ARDENT GOURMET: Surf 2 Soul
Food Truck, Astoria
By David & Susan Greenberg
davidandsusangreenberg@gmail.com
We ate a shrimp po’boy in New Orleans that was so delicious it left us stunned and reverent. Fresh, obese, battered, deep-fried wild shrimp – lots of them – on a hoagie roll with mayo, lettuce, tomato. It was like being hit by a shrimp mortar shell at close range. Bliss!
Specialists in Southern food, Surf 2 Soul’s shrimp po’boy doesn’t equal this prodigy, but it’s not far off the mark. There are lots and lots of shrimp that have been battered in cornmeal and deep fried. There’s cajun style aioli, lettuce and tomato. The hoagie roll has just the right softness. The only debit is the shrimp. They’re fresh but farm-raised, not wild. And for shrimp worshippers, only wild ones scooped from the brine (preferably the Gulf of Mexico) really count.
The po-boy came with yet more shrimp on the side and a shovelful of outstanding hand-cut french fries.
This is the only dish of Surf 2 Soul’s we tried, but there are many more that call out to us. None, we’re happy to say, are low-cal, low-fat, low-flavor spa food which we shun. At various times, they have shrimp and grits, mac and cheese with smoked pork belly, fried chicken and waffles, ribs, fried pickles, and cornbread apple hush puppies.
Quibble aside, their shrimp po’boy ranks among the most delicious items we’ve eaten from an Oregon coast food truck. We’re eager to eat more, many more, shrimp po’boys and other menu items as well. Our kind of spa food.
David & Susan Greenberg love to hear from readers. You may contact us at our restaurant review website, www.ardentgourmet.com