sunday funday

Last night after a failed attempt to go to the movies (who would have thought that everyone would go to the movies on Memorial Day weekend? haha...), Danny and I wanted a place to eat where we could sit outside. Being the genius he is, Dan The Man suggested we go eat at a trailer! Needless to say, I was totally into that idea and immediately got on my new app on my phone and found a place open on Sundays which was a bit trickier than I expected. Good thing for us Little Thai Food was nearby!

We walked up to the brightly decorated trailer and quickly decided to get the classic Pad Thai and the Green Curry. Upon the reccommendation of the sweet lady working the window, we both chose chicken as our meat. Danny was really excited about the Thai Iced Coffee he ordered and I branched out and went for a Thai Iced Tea. Just a note here, this trailer (any maybe most of them I'm expecting) is cash only, but luckily there is an ATM located down the block.

We sat at the picnic tables to wait for our food and enjoyed the great evening. When it was ready, our order was brought out to us on a tray and it looked good. Danny patiently waited for me to take a photo and then we both dug in. Unfortunately, my curry burned my tounge on my second bite but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I immediately liked that the veggies were fresh, abundant, and cut in big chunks. The flavors were really good and I didn't notice the spice until I started sniffling and felt my lips tingling (but it wasn't that painful). We swapped a few bites of our meals and Danny's Pad Thai was pretty good too. It reminded me of the Pad Thai I got at a Thai place in the mall in Sydney (which is a good, solid Pad Thai made by people from Thailand so it was legit). I was mostly surprised by how much I enjoyed the drinks! Danny's Thai Iced Coffee was sweet and delicious and my Thai Iced Tea mega hit the spot!

Overall, it was a very pleasant dining experience and we both took home to-go containers for lunch today (which was DELICIOUS! seriously, curry is always so good the next day and this was no exception). Honestly, I might not find myself craving their Thai flavors over other Thai places in town, but if I was hungry and close by, I'd definitely stop there again. That Thai Iced Tea or coffee alone would be worth it!

For a rating, I'd give this place 4.5 out of 5 trailers for their great seating area, fresh and tasty food in large portions for a great price, and sweet service with a smile.

Danny's Review:

De-squish-ious (Adj. x 2)

Yes, desquishious. It's not often that a word like desquishious needs to be added to the english language but sitting on the lime green picnic tables of the Little Thai Food trailer on South First st. in Austin the other night, I found myself searching for such a term. 

I got the Pad Thai and a creamy thai iced coffee to wash 'er down. The food was tasty--especially when the lime was added--and the coffee plus condensed milk was as pleasant a beginning to a stomach ache as I've ever had.

But it's not all good. I didn't say S-crunch-ious, did I. That would've been nice. To be honest, I could've used a little crunch in my life. Usually you get some crunchyness in your thai and I like that. I love the crunch of the green onions or tiny little carrots. I missed that here. Flowers are pretty but a meadow without any boulders is hard to sit in. Yeah, a little crunch would've gone a long way.

But if you're going to go to Little Thai Food for a meal, which you should, here's why. Setting, setting, setting. Tucked around the bend of south first, it's off the bigger thoroughfares like Congress and East 6th. It's shaded by huge trees and if you get there for sunset, you'll have some damn good picture-takin' light; and if you're lucky enough to be with a pretty girl like I was, you'll be wanting to take lots.

So men, go have a great date. Go earn some points. And in the process, get some good, squishy thai food.

jesus made this sammich.

The Rapture may not have happened, but the breakfast sandwich I ate this morning was blessed by God himself. I kicked off the trailer-hopping at The Purple Bean Cafe and I'd like to pat myself on the back for making this my first stop! I was joined by 3 (fantastic, beautiful, wonderful) friends and everything couldn't have been more perfect.

As we drove down East 11th street, Danielle and I already knew this was going to be good. The buildings and the vibe were workin' for us, getting us in the mood for greatness. We spotted the adorable purple-and-yellow trailer, found a parking spot across the street, and walked up just as Alex and Sheena were getting out of their cars. We were all giddy with excitement as we hugged and began to scan the menu. Quickly, we all agreed coffee was needed (first excellent decision of the day) and then moved on to food choices. The breakfast sandwiches were an obvious choice, so we did what you do... chose our bread, meat, cheese, and extras and got in line.

Sheena ordered first and the lady inside the trailer was the nicest, sweetest, funniest, most energetic server one could imagine. She instantly made us feel even more excited about choosing this place for our first adventure and set the happy tone for the entire meal. She kindly guided me through the ordering process next, suggesting the gouda and a fresh fruit cup to complement our sanmmich (that's the way it was written on the menu!). Danielle and I shared our egg/bacon/gouda/basil/tomato croissant sandwich (second excellent decision of the day) along with the fruit cup and it was plenty enough for both of us.

Alex was the most diverse with his sandwich choice: he opted for ham with the pesto spread. Deeeee-licious! Sheena gets points in experimentation as well since she got the Mayan Mocha. Alex got the Raspberry Mocha, Danielle got the Mocha, and I got the Caramel Latte. We ate at the tables provided and shared a bite/sip of our goodies with each other (third, and my favorite, excellent decision of the day) as we caught up on life. EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! This place falls squarely in the "Treasure" category and as Danielle and I were walking back to our car we both said how glad we were that we got to start with such a fantastic place.

For a rating, I'd give The Purple Bean 5 out of 5 trailers for their fabulous atmosphere, outstanding customer service and friendliness, and superb food and coffee at reasonable prices.

Guest reviews (in the order that I received them):

The Purple Bean Café

Breakfast has become one of those boring things that you have to do, like going to work or having your teeth cleaned, or perhaps shaving your legs. You don’t think much about it. You just have your usual oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, etc…and get on with your day. However, the Purple Bean Café is serving up something quite delicious. The Breakfast Sammich! That’s right, not a sandwich, but a sammich. So, how does this sandwich differ from all the rest? Well, it starts off as your basic sandwich, your choice of bread, meat, and cheese, BUT it’s what they add to it that gives it a little kick. It’s topped off with egg, tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, and if you choose wisely, a basil pesto sauce that’s quite tasty. Now, I’m not one to encourage onions and basil at 10:00 in the morning, but breakfast just went to a whole new level with this sandwich! It’s an extremely light sandwich that won’t make you feel overly full but when you combine the sweet tomatoes with red onions, pesto, bacon (my meat of choice), on whole wheat toast, you get just enough flavor to make you appreciate the value of a good breakfast.  

Drinks you should try: Mayan Mocha

Shee

I did not really know what to expect when venturing to The Purple Bean with my food trailer pursuing friends. My biggest hope was for some morning coffee that would liven up my sluggish morning self. Lo and behold, I walked away with this and so much more! If I would have had high expectations, they would have been surpassed. The Purple Bean had incredibly tasty breakfast sandwiches and coffee that even those with the most refined of taste would approve of. All in all, I loved it! I only wish it was closer to my house!

Dani G

The best part of The Purple Bean wasn't the awesome croissanwich I had (ham+basil pesto= crazy delicious), nor was it the really fantastic raspberry mocha I had (which was far better than anything Starbucks makes), but it was the amazing friendly and peppy service. You don't see service like this every day. When you find a place that actually takes pleasure in serving you, it's a place you want to go back to. The Purple Bean is that kind of place.
Alex

goldmine!

These links will be incredibly helpful when looking for new trailers!

http://austinfoodcarts.com/

http://www.foodtrailersaustin.com/

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=food+trailer&find_loc=Austin%2C+TX

http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2011-01-07/mick-vanns-top-10-food-trailers/

http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/dining/critics-picks-austin-food-trailers-1323173.html

Also, I have created a map on google to help track where I will go (and where I have been once I start eating) and I'm inviting YOU to help me! I ask that you please create a placemark on the map at the location of a trailer that you think I should visit. It will help me stay organized if you make all the new placemarks blue (the default) and then I will change the icon and add a short review after I patronize the establishment. Here is the link:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&vps=1&jsv=341a&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=210223073130874256084.0004a3b5dd2acc7b48e2e

Feel free to invite other collaborators! I'll need lots of help on this. :)

And as a side note, I want you all to know that I am LOVING the feedback that I've already received about this endeavor. If you comment, I'll love it even more. Seriously, I was so excited about this that I had trouble falling asleep last night and then had a dream about this blog.

I have the best friends in all of Texas! Probably California, too.

the idea.

I frequently listen to NPR as I drive around Austin (nerdy, I know...but I love it) and I heard a story about the food truck bubble in LA and how it was on the verge of busting. Immediately I thought of all the food trailer businesses here in ATX and how I am always meaning to go eat at them... but then never actually do it. Then the idea hit me: spend time this summer eating at the food trailers all over town! Really experience the food trailer culture here! I'm thinking at least one a week, but if this really gets rolling I might step it up to two per week for the entire summer. And since food is always better with friends, I'm inviting my compadres to join me in this trek through the culinary jungle of trailer park eateries and stand-alone taco shacks. There is one catch though... if you want to eat with me, you gotta write about it. I will have guest commentaries in the form of foodie-minded friends with honest opinions and humorous anecdotes (hopefully). Fear not, there will be photos, maps with directions, and recommendations for food modifications posted alongside the reviews to fulfill all of your trailer-eating needs.

If you are interested in helping me find wonderful, hidden gems at which to dine please shoot an email to trailertrashandtreasures@gmail.com. Please also email me at the same address if you would like to join the invitation list for when I am looking for eating buddies to accompany me. I will send out the date, time, location, and food trailer name in advance so you may eat alongside me! Don't forget, you WILL have to provide input for the blog. ;)

Ooo! I'm excited! Date!!