Maximus/Minimus, pork on the move

The pigs are no longer on parade in Seattle. There is, however, a pig parading around Seattle.

You might have seen the taco truck that's been turned Transformer. It was designed by Colin Reedy, who made some of the Pigs on Parade sculptures in 2001. But this pig has been slinging pork sandwiches all over town for the past three months or so.

Seattle's sporting events tend to be a magnet for these pork purveyors. You can't miss it. There's a snout upfront, vanity plates that read "SOMEPIG" and a pulled-pork sandwich good enough to make you smile all the way through a lunch eaten on a concrete bench. At least that's how I spent my Saturday afternoon when I caught up to Maximus/Minimus at University Village.

The mobile pig, whose main location is at Second and Pike, can be tracked through its Web site (www.maximus-minimus.com) or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/somepigseattle).

The menu: The choices are pretty straightforward: pig or not, sweet or hot. You can get a pulled-pork sandwich or a vegetarian alternative of roasted onions, fennel bulb and mint for $5.46. The Minimus sauce includes tamarind, honey and molasses. The Maximus is equivalent to two stars on a Thai menu and includes a six-pepper blend, onions and fruit juice.

Sides are just as straightforward with slaw ($1.37, again with sweet or slightly spicy variations) or chips ($2.73).

What to write home about: The pork is as soft as it is saucy, served on a bun that is substantial enough to support a sandwich of this magnitude and soft enough to absorb some of the sauce. Add Beecher's cheese for $1; you'll be glad you did.

The setting: You wait in line, pay your money, get your food. That's the extent of the transaction. Special acknowledgment for the small cardboard trays, which are stiff enough to support the sandwich.

Summing up: There's something exciting about street food, and when you make street food this cheap and tasty (a Maximus pork sandwich with cheese, Maximus slaw and Minimus hibiscus nectar came to $10.75), all you really need is a napkin, a curb and perhaps a plastic fork if you're feeling fancy.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com