A typical outing (downtown)

So today I attended a fitness class at PSU. While I do enjoy a good workout, this is fairly atypical compared to the normal regiment. I had a good time though, the best part I think was when we all put the equipment back in the equipment closet; a smile and a wave of nostalgia came over me, reminding me of school days. Oh yeah, and it was fun to hang with a bunch of college girls too.

Anyway, after the workout I found myself down town. Food of course presented itself directly after the class, and after a few moments thought, my mind became fixated on a couple of things. The first was the BBQ pork bahn mihn at Asia Express which is the best around with only a few more potential contenders left to try, and also La Jarochita, a Mexican spot where I had never eaten. Jarocho is a word referring to a Veracruzano, and as my family is from Cordoba, Veracruz, I have been curious for a minute. I had a few other ideas of things to try while in the area, though nothing decisive. I counted on stopping at another spot or two at least, as is my practice; in this fashion I can try more places in a single day.

First stop was La Jarochita. I try never to get my hopes up too much in anticipation of food in this town, as it is merely a set up for disappointment. I couldn't help but get a little exited though what with the name and all. In Veracruz, the Pastor is in the DF style and so I imagined something similar. I ordered three tacos and asked where they all were from, and then switched the conversation over to Spanish. They were all from the state and one of them from the port, Veracruz city, an actual Jarochita. My food came quicker than all the others and to this I attribute to the Cordoba connection, but the food that came was nothing special. The sauce (pasilla) was not quite on, and the whole taco was smothered in sour cream, which I have never really seen before; certainly not without asking. They also offered the option of corn or flour tortilla with all tacos which has never been the case in my experience. The next time I go to the port I will have to look into the local variations. The avocado salsa was actually quite tasty.

While I was waiting for the tacos I went about 5 carts south to Smokin' Pig. They offer only one thing, pulled pork. I like a simple menu as it tends to raise the quality of fewer preparations (In and Out). A decent sandwich, super lo-fi, just pork on a basic bun with a sauce of your choice. I picked the spicy cuz that is how I roll; it wasn't really spicy though; it wasn't as hot as a bucket of red ants like the sign said. Two sizes, regular and large, I narfed the hamburger sized regular in under two minutes flat, not a bad sandwich.

Turning the corner, from fifth street down to third, I noticed a sign for Taste of Poland. The promise of hand made sausage caught my eye, and the fact that a real Polish guy made all from scratch was more than enough reason to rock it. I had only eaten one taco, and as they didn't really do it for me, I decided to focus my efforts (stomach) on the new found infatuation. After glancing at the menu for too long, I asked the woman working what she recommended, and here began the most adorable and enjoyable interaction of the day. She was so nice and sincere, and also, had the perfect accent and limited vocabulary which made me feel like I was in a movie, like talking to a female and polish Roberto Benini. She first recommended the combo platter as it features a little bit of every thing. I decided that I couldn't handle quite so much as I had already eaten a bit, and also had not yet reached my sandwich destination. She recommended to me the "hunter sausage spicy" and her enthusiasm made me feel likewise. Very good sandwich actually. While I don't really know about polish food, I can sense cultural pride and sincerity, at least in regard to westerners. The sausage and all of the condiments were spot on, including the caramelised onions which are usually mishandled in my opinion. I will definitely go back to try more.

The hunter sausage was massive and so after feasting on about a third, I knew that it was time to hit up Asia Express. In previous random food cart bombing I tried the sandwich here and was blown away, in great part because such a generic name did not evoke any real expectations. Where most bahn mihn places use that reddish pre-cooked BBQ pork that you can buy at the store, this place has their own house cut and marinade, and out of the four carts reviewed for the day, this one is still the best. I intend to go back for several things including the Pho which was the recommendation of the main guy working. Excellent sandwich.

While the French/Vietnamese sandwich defends its title for the day, the hunter sausage sandwich is a close second; I consumed the whole thing right after the bahn mihn. The pulled pork finishes third, and the Mexican finishes last! This is embarrassing as I am always promoting Mexican food culture, and especially with a name like Jarochita. Today, the Americas got owned by Europe and Vietnam.

Later in the day I went to a friends house for some ribs. I had been invited the week before and was quite exited, as it was someone with good taste, the same person who took me to La Fuente (previously mentioned). Definitely one of the best sauces I have had, a great combination of vinegar, hot, and sweet. I will try to get a recipe though I don't believe that one exists, the intuitive nature is what I admire most in a recipe.

More soon...