Most unusual street food

Just curious about your experiences.

1) My most unusual...

While driving around downtown with the wife a year or two ago on upper Columbus between upper E Lake St and upper E South Water St, we spotted a roach coach (a catering truck) with a line of Chicago cabs single and double parked.

We stopped and were confronted with an array of Middle Eastern food. We opted for a goat dish with a side of rice.

Too many small bones but generally very good.

2) Street vendors outside Carniceria Jimenez 4204 W. North Ave.

Stop by, grab a bag of fresh (that morning) tamales, a couple of Elotes (corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise, grated cheese, a splash of liquid butter, a shake of cayenne and wrapped in foil. In that order), a cup of various melons or fruits with a shake of salt and cayenne.

Eat in the car.

X1) Special mention from the past: An elderly lady who used to push her cart along Grand Ave south of North Ave selling fresh tamales with a surprise piece of jalapeño. Never knew which bite it would turn up in.

X2) Second Special Mention from the past: The hot dog vendors that used to frequent the outside of the Lexington Drivers License facility. A true steamed Chicago Style hot dog with a bunch of Tom-Tom Tamales (instead of one big tamale, several smaller ones folded in a paper wrap and tied with a string).

Ahhh. Life is good in the Big City.

"I give you a little penis for free."

The truck serving cabbies goat was likely not Middle Eastern, but Afro-Caribbean. I'd like to be wrong and find that there is a Middle Eastern lunch wagon serving goat.

It's going to be hard to beat eyeball tacos at Maxwell St. for most unusual street food.

I suppose the atole de ciruela from the Marianao/Gerber vans might count as unusual street food, given its relative rarity.

JeffB wrote:The truck serving cabbies goat was likely not Middle Eastern, but Afro-Caribbean. I'd like to be wrong and find that there is a Middle Eastern lunch wagon serving goat.

You are right! When you mentioned that it brought back memories of a Trinidad and Tobago restaurant years ago west near North Ave.

Goat in a light brown gravy served in a pocket pita.

Hi,

While not exactly in Chicago, though it does fit the 'unusual' category perfectly:

I read this in the Financial Times last week: Trains arriving from Moscow in Kazakhstan are greeted by food vendors offering horse tripe stuffed with horsemeat made in their home kitchens. Horsemeat is quite popular there, I found a picture with horse prepared three ways.

Regards,