Unkle Kate’s Bait Shoppe lobster roll made with lobster knuckles and claws.

Two standalone food carts are among the many eateries near Northwest Galveston Avenue and Federal Street, a few of which I explored in this space last week. Both of these carts offer cuisine from the owners’ home states of New Mexico and New Hampshire, re-creating their favorite flavors to share here in Central Oregon.

Sol Verde New Mexican cuisine food truck has been in its spot under shady trees on Federal Street for several years. Unkle Kate’s Bait Shoppe trailer opened this past May adjacent to the Boss Rambler Beer Club Brewery and Megaphone Coffee (which share the building). Sol Verde has a full menu starting with breakfast burritos at 7 a.m., closing at 2 p.m. Unkle Kate’s opens at noon and offers one specialty. Both have limited hours and will be closing for winter when daytime temperatures drop.

Sol Verde: A Taste of New Mexico

Sol Verde sits next to a hair salon in a converted house. Diners sit at tables on the lawn under towering shade trees. Although this is New Mexican cuisine, it has many similarities to Mexican food. The signature ingredient difference is the use of Hatch chiles from Hatch Valley in southern New Mexico.

Owner Kat Morrow explained that these chiles are hung to dry in ristras, found throughout her home state of New Mexico (and hanging from the awning of the Sol Verde truck). The chiles are hung while still green but turn red as they dry. The dried red chiles are spicy. Green chiles used in the green sauce are roasted as soon as harvested, giving them a milder, sweet, smoky flavor. All of Sol Verde’s menu items are offered with a choice of green, red or “Christmas” (green and red) sauce.

Morrow buys and preps food fresh every day. Her goal is to prepare New Mexican food the way she likes it, and she is obsessed with making food right — meticulously preparing the pork for the Carne Adovada so there is no fat or gristle. Morrow admits she might be overly picky, but her efforts pay off in the careful blending of flavors in each dish.

The breakfast burritos show that care in cooking. Often a breakfast burrito has ingredients piled into the tostada in such a way that you might get eggs in one bite, potatoes in the next, and salsa at the top or bottom. Morrow makes sure that every bite has all of the ingredients. The eggs are mixed and cooked with potatoes, meat (I had sausage), onions, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and a choice of sauce. I enjoyed the mix of flavors as it is one of the better breakfast burritos in Bend.

We also tried the Carne Adovada Bowl. Pork is marinated and slow-cooked is an intense red chile sauce, and it’s a bit spicy. Cheese, onion, tomato and cilantro are added to the soupy mix served with tortillas, and a Mexi-slaw of cabbage in a sweet vinegar balanced the pork’s spicy potency. Morrow believes that the Carne adovada is mellower when not eaten on its own and blends well as a meat choice in burritos, enchiladas and other dishes.

Lastly, I tried the New Mexico-Style Enchiladas. Instead of being rolled like Mexican enchiladas, protein is layered between tortillas laid flat. A generous helping of cheese and sauce cover the pile. I chose the green and red, Christmas style, sauce. The green sauce had a mild, sweet chile, smoky flavor. The red sauce added a spicy zing. It was served with rice and pinto beans that were mildly seasoned, allowing their flavors to come forward. It reminded me of dinners made by my Mexican mother-in-law. In all, the dishes are unassuming, tasty and perfect if you are in the mood for Mexican food. Sol Verde can be closed during hot weather or for a family vacation, so be sure to check its Facebook page before you go. The truck isn’t insulated, so it will close when the temperature drops (usually November) and reopen around March/April.

Unkle Kate’s Bait Shoppe

A retro-camper trailer is parked alongside the Boss Rambler Beer Club. It looks like it just arrived from the beach. Only one meal is served here — a lobster roll, a side of chips, and a house-made garlic pickle. (Occasionally, it has a clam dip special.)

Lobster rolls are nostalgic food for many Northeasterners. Said to have originated at Perry’s restaurant in Millford, Connecticut, in 1926, it quickly spread to eateries all along the Eastern Seaboard. The sandwich is well known to coastal visitors. Unkle Kate’s owner, Kate Brennan, recalls summers in New Hampshire, when she would “stop on the coast at a little shack somewhere to get a lobster roll. Now, it has a sort of cult food following.”

Brennan had been a private chef on yachts, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Aspen, Colorado, but has been visiting Bend for many years. When the pandemic hit, she was inspired to move to Bend to join the community of friends she’s made here.

The roll will cost you $26. “Good lobster ain’t cheap, cheap lobster ain’t good,” Brennan tells me as she explains that she uses the chunky lobster knuckles and claws that run $100 per pound. The lobster is flash-frozen using the same nitro-freezing process used in sushi. She slowly defrosts enough meat for that day’s sandwiches. It’s the reason her hours are from 2 p.m. until supply runs out. The cart stays open until 7 or 8 p.m. but occasionally will run out of lobster in a couple of hours.

The lobster is prepared traditionally, mixed with just a bit of mayonnaise, lemon, salt, and pepper. The sweet meat is then stuffed into the split top of a classic Eastern pull-apart hot dog bun.

These brioche buns, reminiscent of Texas toast, are like wrapping the lobster in buttery goodness. Unkle Kate’s buns are made locally by Big Ed’s bakery.

Potato chips are the side of choice with lobster rolls. Brennan offers seasoned Cape Cod potato chips. The fresh, crispy chips bring seasoning and variety that goes well with the sandwich. A house-made garlic pickle completes the meal.

If you are nostalgic for a lobster roll, or a fan of lobster, Unkle Kate’s certainly a treat that would go well with a beer from the Beer Club. Expect Unkle Kate’s Bait Shoppe to close in October. Brennan has plans for a “chowder club” during the winter months. Details to be determined.

If you go

What: Unkle Kate’s Bait Shoppe

Where: 1009 NW Galveston, Bend (on Federal)

Hours: Noon to 8 p.m (or while supplies last). Thursday through Sunday

Contact: facebook.com/unklekatesbaitshoppe , @unklekatesbaitshoppe on Instagram

What: Sol Verde — A Taste of New Mexico

Where: 1040 NW Galveston, Bend (on Federal)

Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday

Contact: solverdebend.com, 541-610-8399