Thursday, May 6, 2021 • ThE BuLLETIN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 13
FOOD
TRUCKS
& CARTS
p.14
bendbulletin.com/goeat
Continued from previous page
Before opening Barrio, Draheim owned
Soupçon food truck. He initially offered
soup, then added sandwiches and salads.
Formally trained at Western Culinary In-
stitute, he has worked at fine-dining restau-
rants. His experience is evident in Barrio
and now in the menu at Shimshon.
The inspiration for Shimshon came
from a trip to Israel in 2017 when Draheim
and his wife, Amy, visited her family. Amy
spent some of her childhood in Israel and
has fond memories of the food her grand-
mother used to make. Steven was intrigued
by the spices, flavors and food they found at
the shouk (market), where Amy’s 80-year-
old grandmother still shops.
When the Draheims looked to start a new
food truck during the pandemic, a food cart
serving Israeli food is what came to mind.
Amy has been advising on the menu to keep
it authentic, but the true test will be when
Amy’s father returns to Bend.
It’s the first I’ve tried Israeli street food,
but the exotic flavor profile certainly appears
to be loyal to the region. Although there are
several Mediterranean food options in Cen-
tral Oregon, Shimshon is different from oth-
ers influenced by Greek, Italian or Lebanese
cuisine.
The secret is in the sauces. Draheim told
me that it’s his favorite aspect of Israeli street
food. Many of the individual dishes are
made with a sauce as the base. Other items,
like the bowls, give you the option of choos-
ing which sauce to add.
Instructions are posted on how to order
to make it easier to create a bowl: start with
a Kebab, choose two sauces, then add flat-
bread or Za’atar fries. The food cart workers
are glad to offer advice about which sauce is
the best complement to different meats and
sandwiches.
I had the mezze sampler. The baba ga-
noush was the best I’d ever tasted. It starts
with mesquite charcoal smoked eggplant
and is mixed with a garlic sauce at its base,
then topped with pistachios and feta cheese.
Draheim explained that it is a long process
to create this excellent dip. It’s a treat as part
of the sampler.
Another component of the sampler was
green olives with Marcona almonds and a
slice of orange. All are delicately coated in
olive oil and garlic. I could easily become
addicted. The Moroccan carrot cubes with
mint had a distinct flavor. Carrot cubes are
tossed in amba sauce made with cumin, su-
mac, turmeric, mustard seed and fenugreek.
Perhaps the fenugreek gives it the taste of
Israel. Fenugreek is an herb, often called hil-
Shimshon offers a mezze sampler with several choices. This one has
cauliflower, carrots, olives, baba ganoush, hummus and a lamb kebab.
The secret is in the sauces. Draheim told me that it’s his
favorite aspect of Israeli street food. Many of the individual
dishes are made with a sauce as the base. Other items, like
the bowls, give you the option of choosing which sauce
to add. Instructions are posted on how to order to make
it easier to create a bowl: start with a Kebab, choose two
sauces, then add flatbread or Za’atar fries. The food cart
workers are glad to offer advice about which sauce is the
best complement to different meats and sandwiches.
beh, used in cooking during Rosh Hoshana,
the Jewish New Year. It has a slight cur-
ry-like flavor. It’s a party for your tastebuds
when it is all combined with the mint on the
carrots.
Also included was fried cauliflower with
nutty tahina sauce. Tahina sauce is made
with Tahini sesame seeds and lemon that
adds a sour bite. The florets were well-
cooked, firm, not raw. It seems it would be
a hard balance to cook them perfectly on a
food truck. I chose the nutty Za’atar sprin-
kled fries. As the sampler had baba ganoush
and hummus, I might have been happier
had I selected the flatbread for dipping.
Shimshon’s hummus is smooth with a
gentle combination of flavors. Garlic, lemon
juice, salt and cumin are added to the chick-
peas and tahina. Sometimes a taste, like the
lemon or garlic will dominate hummus, but
this was a smooth blend.
I finished my sampler with a lamb kebab.
Kebabs are cooked, and falafels are fried
when you buy your meal. It adds to the fresh
Details
Midtown Yacht Club food truck pod
1661 NE 4th St, Bend, OR 97701
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flavor of each of the dishes.
I also ordered the stuffed pita with falafel.
It was one of the best falafel pitas that I’ve
eaten. The gluten-free falafels are made
from a classic recipe to which more herbs
and serrano chiles are added. The falafel
balls were piled into a pita pocket with a
green Israeli salad, hummus, feta, fries and a
generous drizzle of tahina and amba sauces.
Draheim pickles the vegetables for the sand-
wich at the Barrio restaurant, where he also
uses them in Cubano sandwiches.
The vegetables cut through the creamy
sauces and falafels. Amy would prefer that
he use Jerusalem pickles, but they have yet
to find a source they like. The pita was a ter-
rific balance of savory, nutty, citrusy, spicy
and freshness.
Next week, I’ll finish exploring new
high-quality food trucks with Chef Chris
Leyden’s Feast Food Co.
e e
Reporter: barb@barbgonzalezphotography.com