10 great places to flag down a fabulous feast
— -- Eager chefs have taken the wheel, and they are steering food in a whole new direction. The growing demand for fresh local bounty has led to more food trucks and carts working the streets nationwide, especially during summer. Dana Cowin, editor in chief of Food & Wine magazine, shares her favorite movable feasts with Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY.
Skillet Seattle
"Joshua Henderson, a former private chef, and Danny Sizemore tool around Seattle in their silver 1962 Airstream, which they've turned into a kitchen-on-wheels," Cowin says. "There's a devoted following for the edgy, eclectic food they serve at various locations around the city. (A weekly schedule is posted on their website.) Favorites include poutine (a Canadian dish combining french fries with cheese curds and gravy), hazelnut-crusted chicken and Skillet's pride and joy, a juicy Kobe beef burger topped with Cambozola cheese and bacon jam." skilletstreetfood.com
Chef Shack Minneapolis
"This upscale street-food trailer, which can be found Saturday mornings at Minneapolis' Mill City Farmers Market, is a party on wheels: A live DJ provides the music, and there's a go-go dancer on the trailer's rooftop for entertainment," Cowin says. "Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer, both professional chefs in town, serve locally sourced dishes, including pulled-pork sandwiches, beef-tongue tacos, Indian-spiced doughnuts and handmade ice cream sandwiches." Cowin says. millcityfarmersmarket.org
RoliRoti San Francisco
"Swiss-born Thomas Odermatt, whose 85-year-old father runs a butcher shop, introduced his popular rotisserie-stocked trucks in 2001 with a single truck. He excels at anything spit-roasted, including pork rib roast, chicken, leg of lamb and porchetta," Cowin says. Odermatt's chefs-on-wheels wear professional uniforms and bring high-end food to several locations in the Bay Area. The longest lines are at his Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market location. 510-780-0300;roliroti.com
Green Truck Culver City, Calif.
"Fueled by used vegetable oil and biodiesel, stocked with locally grown, 100% certified organic ingredients and biodegradable containers and utensils, Green Truck company operates two trucks in various locations around the city and serves salads, grilled tuna tacos and signature 'Mother Trucker' vegan burgers to L.A.'s health- and eco-conscious eaters," Cowin says. 310-204-0477; greentruckonthego.com
Flip Happy Crepes Austin
"Austin just might be America's food-truck capital," Cowin says. "If it is, Flip Happy Crepes' 1966 Avion trailer, where long waits are common, is its city hall. Flip Happy's owners use giant crepes like tortillas, wrapping them around a variety of sweet and savory fillings — from shredded pork with caramelized onions to smoked salmon with herbed cream cheese to lemon curd with blueberry dressing." 512-552-9034; fliphappycrepes.com
The Que Crawl New Orleans
"Located on the corner of Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue, just outside of Tipitina's, a popular live music club, this K&B purple truck serves weekend music lovers long into the night," Cowin says. "Chef and owner Nathanial Zimet offers classic barbecue and creative Cajun sides, including ribs, pulled pork, po' boys and duck gumbo along with grits fries and fried boudin balls, homemade from the traditional Cajun sausage." 504-232-9344
DessertTruck New York
"Stationed near the New York University campus, this truck serves restaurant-quality desserts created by Jerome Chang, a former pastry chef at New York's heralded Le Cirque restaurant," Cowin says. "It's quickly become one of the city's most popular sweet stops, thanks to its rotating selection of desserts, including peanut-butter and milk-chocolate mousse parfaits topped with caramel corn. One of its more adventurous (and memorable) creations is chocolate bread pudding topped with bacon crème anglaise." www.desserttruck.com
Ned's Groceria Gloucester, Mass.
This is truck food with a twist. It comes delivered to your door with groceries, wine and beer. "This mobile food market is stocked with local and imported foods such as grass-fed beef from Maine, Turkish figs and loaves of locally baked bread," Cowin says. "The owners deliver these specialty foods to your door, along with meals they prepare at their new sister storefront, including calamari salad, roast beef and stuffed tomatoes." 978-283-4136; nedsgroceria.com
Moxie Rx Portland, Ore.
"Fruit juice and smoothies are the specialties here, but you'll also find inventive breakfast and brunch items like cheddar biscuits and buckwheat Belgian waffles," Cowin says. Grapefruit juice with basil and soda as well as the Rx, a smoothie made with bananas, dates and almond butter, are top sellers that make Nancye Benson's funky food trailer popular among north Portland hipsters. moxierx.blogspot.com
Food Shark Marfa, Texas
"This silver Ford delivery truck serves owners Adam Bork's and Krista Steinhauer's excellent Mediterranean street food, including kebobs, hummus and the ultra-popular Marfalafel (a playful way of describing their falafel)," Cowin says. Marfa, a ranching town in west Texas near Alpine and about an hour from the Mexican border, is also a modern-art mecca. Food Shark is parked across the street from the Marfa Book Store in a public pavilion with Donald Judd-designed picnic tables. foodsharkmarfa.com