Portland Pedal Power is very excited to announce we will be delivering for Left Coast, a food cart dedicated to creating delicious southern food meant to bring out the inner beach-lover in all of us. We asked John Sturm, owner of Left Coast, what inspired him to start his work in the culinary arts:

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the South is the smell of low tide (well, that and the taste of soft-shell blue crab). But when the smell of low tide combines with the lack of airflow and the oppressive humidity, it gets a particularly funky smell all of its own. It reminds me of lazy, childhood mornings watching the shrimp boats and deep-sea fishermen leave the harbor under a sticky, morning sun – headed for deeper water.

Their return was always much more highly anticipated than their departure. They would return with what seemed like tons of live shrimp, crabs, and fish to be cleaned and sold right on the docks, generally to chefs who worked in the restaurants overlooking the harbor. Evening low tides are always the most memorable with the unmistakable, embarrassing stench of the water-less harbor combining with the smell of fish being fried and grilled in the restaurants.

Left Coast tries to recreate these memories and experiences using the finest Northwest ingredients. I am the owner and chef, and I have literally cooked my way from coast to coast. Portland was an accident, not a choice. It just seems that I ran out of gas, money, and luck all at once – right here…and it couldn’t have been a better place for that to happen. Life is a lot like surfing – you just have to trust it!
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