Deana Lancaster
LAST week, I jumped at the chance to take part in the taste test judging panel that would help the City of Vancouver hand out street vending permits for 2012.
After sampling 25 sandwiches, snacks, stews, rice bowls and burgers though, I wasn't jumping anywhere. Waddling slowly, yes - and rolling wouldn't have been out of the question - but there was nothing nimble about the way I locomoted home.
What I gained, beyond a few extra pounds, was an appreciation for the increasingly well made, thoughtful and tasty food available on the streets of Vancouver.
The program, inspired by Portland's epic street food scene, stumbled out of the gate when it launched in the summer of 2010. The first year's vendors were chosen by lottery, with no consideration given to concept, experience or even readiness to get a cart or truck on the street. Only 10 of the first 17 made it through to year two. The city then pulled a panel of foodies together to grade the concepts and decide which 19 carts would be added to the program.
This year, they took it one step further with the taste test. I can say without hesitation, that whichever of the 25 would-be vendors land the 12 new available spots, I will be making regular pilgrimages downtown to enjoy their wares.
Among the many standouts:
- A decadent bacon sandwich made with double smoked bacon, sausage and bacon stuffing with sage & apple, goat Gouda, greens, and apple and cider chutney. The ingredients, including the bacon, are sourced locally, and the homemade flatbread is made with locally milled flour and, you guessed it, bacon fat.
- A taste bud-boggling southern-style slow-smoked pulled pork sandwich on a crisp brioche roll. Also made with locally sourced, sustainable, seasonal ingredients, this sandwich has made previous appearances on the North Shore. I hope to see it get a permanent home.
As an aside, the focus on local and sustainable ingredients is driven by the city itself, and was included on the scoring sheet. It's an emphasis that I support; it makes sense for a city that wants to be the greenest city in the world by 2020. And eating healthy and organic is a win for consumers too.
- Pork-stuffed arancini: spheres of risotto, breaded and dunked in the fryer until golden, hot and crispy from a vendor who would also like to serve up coq au vin and Nicoise salad.
- Perogies stuffed with everything from the original potato and cheddar to The Mexican (seasoned beef, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro), The Indian (red curry), Sweet Potato, and even an Apple Pie Perogy.
- a Japanese-Canadian fusion of pork miso katsu on a bun.
- traditional wood-fired Neopolitan pizza made, as it should be, with Caputo flour in the crust and San Marzano tomatoes for the sauce.
- modern Chinese food, like shao bing: crispy sesame flatbread stuffed with juicy beef brisket, pear, pickled onions and watercress.
There were more, but I'm running out of room to describe them. And until the scores of all 15 judges are added up, we won't know which dishes we'll be able to eat on the street.
The taste test got me thinking, once again, that the North Shore municipalities should follow Vancouver's lead here; this is a trend that promises to stick around for a while. The handful of hot dog carts that currently hold permits simply don't measure up.
As the Vancouver program's literature points out, street food brings the community together and enhances the liveliness of the street; encourages bike and pedestrian friendly communities; and increases the opportunity for microenterprise to develop.
Although we might not see the foot traffic on this side of the inlet that downtown does, a small selection of worthy carts would be a terrific summertime addition to busy neighbourhoods like Lower Lonsdale or Ambleside, or perhaps, to the North Van City plaza around the corner from my office. Ahem . . . just a suggestion.
See you on the street!
