Slow Fox Chili Parlor
108 E 7th St suite b, Vancouver, WA 98660
Well here we are in the height of summer with a heatwave hitting us. Giving us sunny July days of about 90-100 degrees. So what Dow that put us in the mood for. Piping hot chili, so in the spirit of celebrating Christmas in July let’s all come together while we make sure to warm ourselves both inside and out with the tastes of three different chili from this Vancouver shop Slow Fox Chili Parlor.
With Portland being the undisputed king of the the food carts, food pods and food halls. It seems Vancouver is getting a bit envious and over the last few years has tried its hand at building its own quick on the go foodie experiences. This has been met with varying results. Food trucks have popped up and disappeared faster than many can track, restaurants have been opening pick up windows on the streets for the on the go buyers, and farmers markets have been bringing in more unique food cultures and flavor, but one of the more ambitious showings is the attempt to build a permanent food pod downtown.
Built in what was once a vacant lot. This area has been spruced up with beautiful murals and colorful plants, kept with shady spots to relax on a hot day, with clean tables, chairs, and relaxing music playing all around. Making it a wonderful spot to relax with a few friends and truly enjoy a meal.
So far only a couple food options have moved in to this pretty local but we certainly hope soon enough vendors will decide to call this their home and make a food pod that you can that this city can really celebrate.
Now let’s get down to business. Chili business. What sets Slow Fox apart for us was the sheer variety they had to offer. With four different chili’s including rotating seasonal specials. Meatloaf sandwiches, chili dogs, bbq chicken and even short ribs. There are a lot of options here for the carnivore foodies on the go. Here are the three we tried for today.
Firstly the all American classic. Rays Red Chili the traditional beefy bean chili made with stewed tomatoes and onions. Served topped with cheese and a side of corn bread. All for only $7. Making this quite a bargain. This is what people think of when it comes to chili. Comfortable, warm and with just a hint of spice to it. This is simply what chili should be and is a go to when you have a comfort craving.
Now if you are looking for something just a bit different. The special we found today was truly that. Cincinnati Chili, this dish based on Mediterranean cuisine and made famous by Greek immigrants coming to America is a more heavily spiced meat sauce served with pasta, usually spaghetti. The deep flavor of the beef truly enriched in this chili making for the ultimate savory comfort food. Adding just a dash of Slow Fox hot sauce brings out an richness to the flavor that is hard to pass up. At $9 per serving this is a dish not to pass up.
Finally we sample The Chili Carlos, this Latin inspired chili dish is made well with the use of smoked pork hocks, pork shoulder, green chorizo and hominy. With just a hint of lime following the umami and smoky flavor and rich sauce. This dish seeming reminiscent of a Mexican Pozole soup is probably one of the more unique chili dishes we have ever tried and is a top recommendation for someone wanting to mix up their routine. Again at $7 a serving it is a great mini meal to get you through the day.
All in all there were a lot of positives to Slow Fox and we thoroughly enjoyed our chili’s. The only downside we can make was that the homemade cornbread was very disappointing. Seeming either overcooked or just dry to the point the honey butter could not even save it. We hope this was just our bad luck on a bad batch made today but that being said this bread was left on the tray as we left.
So for the rating. We give the chili themselves a solid 8/10 for their flavor and good prices. But the cornbread only scraps a 3/10 at best. Sadly a good cornbread is important to a proper chili eating experience so..
We give Slow Fox Chili parlor Seven Foxes out of Ten 🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊
Sibling Grubbery 