Food pop-ups, trucks and carts are blossoming all over Seattle – but not all of them are above board. The city is seeing a huge spike in mobile food vendors that aren’t permitted. Today we tell the story of how Tan found out about this trend thanks to the hottest food truck of the summer, and talk to Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano about how to tell if a food vendor is following health rules. Plus, Seattle is having an al pastor taco moment. Tan shares tips for where to get a great bite.  Read Tan and Jackie’s story in the Seattle Times. Recommendations in this episode: Tacos La Cuadra – Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Northgate Tacos Extranjeros – inside Fair Isle Brewing, Ballard Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Teriyaki as we know it was invented in Seattle in the 1970s. It’s why there’s a teriyaki joint almost every other block across the city. On this episode, we join author and food influencer J. Kenji López-Alt on his mission to eat at every single teriyaki restaurant in Seattle (and some outside) and discover the ultimate form of this native Seattle cuisine.  Plus, Kenji and Tan discuss one of the best restaurants in Colombia that may soon be making an appearance in the Seattle area.  Recommendations in this episode: Rainier Teriyaki, Columbia City Grillbird, West Seattle Prudencia, Bogota, Colombia Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Pho and Banh mi shops are ubiquitous in Seattle, but Vietnamese food here is evolving far beyond these two dishes. In this episode, Seattle Times Food Writers Bethany Jean Clement and Jackie Varriano join Tan for a taste test of their favorite Vietnamese dishes in the city, courtesy of the Times’ Vietnamese Food Guide.  Plus, a neighborhood in Seattle with great cheap eats that you’ve probably never heard of.  Read the Vietnamese Food Guide: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-best-of-seattles-vietnamese-food-scene/ Our favorite Vietnamese dishes in Seattle: Paté Chaude — Q Bakery, Hillman City Bún Chả Hà Nội — Ba Bar, multiple locations Banh Mi Nem Nướng Hà Nội — Voi Cà Phê, Georgetown Other recommendations in this episode: The Tin Hat, West Woodland – 99¢ Taco Tuesdays Molly Maguires, West Woodland – lunch buffet The Dray, West Woodland Anchovies and Salt, Renton — try the fish sauce coffee Hello Em, Little Saigon — try the Caphe Trung (egg coffee) Phin, Little Saigon — pick up some pandan waffles Voi Cà Phê — try the Miso Caramel Latte or Pho Spice Latte  Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Only one spot in Washington state made the New York Time’s list of 50 best restaurants this year: familyfriend. The Beacon Hill eatery’s menu is filled with stand-out meals from Guam and other Pacific Islands, but the one responsible for its meteoric rise is all American. In this episode, Tan chats with familyfriend owner Elmer Dulla about the restaurant’s sudden success and its Guamanian roots. Plus, tips for enjoying fresh hop season in Seattle, even if you’re not a beer fan.  Read more about Elmer Dulla and familyfriend in The Seattle Times.  Recommendations in this episode: Familyfriend, Beacon Hill – try the corn soup, the shrimp and octopus tostada or the La Beacon Bachoy (if you’re feeling adventurous) Cloudburst Brewing, Downtown Single Hill Brewing, Yakima The Dray, West Woodland Chuck’s Hop Shop, Central District / Greenwood / Seward Park Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Where can you get the best slice of pizza in Seattle? That’s what the Seattle Times asked readers in its Summer Pizza Smackdown — and the Times’ food writers happen to agree with the answer. This episode, Tan counts down the 4 best pies in the city with fellow Seattle Times food writers Jackie Varriano and Bethany Jean Clement Plus, tips on getting a table at the hottest new restaurant this fall: A giant dim sum hall in Chinatown. Read more about The Seattle Times Pizza Smackdown. Recommendations in this episode: - Bar del Corso, Beacon Hill - Delancey, Ballard - The Independent Pizzeria, Madison Park - My Friend Derek’s, Fremont - Post Alley Pizza, Downtown - Stevie’s Famous, Burien / Beacon Hill - Diamond Bay, International District - Sun Sui Wah, Bellevue Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible: Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

Where should I take a date for dinner? What’s up with that taco stand down the street? Is the hottest new restaurant really worth waiting in line for an hour? Whatever question you have about Seattle’s food scene, Tan Vinh has the answer. Join him on Seattle Eats, a new podcast that pulls back the curtain on the dishes – and the people – that make Seattle’s food iconic. Episodes drop every other Thursday, starting September 19.