Holy Mole

Southeast 33rd and Hawthorne Boulevard, 347-4270, facebook.com/holymoleportlandor. Hours vary; see Facebook page.

Not much has changed since Holy Mole was crowned our Food Cart of the Year for 2015, but that isn't a problem for chef Juan Fernando Otero. As Otero prepared our sharp, tactile jicama and purple cabbage slaw, earthen corn tortillas and mole poblano—a 30-plus-ingredient sauce as rich, dark and complex as your favorite novel, served with chicken ($10.75) or tempeh ($11.75) and rice—he explained that the recipe he uses from his hometown of Puebla, Mexico, has been unchanged for 400 years. Otero prepares his meals with a reverence traditionally reserved for holy rites, keeping everything fresh to ensure it gets to the customer in the best possible shape. If you're famished, it isn't a terrible idea to order a potato-filled taco dorado ($2) or two while you wait for your piece of history.

Check out Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

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