture into Portland again for the sandwich: yes. Consider the price for a standard Big-Ass Sandwich before the extras ($5) and that's a bargain, especially for the flavor that's within. If you are a fan of sliders, you may want to cut this sandwich into fourths. If you like a simple McDonald's burger, you'll want to cut this in half. But for people with big appetites, this is perfect. If there was a way for this cart to go on tour, it should go. You know, have a national band say "hey, at all of our stops at all of the festivals we go to, we want to represent our love of your food by you guys being there." I am currently involved in a food-related book project right now, imagine going to a book signing and right outside: Big-Ass Sandwiches. Or have the book signing AT the food cart.
I'm gloating, but this sandwich is, as they say, "the truth". I cannot highly recommend it enough, and I only tried one sandwich. Make Big-Ass Sandwiches the reason you (re)visit Portland in the near future.
