Voyaging Vittles

In this part of the country, food trucks have become all the rage.  They are mobile dining experiences and travel around to different locations throughout the week.  I've tried them twice before.  The first time was when I read about a Lobster Roll truck, and trying/hoping to recreate a Lobster Roll experience I had at Red's in Maine, I went down there.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't Red's.  Well, this is Minnesota after all and while we do have a lot of lakes, there aren't any lobsters in them.  Perhaps my expectations were a bit high.

The second time I tried one was at my favorite outdoor market, the Mill City Farmer's Market.  This truck was run by Chef Shack.  They create a lot of great food and one of their menu staples is the mini donut.  It'll set you back $7, but they truly were some of the best and most memorable mini donuts I've ever had.

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I've heard about purported mass gatherings of food trucks here and there, but always forget to go...until last weekend.  I made it to an event that had 18 trucks in one spot.

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The approach I took was to survey first, review their menus, then go back to whatever I had to try.  Well, that was the plan anyway.  Until I got to this truck, offering a Mango Fritter for $2.  That was how it began.  We had dessert first.

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Next was my daughter's pick, the Empanada truck.  They had food that sounded safe for her (aka not spicy) to try: the Mac-N-Cheese and the Cheeseburger Empanadas.  They were good, but pretty bland for my taste.

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The place I wanted to go back was to Andrew Zimmern's truck for the smashed potato running at $3.  A lot of these trucks will set you back $9 or $10, but I wanted to sample a few different things.   I was looking for some smaller portions so I wouldn't get filled up on one dish.

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I could tell by their appearance these were gonna be good.  In fact, I am pretty sure they were the most amazing potatoes I've ever had in my life. They were creamy inside, crunchy skins, salty, garlicky, OMG can-I-get-another-order-of-these good.  I thought about going back, but I wanted to have room to try something else.  What I decided on was the Moral Omnivore truck.  Their menu had some very interesting things on it.

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I decided to go with the Curried Mushroom Fries since they won an award for something and I love anything with curry in it.

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They were good and unique.  Very fried and very mushroomy.  I don't know if I'd buy them again, but if someone else did, I would probably sneak one or two of theirs.

I also decided to get the Beet Mac-n-cheese to bring home for one of my other kids who happens to like beets.  I sampled a few bites of it after they were done (they didn't eat it all).  It was very interesting and good.  The red onions were a bit overpowering.  I liked the crunch they offered but I would have opted for a milder, maybe a green onion so it didn't become the dominant flavor.

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What happened next can best be described as a post-Thanksgiving-dinner-like induced coma.  I felt intoxicated from eating too much and there was only going to be one cure: sleep.  I do not know how people sat in a beer tent and drank after, before or during that event, but they did.  Maybe it's a timing thing that I haven't yet figured out.  Something like: beer, food, break, beer, food, beer, food, sleep.  Too bad I live so far away and had to drive.  For those who live in the area and had the afternoon/evening off and could walk, it was a great plan for the day.

In the end, there was one thing I couldn't forget.  Those potatoes.  In fact, I might have to track down that food truck one more time before the snow starts flying.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have the pleasure to try a food truck someday.