Food Truckin': Seattle's Maximus/Minimus

I love everything about these guys.

From the unabashed reverence to pork (vis-a-vis their awesome braised pulled pork to their It's Hard Not To Chuckle metal pig truck), to their criminally refreshing drinks, Maximus/Minimus is everything "right" about food trucks.

I grew up in L.A. A food truck was aka "The Roach Coach," so called because you were guaranteed to be served a greasy not-that-great burger and fries by a friendly cockroach on the counter. Other experiences involved some of the most seriously fucked up bouts of food poisoning in my life. One such particularly cruel incident involving an emergency carne asada taco with grilled jalapeno on my way up with the Hubsters to Yountville for our wedding anniversary. What transpired 24 hours later was the most wicked food poisoning EVER, whereby I got to see my gorgeous dinner from Bottega before me again (this time in the toilet) and didn't get to sample even one of the pastries we brought home from Bouchon Bakery.

Not cool.

So given that and a history of bad food truck experiences, I shyed away. But I could not ignore the hilarity and absurdity of this truck in downtown Seattle a few weeks ago.

I felt an instant connection, nay...a compulsion to head over. And since we found a parking spot literally ten feet away, I saw it as a sign it was meant to be.

And it so was...

Behold, my Pork Maximus with extra Hurt, Maximus Slaw (chipotle and cilantro) and a gorgeous Maximus to drink (ginger lemonade -- sweet, tart, with a hint of spicy ginger). So good in fact, my 21 month old son refused to relinquish the Maximus drink, and took down the Mac n Cheese made with local Beecher's cheese (aka Best Cheese Ever) faster than a canteen in the desert.



And my brother who was visiting town got the Pork Minimus (a sweeter and tangier version of my spicier and onion/pepper-themed Maximus) with Minimus Slaw (honey-mustard, fennel, cranberries and mint).

Both were killer.

Seriously loved.

Maximus/Minimus offers few but perfectly executed options:

• pork or veg sandwiches
• spicy or mild slaw
• posole (which I was bummed they were out of when I was there)
• mac n cheese
• ginger lemonade or hibiscus nectar iced tea

All are awesome. The pork was tender melt-in-your-mouth, which is hard to achive in my opinion if you're not smoking it. The Maximus had a full-bodied flavor of spice, from heat at the front of your tongue (I'm guessing some cayenne!) that worked all the way back into your throat. The slaw was crisp and a little tangy, not at all overpowering. Chipotle when done in too much quantities can end up tasting bitter I think, and this retained it's pepper goodness without overpowering the cabbage and radish. Cilantro was a nice touch too. The Minimus slaw was equally refreshing, especially if sweetness is more your liking.

The drinks were perfection -- an expertly crafted combination to wash down the myriad flavors your working on between the sandwiches and slaws.

I was extremely pleased with the end result and am a convert and will most certainly have again. And I hope next time they have the damn posole!

So if you're in Seattle and see Maximus/Minimus, yes...take it from me...it actually is worth the wait in line.

Oh ya...and no food poisoning this time!