Food & Drink: Fixins parks Louisiana flavor in Couv

I have a food truck problem. When I see a new food truck, I’m reduced to a dog waiting for its dinner — a panting mess of hunger. Several months ago, when I saw a bright red truck parked on Main Street about a block from Walgreens, I turned canine. When I saw the logo of lobster, a crawfish, and an alligator tending to a pot over an open flame, I became obsessed. What is going on in this food truck?

The food truck in question is called Fixins. The owners’ goal is to bring a taste of the South to Vancouver. In this case, the South means Louisiana.

A lot of different things come out of this small truck. There are the traditional Louisiana delicacies such as jambalaya, boudin, po’boy sandwiches and made-to-order beignets (two for $5 or three for $6). In addition, there are Taco Tuesday specials with taco options, not usually found in the Pacific Northwest, such as gator (yes, I mean alligator), oyster and catfish.

They also serve a variety of dressed-up hot dogs with such eclectic names as Chuck Norris (chili, cheese, grilled bacon, onions and jalapeños) and the Situation (mac and cheese on top loaded with bacon). Daily specials are available, like the very popular Big Daddy fried chicken sandwich, smoked chicken, BLTC (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and catfish) sandwiches, and the Big Daddy Cajun burrito (jambalaya, pulled pork, Cajun hash browns salsa, sour cream, and cheese wrapped in a tortilla and grilled).

I arrived hungry and I wanted to eat everything in the truck all at once. General manager Jessica Terry told me I should get the sampler plate — mac and cheese, pulled pork, jambalaya, and boudin sausage. I walked away with two plastic bags filled with food. It was a feast that could feed three to four people for just $12.

Terry advised me to mix the mac and cheese with the jambalaya. It sounded crazy, and when I mixed it together, it looked crazy. Dear reader, you want mac and cheese mixed with jambalaya. Logic has no place here — just mix the jambalaya with the mac and cheese and your mouth will be happy.

The jambalaya has layers of flavor — spice, peppers, onions, chicken and sausage. This mixed with the creamy, carb-loaded mac and cheese is the ultimate mouth party.

The other parts of this generously portioned sampler platter were the pulled pork and the boudin sausage. The pulled pork was deliciously juicy. The boudin sausage (which is made in-house) is a delectable mix of Louisiana dirty rice and pulled pork. A good sausage is even better with a pint of beer. You can bring any food from Fixins to Trap Door Brewing (a block away) and pair it with a pint of beer (a juicy New England-style IPA like Lighten Up would pair nicely with the boudin).

Save room for the beignets — the Big Easy version of a doughnut. These square-shaped fritters, generously cloaked in powdered sugar, transport you to Café du Monde. All you need is a bit of coffee and chicory and you feel like you just landed in New Orleans.

Rachel Pinsky can be emailed at couveeats@gmail.com. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @couveeats