Bari Food Cart Serves Up Italian Street Food in Southeast Portland

In this pizza-obsessed town, how do you acquire the doughy, cheesy staple to the subsequent degree? Just request Trifone Walter Ferrante—he goes by Walter—who serves a Southern Italian street food stuff hardly ever seen stateside named panzerotti out of a Foster-Powell meals cart. 

In its essence, panzerotti is effectively like a fried pizza or calzone. Contemporary dough will get rolled out by hand and filled to get with tomatoes, cheese, and options including anchovy-caper (Ferrante’s favorite), delicate spicy Southern ‘nduja sausage, or our decide on, the carciofi (artichoke). Then, it’s lovingly deep-fried until eventually golden brown, exactly where the dough puffs up and gets to be crispy although someway not absorbing also substantially grease. Magic! It is airy, flavorful, and delicately crunchy—think Chinese fried dough stick or frybread. Slice open a panzerotto to expose the stretchy mozzarella in just, and never ignore to grab a freshly piped, lemon zest-loaded cannolo for dessert.

But if panzerotti and cannoli alone aren’t more than enough purpose to pay a visit to, then Ferrante himself is just as a lot of a draw. Born and elevated in a modest city in the Apulia area, he delivers that Southern Italian heat and hospitality to just about every purchaser conversation. “How are you?” he stated, popping his head out the window though I was finishing having to pay with the cashier through my to start with pay a visit to to Bari. “I’m psyched to cook dinner for you!” When my panzerotto was all set, the cashier squeezed a bike horn, drawing curious stares and laughter from all the other food items cart patrons. Later, a neighboring meals cart operator arrived about, gave Ferrante a huge hug, and asked, “Can I do the horn?” He tooted the horn rhythmically, and soon the whole cart pod was cheering, “Walter! Walter!” Arrive for the puff, remain for the get together. 

Bari Foodstuff Cart (shut July 23 – September 1 for trip), 5205 SE Foster Rd, barifoodcart.com