Jon’s Street Eats

This little food stand came out and catered at our work today, offering the following menu options:
Ahi Tuna Roll
Duck Confit Tacos
Truffle Mac & Cheese
Asparagus wrapped in Pancetta
Polenta with Grilled Vegetables
Butterscotch Pudding
I had the Mac and Asparagus, which included a side salad. I found everything very tasty, and the pasta was nice and crunchy on the top and bottom but it was a bit too oily for me. The presentation and flavors were quite good, however. Especially the lemon-​y accent of the parmesan topping, salad dressing, and accompanying aioli dip. A coworker mentioned the Tacos were not great, but the Tuna got a thumbs up :)

I have never been disappointed by my food from Jon’s street eats. It comes to my work builing in Emeryville, as do other trucks, and this is my favorite.
I have had: duck confit tacos with grilled peaches, the grilled mac n cheese with truffle oil, and now the brisket sliders.
Each was delicious and filling, I’m not sure I could even pick a favorite.
One of my favorite things about their meals is that they all come with a side salad of fresh greens, so while the food is rich, the salad balances the richness out for a clean, delious, and filling lunch. mmmmmmmmm i want more!

Although I was happy to hear that the original Jon of Jon’s Street Eats got a job offer at a restaurant in Napa (well deserved!), I was really bummed that I would no longer be able to eat at his his delicious food cart in the bay area. The good news, though, is that the legacy now continues with the new «John» — John Betteo.
All of my worries were allayed as soon as I took my bite of the trusty Ahi Tuna roll. It’s just as good as it was before, and dare I say maybe even a little better? I can’t say for sure, but I’m almost certain there’s more ahi tuna in the sandwich than before, which is totally great! I just went again this past week with my hubby, and we got the mac and cheese and ahi tuna roll. Both are SO delicious. The great news is this time John really kicked up service a notch with 2 more employees — one of the ladies took our order (you can now pay with credit card, which is awesome!), and there appeared to be another lady who was assisting him with cooking, so we got our food quickly.
Really so happy that Jo (h)n’s Street Eats is still alive and well. Praying that he’ll always continue to set up in Alameda and Emeryville!

*** CLOSED ***
Last week was the last for Jon’s Street Eats
from his Twitter feed on ²⁄₃
«So, for those of you who haven’t been to the cart in the last few weeks, next week is my last week. I am taking a Chef offer in Napa Valley»
Good luck, Jon! Hopefully you’ll find someone to carry on the tradition! (he’s possibly selling the cart or taking it with him. Anyone itching to go from Unilocaler to Unilocalee?!?)

I’ve eaten at Jon’s Street Eats at a few different locations new. I’ve seen him in Alameda for a grilled tuna melt at lunch. I’ve seen him outside of Beer Revolution in Oakland for some Niman Ranch pork belly tacos. And I have also seen him in Emeryville, outside of Genentech, where I literally ordered one of everything on the menu.
This is not street food. The items are usually simple, but they always have a gourmet twist from Jon. It’s these subtlties in the food that make it consistently awesome.
The food is insanely good. It feels like you’re eating at an upscale restaurant served out of a cart. It’s a really unique experience because one doesn’t really expect that type of quality and then it hits you, «wow, this is really, really good.»
I recommend following his Twitter since he usually tweets his location and menu. You can usually find him in Alameda, Emeryville, and sometimes Oakland.

I won’t lie.
I read about this place on Unilocal.
To be perfectly honest, many places that are rated highly on Unilocal fail to deliver. But then again, that usually happens out in the ‘burbs, where good taste and taste buds have been dulled by strip malls and box houses.
Jon’s Street Eats did not fail to deliver.
This cart sits on the corner of Stanford and Hollis in a light industrial/​business district in Emeryville (I guess technically it moves around, but that’s where I ate mine). There is a fair amount of seating, but I noticed that most people just get their food to go.
I had the ahi roll, which was a freaking delight to shove into my face. I did have to eat the slaw separately using my fingers as utensils, like the godless heathen that I am, mainly cause I couldn’t get the sandwich into my maw without coleslaw spooge all over my face.
I liked it, and I will be back.

lg and I were looking for a light meal before a housewarming party and decided to Unilocal to see what’ s good in Otown… and thanks to Unilocal,found this really yummy mobile kitchen! you can always find their location on twitter… but the info on Unilocal to where they are is pretty accurate! Thanks Unilocal!
On saturday, 8÷14÷2010, the menu for the day was: cured pork taco, pulled mozzarella salad, grilled corn… see pic for full menu.
Had the tacos and the mozzarella salad… hmmm i think the best phrase that describes their taco from lg was «Man, this is one flavor packed pork taco!» and I must agree! The pork was season well, even tho they are cubed pieces… and they were cooked perfectly… not overcooked to where it becomes a burnt piece of rock… and the best part… the oh so fluffy flour tortilla that they use… that was the best part for me on the taco… the tortilla… it’s like the that line from despicable me when the lil girl hugged the dog «ITS SO FLUFFY!»
the mozzarella salad was really fresh tasting! it’s kinda like a caprese salad… they give you a huge slab of chese tho!
We also had the butter scotch pudding… and well… hmm… i wouldn’t get it again… it’s hard when i am the number one fan of One Market’s Bradley butterscotch pudding because one market does it so well… the butter scotch at Jon’s was tad chalky to me… i think if they toned it down with the sweetness and add real vanilla beans… then i think that could be a winner… ionno, that’s just me… and those suggestions is just so the butterscotch pudding can taste like One Market…
aside from the butterscotch pudding, i definite will revisit this place again… Since their menu is ever changing (i love that), there’s SO much more i need to try from them!!!

Ok, the rumors are true… gourmet eats on the streets! I enjoyed the Eggplant Parm Roll with side salad.
Prices are a bit steep for street eats, but you do get what you pay for. A fast, fresh, quality gourmet meal.
I missed out on the Ahi Tuna Roll. Jon, bring it back!

Revolving door of a menu, best followed via Twitter.
Man, this place is really *hot* of late… such the following!
There’s something quite nice about frequenting a new place for the first time, and having the ‘luxury’ to actually converse and get to know your cooks personally…
The preparer of my wonderful meal, John (who works for *the* Jon), has worked locally for both Pizzaiolo and Sea Salt. And has worked in Pdx, a favorite of mine, near and dear to my heart.
This was the case for me upon arriving at 1400 one sunny afternoon, excited about their haddock as advertised on twitter. Located near the SE corner of Hollis/​Stanford, there they were… two guys leisurely cooking away, creating very nice fragrances to tittilate me and prepare my taste buds at the starting gate…
Fish/​chips sandwich, prepared on the greatest bread ever… grill marks were perfect. Filet was grilled with perfect timing, and soft, flaky… not a big fan of how chips were placed on the bottom of the sandwich… when crushed to oblivion the way mine were, they can sog up… quickly. Plus, just a taaaaad over-​peppered for seasoning… which distracts from the freshness of the fish.
One roasted corn with this nice spicy kick of a sauce together with lime aioli n shaved padano cheese… what simple ideas for meals, but really good flavors.
Like Gary G’s descriptor of ‘vagabond house of haute cuisine’; apt.
They’ve gotten the system down pat, and they excel and execute at simple, tasty items on the sandwich board that warrant praise in keeping with local, organic, and sustainable.
Not always a value-​winner, this street cart is very comparable with others in the area (Hollis).

When I saw Patty Melts was on the menu via Facebook on Saturday while working on the ducting with Seb and a friend at home, I told Seb, «I want Patty Melts!!»
Seb, «What? You wanna pet a mouse?!»
Me, «What?! Pet what mouse?!»
Seb, «You said you wanna pet a mouse!»
Me screaming our louder, «NOOOO!!! I don’t wanna pet a mouse! I don’t wanna touch a mouse!!! I wanna PATTY MELTS!!!»
Seb, «What?! Pet what?!»
Me, «…I’ll be back!!»
Off I went to «Pet a mouse!!» So, I went to Jon’s Street Eats and got 3 mice to go and 3 corns to feed the mice! :P For that, I don’t mind to «pet-​a-​mouse» any day!!! DELISH! :)

Expensive. Hit or miss on food. Lines can get long.
I’ve gone to Jon’s Street Eats a few times now, and every time I go, I get one of everything on the menu for the day. This strategy usually guarantees me loving half of the food, and being disappointed by the other half. It’s not a great strategy as far as the wallet is concerned though, as it usually lightens it by around $ 25 – 30. For truck food, that’s pretty pricey.
The last time I went, I tried the red wine & garlic sausage, lasagna cake, caesar salad, and grilled sardine.
The red wine & garlic sausage ($ 8, house made niman pork sausage, creamy polenta, salsa verde, and shaved grana) was EXCELLENT. The sausage was full of flavor, juicy, had plenty of garlic, and somehow tasted slightly like longanisa (and matched longanisa as far as length of time on my breath as well). The polenta was very creamy and buttery, and melted in my mouth. Delicious!
The Lasagna Cake ($ 8, house made pasta and mozzarella in a tomato sauce with goat cheese, spinach, basil, served with an herbed side salad), was disappointing. It tasted like pretty standard traditional sauce and some extra breadcrumbs. I think I could have made a better lasagna, and it didn’t feel like it should have been priced the same as the amazing previous dish.
The caesar salad ($ 5, romaine leaves, caesar dressing, house made anchovies, shaved grana and croutons) was decent. The romaine leaves were just that, barely cut romaine leaves. The anchovies were great though– fresh, very light and delicate flavor.
The grilled sardine ($ 4, Monterey sardine stuffed with thyme and lemon, served with an olive aioli and pickled onion) was good. It had a nice mix of flavors– fresh fish, sour lemon, salty mayo, slightly sweet onion. Good stuff.
I am always a little hesitant to come to Jon’s because I always end up spending a ton for lunch, and I end up not liking everything, and theres always more trucks around the area. Some of the offerings make it worth it though. Jon is also a good guy that takes pride in his food and pays attention to his customers. I will definitely be back.

On the menu: Ahi Roll, Grilled Cheese + Salad, Grilled Peach Salad.
Ordered all three items. Ahi Roll was delish! Grilled peaches were sweet and flavorful. Would return to try new creations.

Since my first review, I’ve been back to Jon’s Street Eats several times– I highly recommend you check him out if you haven’t already.
Like I said in my previous review, this place is just ridiculous. You really can’t even call it ‘street food’ because this is truly Grade A, high quality gourmet stuff! Ahi Roll = Amazing. Goat cheese salad = Amazing. Patty Melt = SO freakin Amazing.
Since my last review, Jon has since updated his seating area from a few dirty chairs to several fold out tables. His location has since gone from me being able to walk right up and order, to standing in a huge line! People are noticing that Jon’s Street Eats is special– and fact of the matter is, it’s true! Go get your Ahi Roll or Patty Melt on today…

Astounding! Patty melt & grilled asparagus sounds simple but wait till you wrap your tastebuds around Jon’s version.
My husband — who never believes hype — is a convert too! Go!

I had read about this dude on Unilocal and think I might have seen a recent article in the newspaper about him as well, but I never expected to try his offerings.
The day became what Toni would refer to as «serendipitous». I had an appointment in SF and decided to drive daughter around Emeryville trying to decide to bite the bullet and go to Ikea, go to Doyle, or what? We drove down my old haunts, saw this truck at the end of the ally where I used to park my car when i worked in the «U» building at Chiron and decided to stop.
There are were a couple of offerings-​a lamb sirloin roll and mac and cheese. The lamb roll came with a saffron aioli and since I don’t do mayo I asked to have it left off. Jon was super honest and said the roll would be too dry without it and the daughter agreed to make that her meal. I had the mac. She also tried his aqua fresca and the sherbet.
The daughter really liked the lamb roll and the mac was good-​served with a nice herby mixed greens and a tad of gremolata. Great idea that I will steal for my mac-​his was good, mine is better. The home made sherbet was phenomenal and Jon was super nice and the food was good and I am really happy we stumbled upon him and I hope to do it again!

The first time I sampled Jon’s food (BLAT, fresh pulled mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes — truly delicious food!!) was at the Eat Real Festival in Oakland, back in August 2009. But I only wrote about it in my review of the festival, so now I’m adding this as a separate review.
The menu changes often, so some menu items are better than others. Overall, it’s really good food.
Current schedule (closes early when out of food, or too cold):
* Tue and Thu 11:30a-2:30p, in Emeryville
(take BART MacArthur station + Emery go-​round free shuttle)
* Wed and Fri 11:30a-2:30p, in Alameda
* Saturday evenings, in front of Kona Club
Schedule changes may occur, so get location updates via Twitter. Jon is very diligent about providing location updates.

I went here with high expectations, but I guess that was my fault. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but it wasn’t great. I’ve had better truck food, but I guess this is the best when it comes to gourmet truck food in the bay area.
We got there a bit late so ONE item was already crossed off the menu. We ordered the rest.
Split pea soup-​lumpy but good. I loved the bits of ham and fat in it. Gave it a slight hint of smokiness.
Potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream-​the pancake is more cake than the crispy potato that I was expecting (nothing compared to Speisshammer in Alameda). The apple sauce was good, not overly spiced. The sour cream was not sour. It just tasted like a dollop of cream (confirmed by Jon that it was store bought sour cream-​but whatever the reason my friend made the same comment when he tried it).
flank steak canapé-​it was floral and slightly acidic flavor. Savory, juicy, and tender. Slightly on the oily side from the EVOO (thanks Jon for providing the info),
Apple cinnamon ice cream-​hint of nutmeg, it almost tasted like egg nog meets apple pie in ice cream form (not sure if that’s what was in there, but that’s what it reminded me of).
Appetizer portions (only one item was not available so I cannot speak for the portion size of that item). If you have a big appetite, you might want to order more than one thing.

Came here after reading an article on mobile food trucks in the East Bay and we were so excited to eat it, we set it all down on a nearby power generator box and used that as our counter! We got the ahi roll ($ 9, SO GOOD), chicken liver mousse ($ 3, not a fan of liver but it was okay), and the french onion soup ($ 6, good for a cold winter night). Got here around 6 and was 2^nd to order, so didn’t have to wait long at all, maybe 5 minutes for the food — and I mean, it’s cooked fresh to order, so no complaints here. Again, the ahi roll was amaazzzingg, the aioli sauce is the icing on the cake.
UPDATE–
Came here for a quick bite at lunch and had the lamb roll — also deeeeelish. So juicy and tender. He’s definitely got his rolls down.

You should never judge a book by its cover.
(Or a roach coach by its badonkadonk.)
Driving past this:
Would you have guessed that you’d find THIS on the other side?
Or this?
Or this?
Or this?
The Hand Pulled Mozzerella alone is worth the trip.
Baby’s got back!

Yes! Jon’s Street Eats was outside the Kona Club last Saturday and provided a much needed reprieve from the drama inside the bar (or was it all in my head?) you can follow him on twitter, even (
)
He and his dear assistant Amy, I think (wife?) were awesome and so friendly, chatting it up, and they let us sit in their folding chairs.
I didn’t have to walk down to Fenton’s to get some Ice Cream, No! Jon was there to the rescue with amazing Lavender Blueberry Ice Cream. The only suggestion I had for him was to blend the berries more because It hurts my teeth to bite into frozen anything.
They had a few other things on the menu but nothing that would compliment copious amounts of Tiki drink-(I think he had the hand-​pulled mozzarella another review mentioned) my pal did try the Cesar Roll, which to be honest, I’m kind of thinking looked boo-​ring! It was like a salad on a roll, with anchovies. Meh. Next time I’ll order more food from the menu.
Bless them.
Mobility rules.