Editor’s Note: If you haven’t tried Mike2Kitchen yet, make today the day! They’ll be at Civic Center Eats today and every Thursday! Get on down to the park and get you some! -shelly
So you’re running errands on Saturday morning and you need to hit up a liquor store to complete your evening meal. If you live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, you’d probably just head over to Argonaut, like I’ve done for many years. But it’s lunch time and you’re also starving. What to do? Happily, you can keep heading to Argonaut – just take a look out back. There you’ll sometimes find a big yellow trailer. Not just any trailer, but a feast on wheels. Welcome to Mikes 2 Kitchen.
A couple of weeks ago, we stopped by Mikes 2 Kitchen for lunch and met Mike Levine, one of the 2 Mikes that own and run this feast on wheels. I had run by Mikes 2 Kitchen down at 900 S Broadway a while back and had so enjoyed my meal that I wanted to try more food before writing this article (really, any excuse for more awesome street food will do, right?). This time, I took my roommate with me so we could order more, and split a few items. I also wanted to chat with Mike Levine, a former manager of Le Central, and Mike Carlin, one of the coolest cooking dudes I have met so far.
On my first trip to Mikes I tried the Shrimp Po Boy and a Papas Taco. Man, what flavors! The second time around we had the Roasted Turkey Breast Po Boy and a trio of Tacos-Carne Asada, Shrimp, & Carnitas. And Mike was kind enough to throw a sample of their fabulous Mac & Cheese our way.
First Up: Those Incredible Po Boys
Let’s start with the Po Boys. The Shrimp Po Boy is made with fried Laughing Bird Shrimp (these are sustainable & never frozen), marinated tomatoes, pickled cukes, shredded romaine & a spicy Cajun Remoulade. The Roasted Turkey Breast comes with “House Roasted” Turkey Breast (read: super fresh), roasted red pepper relish, marinated cukes, shredded romaine & a basil aioli. Two fantastic Po Boys served on locally made baguettes. All of the ingredients on both Po Boys pop! Every bite brings together a medley of taste that just make you want to keep eating. The shrimp on the Shrimp Po Boy were so fresh tasting and oh so yummy; the house roasted turkey breast makes you think of Thanksgiving leftovers. The Mikes have made sure each Po Boy has the best ingredients possible and that each ingredient complements the other.
Not Your Average Tacos
You might say, “Oh yea, tacos. You can get tacos anywhere,” but I’m here to tell you, these are way better than most you’ve had! The Carne Asada had super tender pieces of beef that had been marinated & grilled to perfection and were topped with a refreshing pico de gallo. The shrimp taco contained more of the Laughing Bird Shrimp, chorizo & salsa rojo. Shrimp & chorizo-what a combo! Add in some salsa rojo & this is a tasty treat beyond words. Lastly, the Carnitas Taco with salsa verde! Tasty bites of super moist pork topped with a super refreshing salsa verde. All of the tacos come served with queso fresco and shredded romaine. Yes, romaine-not that tasteless iceberg stuff.
Sides You Can Make A Meal Of
These guys also whip up some tasty sides! Try the Mac & Cheese – I adore it! Next time maybe I’ll just eat sides! And while the nutmeg tinged, oniony mac is my favorite, Mikes 2 Kitchen offers loads of other amazing sides, including Turkey, Andouille Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo and Red Beans & Rice.
Mikes 2 Kitchen is out and about almost every weekday. Give them a like on Facebook, and check their whereabouts on their website for a regularly updated calendar. Of course, we’ll be reposting their tweets in the sidebar here at Denver Street Food as well.