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Stop all the rotisseries, and turn off the spits. Portland has gone wild for Latin-style rotisserie chicken lately thanks to Pollo Norte and Polli-Tico, but the latest entrant in this arms race is Cartopia's new Chicken and Guns, and its Latin-inspired birds have both places beat with old-fashioned grilling over mesquite and oak.
The birds are moist and smoky from bone to charred skin, dry-rubbed with spice and served with onion and tomato, smothered in spicy Peruvian-style jalapeño-vinegar sauce that bursts with freshness. We brought two whole birds ($24 each) back to our office, and cussed joyously at the sheer wonder of it. (One writer went back for dinner the same day.)
There are no pretensions to authenticity or regional faithfulness, though the cart was built by co-owner Dustin Knox (Perierra Creperie, Central) to mimic a dirt-road food stand. Along with cart co-owner and former Woodsman Tavern cook Todd Radcliffe, Knox traveled on surfing trips across Latin America and witnessed the chicken cooked by soldiers with guns strapped to their backs. But it's food tourism at its best, a cherry-pick of bold flavors.
The char on the side-dish potatoes, served with aji sauce, crumbles like briquette dust on the edges before yielding to the tooth and revealing tender insides. The chimichurri-sauced salad is made with fresh mixed greens and veg from the farmers market.
Up to now, the cart hasn't had a working phone for takeout, which means waiting 10 minutes or risking they're out—but they say their landline will be installed Sept. 4. Until then, Chicken and Guns requires you to take your chances.
Order this: Chicken. Potatoes. Extra sauce.
EAT: Chicken and Guns, 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 234-7336, chickenandguns.com 11 am-midnight Wednesday-Sunday.
WWeek 2015