Food Cart Pod
Every year, we build a food cart pod in the park at XOXO, pulling together some of our favorites from the local food scene, together with our bar serving creative drinks day and night.
We'll have ample shaded picnic seating in the park, and there are dozens of excellent food and drink options in the neighborhood if you'd like to explore.
Schedule
Opening Party (7pm-11pm)
Breakfast (9am-11am)
Lunch (11am-2pm)
Afternoon (2pm-5pm)
Dinner (5pm-7pm)
Dessert (6pm-10pm)
Late (7pm-11pm)
The Carts
Tamale Boy
Evolved out of founder Jaime Soltero Jr.'s original Mayahuel Catering, Tamale Boy is now a thriving food cart with three locations offering a seasonally changing menu designed to highlight cuisine from regions throughout Mexico. 100% gluten-free menu, with vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free options.
Obon Shokudo
Obon Shokudo makes beautiful plant-based Japanese comfort food, opening their first full-blown restaurant in 2021. Chef Humiko Hozumi started cooking for her family at age 11, moving to the U.S. from Japan in 1998. Together with husband and co-chef Jason Duffany, they feature organic, local, sustainable ingredients in their unique vegan menu.
Baon Kainan
Ethan and Geri Leung are the creators of Baon Kainan, an Eater Award-winning food cart serving their take on Filipino classics they playfully describe as "not your tita's cooking." Vegan/gluten-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian options available.
Demarco's Sandwiches
Reuben Demarco made some of the best Italian-American sandwiches in town out of his namesake Demarco's Sandwiches truck on SE Division, selling out of his cold cuts, meatball subs, and eggplant parm daily. He sadly closed in June after five years in business, but gratefully, he'll be slinging sandwiches at XOXO.
Nong's Khao Man Gai
When her cart first opened in 2009, Nong Poonsukwattana made one dish: poached chicken & rice, wrapped in butcher paper and served with a spicy sauce, street food from her native Bangkok. But Nong's Khao Man Gai was so good that it spawned a mini-empire, expanding from food carts to multiple brick-and-mortar locations and a line of sauces.
El Pilón
Originally an architect in Colombia, Fernando and his wife Elizabeth immigrated to Oregon with their two sons in 2011 and opened El Pilón, a 100% gluten-free food truck serving authentic Colombian food, in downtown Portland in 2013. Their menu includes eight different kinds of empanadas, yuca fries, buñuelitos, and passionfruit lemonade. Vegan and dairy-free options.
Crepe-Oh!-Holics
Under the name Crepe-Oh!-Holics, chef Jesse Gonzalez makes delicious sweet and savory crepes with his family at farmer's markets throughout central and southern Oregon, driving up from Bend, OR to bring his freshly-made crepes to XOXO.
Yoonique Phở & Grill
Inspired by her family recipes and the cuisine of Ho Chi Minh City, Yoonique Tea co-owner Cindy Phan expanded into her first brick-and-mortar restaurant last year with Yoonique Phở & Grill, pairing her take on Vietnamese street food with her signature bubble tea.
La Casa De Mamá
La Casa de Mamá is a latina-owned and family-operated Mexican panadería, offering entirely vegan sweet and savory baked goods in a series of pop-ups around the city, including their savory tacos dorados and tortita sliders, plus soft and sweet conchas and champurrado, a traditional thick Mexican hot chocolate.
Desserts
Kate's Ice Cream
Kate Williams opened the first Kate's Ice Cream two years ago, quickly winning awards and a dedicated fan base with her 100% plant-based, gluten-free ice cream, expanding to a second location in June. Made with organic coconut milk, Kate uses fresh seasonal produce from Pacific Northwest farms and focuses on collaborations with local, woman, and minority owned businesses.
Fusion Shave Ice
Fusion Shave Ice is a women-owned cart focused on snow-like ice that melts in your mouth combined with real fruit purees, creative flavors, and a wide variety of toppings including red bean, mochi, jellies, red bean, Li-Hing Mui powder, and more. All syrups and most toppings are vegan.