The two food trucks you can't miss in Bend, Oregon

This blog post is going to be short and delicious. I recently traveled up to Bend, Oregon, and found two of the best food trucks I've ever eaten at. If you ever have the opportunity to venture up to Central Oregon, and you're a foodie like me, these two trucks are a must-try. Both cooks are passionate and authentic, and I had the pleasure to speak with both of them about their food. So without further ado-

#1- Big Ski's Pierogis

If you're not Polish or from the East Coast USA, you might be confused as hell as to what a pierogi is. Pierogi are a staple in Eastern Europe, mainly Poland, and it's best described as a dumpling, with either savory or sweet filling. The savory ones are usually filled with potatoes, cheese, etc and sautéed with onions and served with sour cream, while the sweet ones can be filled with fruits and served for dessert. As a Polack myself, and being from the East Coast, I grew up on these, but after moving to California, I could barely even find them in a grocery store. So not only was it an absolute treat finding a pierogi truck in Bend, but the quality of these pierogi were OUTSTANDING. Rich, the creator and chef behind Big Ski's, is from Connecticut, and told me he was so disappointed he wasn't able to find pierogi on the West Coast. So instead of doing nothing, like me, this dude decided to take over the pierogi world. Not only does he make all of his pierogi by hand daily, he even makes his own cheese for the fillings. He's already expanded to 2 food trucks in the area, but he has his eyes set on taking down Mrs. T's, the largest seller of pierogi in the USA. And honestly, I believe he can do it. Some of his pierogi flavors include:

And this is just the start of it. Some of these sound weird... But trust me, they work. For only $11, you can try 6 different ones on a sampler platter and play pierogi roulette.

Location:

Podski, 536 NW Arizona Ave, Mon-Sun and

GoodLife Brewing, 70 SW Century Dr, Thurs-Mon

Be sure to follow them on Instagram @bigskispierogi

#2- Alebrije, Oaxaca Mexican Taste

Now as I just explained above, I'm Polish, not Mexican, but ohhhh do I love and appreciate Mexican food. And this authentic Oaxacan food truck is a dream. They have the usual tacos and burritos, but that's not what we're here for. I got to try their mole enchiladas, memelitas, and I of course had to order my favorite, birria tacos with consome (broth). The memelita was without doubt my favorite, with the hand-made thick corn tortilla an absolute treat. The mole sauce on the enchiladas, also hand-made, was perfection, with it's subtle hint of chocolate. And they made some of the best birria tacos I've ever had. Some other menu items I didn't get to try include-

And what makes this food truck even better? (Which I didn't think was possible, because Jesus, I'm dreaming about that memelita). It's woman owned, with a mother-daughter team running the show, and of course, hand making all this delicious food. This truck is also located in a really cool spot, with other food trucks, a brewery, and a hostel all sharing the space.

Location:

42 NW Hawthorne Ave, open every day

And of course, follow them on Instagram @alebrijeomt