Yes, I want the balls. I always want the balls.

Twelfth and Hawthorne is becoming my favorite late night place. The other night, after the Kids Rock 4 Kids concert, Ansley and I decided to head over to the food carts and get some dinner. After reviewing the offerings at Potato Champion and Perriera Creperie and Yarp?!, we both decided that Yarp?! was going to be the way to go. The menu was fabulous. Lost of pasta and some seared Ahi Tuna - yum.

"You looking for me?" A guy with a reddish sweater vest, a dress shirt and some slacks walked towards us. "Are you the one that makes the food?" I asked. "That's me! What do you want tonight?" "I'd like the roasted red-pepper spaghetti." "You want the balls with that?" "Yes, I want the balls," I said. "I always want the balls." Ansley ordered the veggie pasta with a red wine rosemary reduction. "Give me a few minutes and we'll have that ready for you." He walked inside the trailer and started cooking.

The trailer, covered in spray paint, with anarchist messages, did not look like a place that you would necessarily look at and say "I want to eat there". But there were fresh herbs peeking out from the window and somehow, talking to this guy, I knew the food would be good. I had read a couple of things online about them that gave me the idea that Yarp?! was a safe bet.

It was probably 10 minutes or so when they handed us two boxes and two tin foil packages with two napkins and two real forks. The boxes were heavy! We sat down at the covered picnic table and we opened them up. Holy crap. This was a helluva lot of food.

The roasted red pepper spaghetti was lighter than normal spaghetti and had terrific flavor. The meatballs had fantastic texture and perfectly seasoned flavor - a little spicy, which is exactly how I like my meatballs. The foil packages contained delightfully buttery thick slices of garlic bread, freshly warmed through and perfect for sopping up extra sauce.

I ate exactly one third of my spaghetti before I was bursting full. Ansley, too. She declared her pasta to be amazing and loaded with veggies, and was also bursting full after eating only a third.

We said good night to the chef and headed off. Leftovers served for two additional meals the next day. And they were still just as delicious.

Damn good food. And seriously THE best people watching in the city. I didn't even tell the story about the umbilical cord hats, the billy club and the stoned skateboarders, but use your imagination. And check out Yarp?! You will be happy you did.

Yarp?!
SE 12th and Hawthorne Food Cart Pod
Wednesday - Sunday
8pm - 3am
http://pdxyarp.blogspot.com