What's your favorite truck?
We frequently get asked that question. And in the world of L.A. Food Trucks it's downright impossible to pick one. But we do have our top 10- 15 favorites so we thought we'd share this list with you.
Bear in mind of course that as we sample new ones, this list is subject to change! SO here they are in no particular order.
The Border Grill. Being a Too Hot Tamales fan from way back this was a truck I had to track down. And was I ever glad we did. Of the 8-10 menu items we've tried from here we haven't found one that disappoints. We both agree that this one is worth going out of your way for. The ceviche cone and tamal cones are standouts.
Papa's Tapas. Another one where no matter what we try it's always good. This is a family owned truck and the people running this truck are awesome. Another one we're always glad to see and won't pass up when given the opportunity. Try the croquettes and the Paella if they're available.
India Jones Chow Truck. The Frankie is what initially got our attention here then I started trying other items on this menu. All good. The Mango spareribs are a sloppy good time. Definitely Stalker approved!
Global Soul. This is the truck that first caused us to ask the question "Is it even possible for them to make something bad?" The Shrimp Toastie is not just a home run, it knocks it out of the park! Other items I've tried here are equally off the hook!
Barbie's Q, Smokin Willie's and Willoughby Road. Ok, so we're fans of great Q. See our previous blog on this trio. I think if I ever found a mobile food court that had more than one of these at the same time my head would explode!
Komodo. This one grew on us over time. We found that anytime this one appeared at Century a Komodo 2.0 was in order. Anything we've tried here has been good. So they get a place on our Stalker Approved list.
Rajin Cajun. Steve is a real character. Anyone who watched him on "The Great Food Truck Race" knows that. But he can cook some food. Southern Creole food in a favorite of ours to begin with, and he's found ways to create new things within that realm. Try his Gumbolaya, a fusion between Gumbo and Jambalaya. It's stupid good!
White Rabbit. There are several Philippino trucks on the scene. What sets this one apart is the Pork Sisig, a wonderful concoction made from deep fried pork belly. I'm fortunate enough to live near their brick and mortar establishment which has the same menu as the truck. It's irresistable. And don't forget the Lumpia!
Slap Yo Mama. OK, I really wanted to say that. But beyond the funny name is a woman who makes some of the best Po Boy sandwiches I've ever tasted. Try the fried catfish with a side of Mac and Cheese. And really nice people as well!
Flying Pig. We struggled with this one. Not everything on this truck is a home run but two things are so good that they are superstars in the food truck world. This truck makes what I think is the best slider I've tasted. It's their Pork Belly Bun. A chunk of Pork Belly on a Bao bun with marinated onions. Incredible. The other item is their Tamarind Duck taco. Duck meat, tamarind sauce and a piece of a clementine. Kudos! Their somoked chicken and regular pork sliders are also worth mentioning. Just don't bother with the burritos.
Louk's To Go. Who doesn't love good Greek food. Of the few things We've tried here we've been blown away every time. They make a sausage pita wrap with hummus that has a little bit of honey in it. Spectacular and try the Dolmas on a stick!
Lomo Arigato. Peruvian, Japanese fusion. Sounds great, but not exactly a new thing if you know your history. The result is a cuisine that has the heartiness of the South American cuisines tempered with the refinement of Japanese cuisine. The Saltado and Tallarin you get here are incredible. And he's got the grates hood ornament I've ever seen!
We have more recommendations but we'll stop here at 11, well 13 really. If there are a few here you haven't tried, track them down. You'll be glad you did!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Mobile Q
Ahhh Barbeque. Who doesn't like good barbeque!
Personally I think a great piece of smoked meat is one of those little pleasures that makes life worth living. In the food truck world bbq has 2 meanings. It can be the ribs, chicken and beef that we Americans have perfected or it can refer to the Korean variety found in the tacos and burritos of many of the "fusion" trucks out there.
Here I'm discussing the former variety, the good old American back yard developed, slow cooked, hard to control, mess up your clothes goodness that some people have spent their lives perfecting.
There are 3 trucks in particular that I've tried that serve up this variety. They are, Barbie's Q, Smokin Willie's and Willoughby Road. If you asked me to pick a favorite here I'd simply answer yes. All of the above. But each has their own little hidden gems that set them apart.
Barbie's Q was the first one I tried. To say that this man understands meat is an understatement. Mr. Bowler, the pit boss, personally smokes his meats each day and has got it down. His tacos and sliders are top notch. But the real hidde gem on his menu is his St. Louis style spareribs. You can buy the one at a time for 2 bucks each and they will send you to bbq heaven.
Willoughby Road came next. I've only had the pleasure once but that's all it took. I tried his smoked and deep fried spareribs. Eating this in my car was probably a mistake in retrospect but I totally didn't notice until I had finished and found that much of the sauce was on me rather than in me. I didn't care, I was in a food coma and bbq heaven at the same time.
Lastly came Smokin Willie's, This trucks best feature is the sauce which you can buy at Whole Foods separately. It's worth it. The regular and the spicy chipotle can make anything taste better. I tried them on sliders and was not disappointed.
All 3 of these trucks are stalker approved. As a side note, I had Barbie's Q cater a party I had a while back and that could not have gone better. It was a musicians party and what goes better with rock and blues than good Q???
Nothing, that's what!
Personally I think a great piece of smoked meat is one of those little pleasures that makes life worth living. In the food truck world bbq has 2 meanings. It can be the ribs, chicken and beef that we Americans have perfected or it can refer to the Korean variety found in the tacos and burritos of many of the "fusion" trucks out there.
Here I'm discussing the former variety, the good old American back yard developed, slow cooked, hard to control, mess up your clothes goodness that some people have spent their lives perfecting.
There are 3 trucks in particular that I've tried that serve up this variety. They are, Barbie's Q, Smokin Willie's and Willoughby Road. If you asked me to pick a favorite here I'd simply answer yes. All of the above. But each has their own little hidden gems that set them apart.
Barbie's Q was the first one I tried. To say that this man understands meat is an understatement. Mr. Bowler, the pit boss, personally smokes his meats each day and has got it down. His tacos and sliders are top notch. But the real hidde gem on his menu is his St. Louis style spareribs. You can buy the one at a time for 2 bucks each and they will send you to bbq heaven.
Willoughby Road came next. I've only had the pleasure once but that's all it took. I tried his smoked and deep fried spareribs. Eating this in my car was probably a mistake in retrospect but I totally didn't notice until I had finished and found that much of the sauce was on me rather than in me. I didn't care, I was in a food coma and bbq heaven at the same time.
Lastly came Smokin Willie's, This trucks best feature is the sauce which you can buy at Whole Foods separately. It's worth it. The regular and the spicy chipotle can make anything taste better. I tried them on sliders and was not disappointed.
All 3 of these trucks are stalker approved. As a side note, I had Barbie's Q cater a party I had a while back and that could not have gone better. It was a musicians party and what goes better with rock and blues than good Q???
Nothing, that's what!
Monday, April 11, 2011
OK, I get it now..
There are some trucks out there that just get long lines everywhere they go. And in some cases it's not because they're the best around. Sometimes it's a matter of popularity, sometimes it's the people on the trucks.
That was the case with The Nom Nom Truck for me. Probably one of the best known trucks out there and it always has long lines. Now I get that a big part of their popularity is due to their appearance in The Great Food Truck Race. But it seems like that only affected them and Grill 'em" All. The other trucks that appeared on that show don't get any more business than the other trucks do, in other words they're not a "draw".
So I asked myself, "Why then?"
It's certainly not the people. I once tried to buy a large quantity of sandwiches and tacos from them for a party I was having and just flat out got turned down. Why?, It wasn't a large enough order. I was told flat out "$1500.00 minimum order for special events". And that was even if I came to them to pick them up.
So why then does a business that treats people that way so wildly successful.
The other night they were parked literally 3 blocks from my house so being the true truck stalker that I am, I decided on a Bahn Mi for dinner.
I got there early and was actually the first person in a long line. I ordered my sandwich and before I was even done paying for it the sandwich was done. I do have to say that's the fastest service I've ever received
from a truck. The sandwich was reasonably good and although not the best Banh Mi I've ever had, I'd get it again. And it was cheap! All the other trucks charge 8 for a sandwich, Nom Nom's is still only 5 bucks. 8 bucks here gets you a sandwich, taco and drink combo. So as far as street food goes, they got the formula right. Limited menu, low prices and very fast friendly service (as long as your not dealing with the owners).
Would I recommend this truck?, sure. They know what they're doing.
Now if only they could be a little more likeable....
That was the case with The Nom Nom Truck for me. Probably one of the best known trucks out there and it always has long lines. Now I get that a big part of their popularity is due to their appearance in The Great Food Truck Race. But it seems like that only affected them and Grill 'em" All. The other trucks that appeared on that show don't get any more business than the other trucks do, in other words they're not a "draw".
So I asked myself, "Why then?"
It's certainly not the people. I once tried to buy a large quantity of sandwiches and tacos from them for a party I was having and just flat out got turned down. Why?, It wasn't a large enough order. I was told flat out "$1500.00 minimum order for special events". And that was even if I came to them to pick them up.
So why then does a business that treats people that way so wildly successful.
The other night they were parked literally 3 blocks from my house so being the true truck stalker that I am, I decided on a Bahn Mi for dinner.
I got there early and was actually the first person in a long line. I ordered my sandwich and before I was even done paying for it the sandwich was done. I do have to say that's the fastest service I've ever received
from a truck. The sandwich was reasonably good and although not the best Banh Mi I've ever had, I'd get it again. And it was cheap! All the other trucks charge 8 for a sandwich, Nom Nom's is still only 5 bucks. 8 bucks here gets you a sandwich, taco and drink combo. So as far as street food goes, they got the formula right. Limited menu, low prices and very fast friendly service (as long as your not dealing with the owners).
Would I recommend this truck?, sure. They know what they're doing.
Now if only they could be a little more likeable....
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hello L.A. Food Truck Foodies
If you're looking at this I probably don't have to explain what we're talking about. The food truck phenomenon has taken off here in Los Angeles and it's anybody's guess how long this will last. As far as I can see, it still seems to be gaining popularity.
A fellow foodie and myself are lucky enough to work in an area the tucks like to frequent which is near L.A. Airport. We'll share our thoughts, tell you about our favorites, try to let you all know about new trucks on the scene and tell you about our "must try's" when we find them. Between us we've been able to try over 70 of them and neither of us ever hits the dessert or drink trucks although that may change.
We welcome your comments, suggestions and if you have a request we'll try. The only caveat is that since we are L.A. County based, the O.C. food trucks are a bit beyond our reach. We'll try one when we can but I don't expect that will happen often. There are a couple in our list though so it's not impossible.
A fellow foodie and myself are lucky enough to work in an area the tucks like to frequent which is near L.A. Airport. We'll share our thoughts, tell you about our favorites, try to let you all know about new trucks on the scene and tell you about our "must try's" when we find them. Between us we've been able to try over 70 of them and neither of us ever hits the dessert or drink trucks although that may change.
We welcome your comments, suggestions and if you have a request we'll try. The only caveat is that since we are L.A. County based, the O.C. food trucks are a bit beyond our reach. We'll try one when we can but I don't expect that will happen often. There are a couple in our list though so it's not impossible.
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