Shut Up & Eat

Shut Up & Eat, located on SE 50th, just south of SE Division, is one of my favorite food carts in Portland. Part of a larger complex of food carts called "A la Carts," Shut Up & Eat is more than just a funny name. Its homespun Italian comfort food truly is a cut above the rest. I sampled their meatless option, the Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich with farm egg, caramelized onions, kale, sauteed mushrooms & gorgonzola cheese. The entire sandwhich completely melts in your mouth. Trust me, you won't miss the meat at all. The other sandwhich I tried was the Open Faced Sandwhich with thinly sliced, housemade roasted beef, with onions, gravy & rosemary biscuit, topped with a horseradish potato cake. Let me tell you, this is one delicious bite of food! It is just about the most tender roast beef I have ever had. My plastic knife completely sank through the whole thing with ease. I have also tasted the meatball sub, and those meatballs are the best I've had in the city. Unbelievably, all of the entrees are under $10.00. You can feel the pride and care that co-owners John Louis Fimmamo & Glenn Hollenbeck put into their food. When you walk up to this food cart, you most certainly will be warmly greeted & not told to shut up! However, one bite of this food & you'll be in contented, silent bliss! Shut Up & Eat is open Tues.-Thurs. 12:00pm to 9:30pm & Fri. & Sat. 12:00pm to 11:00pm. They're closed Sundays & Mondays. You can check out their website at http://www.shutupandeatpdx.com/.