The Food Cart Crew
From the soul of Mexico to the heart of Bangkok, meet our fun-loving, talented, international family.
Tacos la Catrina
A Taste of Mexico in the heart of Bend.
Since he was a child, Chef Alejandro enjoyed seeing (and eating) his grandma’s cooking. “It was always a treat when my grandma made something special like pacholas, corundas, or tortitas de papa. Even the simplest thing like rice with beans with her magic touch of a roasted tomato salsa was a moment of joy.” His authenticity is influenced by incredible native people from different regions of Mexico that have used ancestral techniques to prepare their family’s recipes for generations.
Mexico is a country full of history, culture and traditions, and its food is one of the most recognized cuisines in the world due to the perfect fusion of the Mexican and Spanish cultures. With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Alejandro brings Mexican cuisine to the next level without compromising the traditional flavors that make it so special. His goal? To give the Bend community an opportunity to enjoy this wonderful food without having to travel to Mexico (although definitely check it out someday if you can!).
Juno Japanese Sushi Garden
Amazing rolls and traditional Japanese offerings with an artistic flare.
Chef Michi began shelling out sushi from a window in the Podski’s indoor bar in the middle of lockdown. She met Podski owner Mikel Lomsky at random while looking for a location and he welcomed her in. The bar was still shut down but Lomski saw no reason why she couldn’t prepare her sushi there for pick up. Having had a restaurant in Century Village Shopping Center from 2013 to 2018, Michi had already established a loyal fanbase, and her text-to-order option made it easy to fuel people’s sushi cravings during the pandemic.
Michi is proud to offer sushi at lower prices than you would typically find at a sushi restaurant. She wants to make healthy options like sushi more accessible to the general public. Her sushi is also a little different, made using a mixture of white and brown rice to give it a versatile, healthy taste. She makes everything fresh, grocery shopping for new ingredients every day, and she operates the whole show on her own. Mad respect to Michi!
Big Ski’s Pierogis
Serving homemade and handmade pierogis since 2015.
Big Ski’s owner Rich Winiarski was born and raised in Connecticut. The son of a Polish immigrant, Rich grew up with a Polish family that instilled in him a great love for the taste and tradition of Polish food. Every year growing up his family would celebrate Wigilia, the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland. The rockstar of the night was always the pierogi, a dough dumpling stuffed with a filling such as potato or cheese, typically served with onions or sour cream.
After retiring from a 20 year career as a correctional officer (where he got his nickname Ski), Rich moved to Bend to open Big Ski’s Pierogis and share the wonder of Polish dumplings with our Central Oregon community. Inspired by the recipes of his grandmother, Janina Winiarski, Rich has mastered the art of making pierogis and takes pride in his craft. Big Skis Pierogis menu changes daily so you always have something new to try. We recommend the Super O.G., the Bob Father, or the Bender with Morels! Follow them on Instagram to find out about their dollar days!
Little Slice of Heaven Cheesecakes
The best cheesecake this side of heaven.
In an attempt to respark her mother’s personal dream of owning a cheesecake business, Julie Higgins first opened Little Slice of Heaven Cheesecakes in Texas in 2014. It took on a new meaning in 2020 when she was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater, a devastating and almost always fatal form of cancer, at just 41 years old. In May of 2020, she was given 18 to 24 months to live. But Julie opted to not view cancer as a death sentence, determined that no man has the power to set an expiration date on her life.
Since then, not only has she opened her first physical location selling cheesecakes at the Podski, she’s also finished a degree she was told to abandon and held her newborn grandchild she was told she would never meet. She is currently enrolled in a plant medicine graduate program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in hopes to one day help others battle cancer and other diseases naturally. Come by, meet Julie and try her White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake or the Marbled Marionberry Cheesecake (or both!!), which she says are “Absolute MUSTS!”
Click here to see her segment on Central Oregon Daily: https://centraloregondaily.com/even-can-little-slice-heaven/
Thailandia
Authentic Thai cuisine, from Bangkok to Bend.
Maliwan, the brain behind Thailandia, was born in Northeastern Thailand in the village of Sahatsakhan, Kalasin. Throughout her childhood, Maliwan cooked traditional Thai food for friends and family. As a teenager, she moved to Bangkok where she ran a food booth with her sister, cooking and selling Northeastern Thai street food.
She moved to the USA in 2004 and opened up Thailandia with her husband in 2012. Maliwan loves cooking Thai food and joking with her customers. The secret to her delicious flavors are the authentic Thai ingredients & spices used and the traditional sauces she has perfected over time. People come from all over for her famously large portions and epic flavors, but it’s no secret that just as many come for Maliwan’s fun personality and sense of humor that she shares with all of her loyal customers.
The Americana Truck
Momma said it’s the best burger in town!
The Americana Truck opened in September of 2021 with a mission to give Central Oregon a place they could come with the whole family and not worry about breaking the bank. Their specialty? Burgers. “The people call them smash burgers,” says owner Olivia Franco.”Fresh, never frozen meat at the right fat ratio and lots of love.” Americana is all things American - burgers, fries, and a coke, all served up out of their gold painted, well-loved ‘88 Chevy Step Van. “We call her Goldie,” says Franco. If you stop by Podski, don’t leave without trying their famous OG Americana Burger, stacked with American cheese, caramelized onions, secret sauce, shredded lettuce and fresh tomato on a toasted brioche bun. Best burger in town. Their momma says so. And so does the Source, who awarded them 2nd place for best new food cart last year. Click here to read an article from Bend Bulletin on Americana’s mission to make good burgers affordable.
Toasty
100% plant-based magic.
Four years ago Brooke Preim was in school to be a veterinary technician because she wanted to help animals. When she realized she didn’t enjoy working in that environment, she decided to help animals in a way that she found even more important - by inspiring others to eat food without the use of animal ingredients. She opened her vegan food truck in October 2019 at the age of 25 years old. Everything on the menu is 100% vegan and imitates food people are already used to eating.
The Toasty team prides itself on having affordable vegan food on their menu even when the vegan ingredients can be much more expensive than animal products. “We’re aren’t in it for the money. We’re in it for the animals,” says Preim. This heart and passion for the food they cook led them to become an award winning food cart within their first three years of opening, including best vegan/vegetarian food cart and second best food cart for all categories. Come say hi to Brooke, her fiance, her two younger siblings, and her mom - all who work with her, and be sure to try their famous Nacho Crunchwrap!
Mother Shuckers
Freshly shucked oysters and other craveworthy seafood.
Mother Shuckers owner Karen McRae got into the seafood industry years ago after a childhood of crabbing and clam digging on the Oregon Coast and fishing on her family property on the Lewis River in Washington. With a background in wholesale and retail seafood and 20+ years in the food industry, Karen had always dreamed of owning her own business. That dream came true in December of 2022 when she opened what may be one of the first of its kind - a freshly shucked oyster food truck. She found her place at Podski by sending a simple email. “I emailed the owner and heard back within ten minutes of me sending it…´Shuck yeah, we need you here at Podski!´” We asked Karen what the must tries are at her truck. “Besides our freshly shucked oysters?? The Fish n Chips Sando, or maybe our amazing crab cakes, although our poke is crazy good, and the grilled oysters are to die for…”
Basically, you can’t go wrong. We advise trying them all. And these publications agree:
Fast, fresh-shucked oysters at Bend’s new food truck, Mother Shuckers - Bend Bulletin
Taste This - Mother Shuckers News Feature on Central Oregon Daily
Kook’i
Buy Cookies, Not Crack
Kook’i owner Heather Goss has been baking with her mom and mamaw since she was little, and she’s had a dream of owning a sweets shop for as long as she can remember. But it wasn’t until she relocated from Louisiana to Bend, Oregon, that she decided to turn her baking passion into a full-time profession. After securing a position at The Sparrow Bakery, her passion evolved into a full-blown addiction. Just over one year ago, encouraged by her husband, kids, and friends, she decided to open up shop for herself, with her husband whippin’ up baked goods right beside her.
Kook’i specializes in freshly baked, uniquely decorated goods made daily, using locally sourced ingredients from primarily Oregon-based companies. Renowned for their shortbread, not only for its taste but for its sassy, naughty artwork, the diverse menu also features an array of sweet and savory rolls, including Cookies n Cream Rolls and Monte Cristo Rolls, as well as kolache—a baked yeast donut filled with meats, cheeses, and sometimes fruit, inspired by Czech culture. Additionally, they offer cakes, sweetbreads, and whatever else strikes their fancy! Come experience it for yourself!
