Little Pepper

loved the rock and roll bowl

What is it about late night drinking that makes you so damn hungry? Holy hell, it's like I'm starving and haven't eaten for days - which we all know is not true, since a delicious meal was eaten only hours ago. But still, I sit down at that bar, drink in hand and just want to munch on whatever is around.

This happened, as it always happens, last night. We're walking through Northside to the famous Northside Tavern for a drink when I feel the hunger pains start-a-rumblin'. Do I ignore it like I usually do? Not today! For in the distance I see a little white stand with a grill - a new edition to the Northside landscape - and I'm all about checking it out.

It turns out it is very new, only about three weeks old! This little white traveling stand makes a selection of delicious grilled sandwiches (kielbasas and bbq chicken and such) as well as a bunch of rice bowls with or without meat (of course it's vegetation friendly in Northside. Come on!) It's usually located behind Slims, but on Fridays and Saturdays will now be across the street from Northside Tavern.

I came up and started chatting with the guy working behind the counter as he made my sandwich (a sausage hoagie which they called a Po-Boy, which clearly wasn't, but that's ok). He was a funny, tall dude sort of in a daze but focused on making my food. He said he'd had pretty good traffic so far and hoped it would keep up.

I hope so too, because my hoagie was delicious. I got a $5 one that came LOADED with fresh vegetables and deliciously cooked meat and even a really good, but small, side dish of coleslaw. The slaw was actually amazing and my one complaint is I wish he gave out a little more than just a tiny plastic containers worth. Oh well, the rest of the meal was top notch.

This isn't a stand I would go out of my way to track down and eat at on a regular basis, but for those late night tumbling-a-rumblin' pains, I am quite happy knowing The Little Pepper's out and about.

This place is my first experience with a food truck, or at least in this case a food cart. I know they are all the rage and I've been missing out and all, but I've just never actually been hungry, with the time to stop, and near one at the same time. Any combination of the two, yes, all three, no.

And then the Little Pepper shows up in my own 'hood, and i'm out, and hungry, and I have time, all at once, and this happened TWICE!

So now you want to know what the food is like, right?

Ok, first time through got a rice and bean bowl with chicken sausage thrown in. 5 bucks. totally worth it. The greens were mostly leafy and green with a few crunch pieces thrown in, chicken sausage dee-lish, rice and beans fresh, and tortilla chips to scoop it all together. Felt full and refreshed.

On trip two I went with the 'rock and roll bowl', again with the chicken sausage, again $5. Enjoyed it but it didn't have the snap of the rice and bean. Still a good choice of grub 40' from the Tavern, but didn't quite sing the way the R&B bowl did. Maybe it was literally the crunch of the tortilla's i missed.

I guess what I want to stress is fresh. He must get his ingredients out of his back yard. The flavor is natural and not overwhelmed with spices. This might seem a little bland if you're expecting to be punched in the mouth by Taco Bell. But if you're in to tasting the actual substance of the food you eat, sussed out a bit, you're in the right place.

I will be back for lunch or late night munchies, looking forward to trying a dog. I'm not sure how the Little Pepper stacks up to its big food truck brethren, but this place is worth a try if you see it, you have a minute, and think some modern urban truck food would hit the spot.