I have been fortunate enough to catch the Dim and Den Sum truck a few more times since my last post about Cleveland's first food truck. The food just keeps getting better and better, despite flat tires, short bread supplies, empty propane tanks, and any other number of things that just seem to happen when you are trying to feed a lot of people honest, freshly made food from a converted box truck. Dim and Den Sum rocks!
My second visit with Dim and Den Sum was again at the parking lot of 24865 Emery Road. This time, I took advantage of the picnic tables.
Tater Tots with Spicy Sauce and Truffle Pepper
I don't know how they get these basic tater tots to have such perfect crunch and taste, but they do! Perhaps it's the special sauce?
Chicken Nachos with Asparagus Slaw
Loved this lunch selection. I would have liked a little more of the exquisitely fresh and celery-free chicken salad, but I did not leave hungry.
The asparagus slaw captured the essence of spring, in a way I'd have never expected. Fresh, crunchy, yet also a creamy texture when eaten with the beans. Worked for me.
By my next visit with DDS, the venue had moved to the main street outside of the Progressive Insurance campus, between the corporate office buildings and the lovely park (300 N. Commons Blvd Mayfield OH - hopefully to be the "regular" Thursday lunch spot). And the menu had improved from a xeroxed sheet taped to the truck to this cool "chalkboard paint." The only thing missing was a place to sit, but hey, this is street food after all!
Cheesesteak Steam Bun: Shaved beef, pickled red onions, cheese, & "horsey sauce", BBQ
This wasn't exactly the format I was expecting - I expected a char sui type item, fully encased in pastry. This version, an almost pancake-like fresh bread circle topped with savory beef, incredibly tasty pickled onion, horseradishy sauce and cheese whiz, was a little messy to eat, but fabulous in tastes and textures.
Pulled Pork Taco
This creation featured succulent pulled pork, fiji apple creme fraiche, kimchi slaw, and hot sauce. Yum!
This creation featured succulent pulled pork, fiji apple creme fraiche, kimchi slaw, and hot sauce. Yum!
Jjang Dawg: Local dog, pulled pork, kimchi slaw, smashed tots, Bourbon soy bbq sauce
Wow. This may be the best thing I've had from DDS (though that Cheesesteak Bun is a darn close second) - an amazing locally-sourced hotdog, perfectly grilled, which went "snap" when I bit in and which further rewarded me with juiciness in every bite. This dog was served on the "home-made" bun the DDS boys are sourcing from a pal at Fire Restaurant, topped with tender pulled pork, crunchy kimchi slaw, smashed tots, and Bourbon BBQ sauce - I almost wished I'd hadn't eaten anything else, so I would have room to enjoy a second one of these, it was that good. Almost wished, because the other items were truly delicious also. But this dog left me feeling happy for the rest of the day!
A lone tater tot that got away. How sad!
The next week at the same locale - here was the menu:
The next week at the same locale - here was the menu:
Both Chefs, Jeremy Esterly and Chris Hodgson, were "in the house," so to speak, this gorgeously sunny day.
Sarah's Jalapeno Tots
As described on the menu, except no bacon. The bacon was not missed at all - the flavors and textures were delicious, though a little messy for finger food.
Meatloaf Melt: Beef and Veal Meatloaf, Duck Confit, Sweet Soy Ketchup, Green Onion Cheese
Thought this sandwich "suffered" from not having the wonderful homemade bread (the supply had gotten stale, and the Chefs decided that packaged bread was the better choice) - the fillings more than made up for it! The duck confit tasted wonderfully ducky, and the meatloaf was moist and flavorful. The cheese was an interesting and different product - it all worked together beautifully.
I haven't mentioned the beverages because I've mostly stuck to water, but Dim and Den Sum offers a small variety of unusual libations to accompany the eats - so far, I've seen an Apple Soda from China, an Apple Soda from Mexico (all cane sugar and no high fructose corn syrup), and a Coconut Soda.
I haven't mentioned the beverages because I've mostly stuck to water, but Dim and Den Sum offers a small variety of unusual libations to accompany the eats - so far, I've seen an Apple Soda from China, an Apple Soda from Mexico (all cane sugar and no high fructose corn syrup), and a Coconut Soda.
And so, another three Dim and Den Sum lunches delivered a pause from the workday that truly refreshed. Please check out their website, twitter (I understand that they are about to launch an IPhone app that makes them easier to find) and Facebook page, so that you can have some fun playing with Dim and Den Sum's made-from-scratch, tasty food. It is definitely worth the the sticky fingers!
