Good Day At Work

Some of us are lucky enough to work for a cool place and like what we do.
I, for one, don't mind going to work every day because I like my job and I work for a good company.
How good?
This picture is behind the building I work in during lunch this past Friday.

We get the truck 3 days a week but 3 of them is unusual.
And amazingly, I avoided a food coma by only eating from 2 of them instead of all 3.
In case you cant make them out that's Nom Nom on the left, Crepe 'N Around in the center and Ragin Cajun on the right.
I do love my job!

Food trucks in Granada Hills.. My thoughts here

Your Food Truck Stalkers are not ones to take sides in political debate.
Particularly when it involves local politics and regulation of business.

But when it concerns the Food Trucks we have to speak up. Nobody wants to see what happened in Venice happen again. Thankfully, they got past it.
But it seems that controversy abounds with regards to Friday nights in Granada Hills.
Now it's not surprising that there will be some people who will take exception to this gathering. Local residents who live in and around this quaint area may not want to see their quiet neighborhood give way the throngs of people this gathering attracts. I get that. Anything that draws the press is usually not a good thing.
But that's not always the case. I've been a Valley resident for all of my 50 plus years. I've seen vast amounts of West and North Valley open land give way to urban sprawl.
And as much as people say "Things were so much simpler then" the mind has a tendency to forget the things we didn't like back than and focus on the nostalgic things we did like.
Chatsworth Street in that neighborhood has always been a quaint little street in a quiet neighborhood. But that went away long before the food trucks came along. Granada Hills High School and the 2 huge shopping centers to the west of Zelzah pretty much did that in. What it didn't do was revitalize the area. Instead it pulled shoppers away from the small mom and pop businesses to the east. That area was well on it's way to becoming as depressed as multitudes of strip malls in LA have become since the financial meltdown of the last 10 years.
Then the food trucks happened.
Now there are no vacancies in the shops along this strip of Chatsworth St. The food trucks have actually created demand for retail space here. What other neighborhood is this happening in?
Now of course I'm going to be on the pro food truck side of this debate.
But many have pointed out that the business owners along here might be looking a gift horse in the mouth. This phenomenon brings people to the area. Until the food trucks came I can't remember the last time I was in this area and I live about 3 miles from there.
Now if the trucks are creating a litter problem, I'm sure that they would be glad to police up the area after the doors come down. I've talked to a lot of owners of these trucks. The ones I've met are the nicest people you'd ever want to meet and most are very civic minded.
It's my opinion that instead of fighting with the Business owners of the stores along this strip that they should be working with them to do cross promotions and the like.
I've noticed that the few tines I've been there, that the restaurants and shops that are open are doing good business. And their businesses are being exposed to folks who otherwise wouldn't even know they were there. And this opportunity comes up every week.... for free!
It's my hope that this gathering survives and flourishes so that other jurisdictions see this and follow suit. The food trucks have become a signature of the L.A. landscape. Embrace it is what I say. There are great rewards here.

Iron Chef Truck Edition???? Battle Banh Mi

We have been blessed with the creation of a days old eastern tradition in our own back yard. The creation of Food Truck Kitchen Stadium!
Here, Iron Food Truck chefs compete for glory and to answer the question "Who's food truck cuisine reins supreme?"
Today in Battle Banh Mi we have 3 competitors.
Team one's combination of business sense, speed, top quality ingredients and a cute logo make them the team to beat. The Nom Nom Truck
Our second team is one woman's vision of a fusion between the Vietnamese tastes and Hawaiian tastes combined with recipes learned from her family. The Mandoline Grill
Our third team is a family owned truck that serves a more complete Vietnamese home cooked menu and offers some variety. Now entering Food Truck Kitchen Stadium, Eat Phamish
The Nom Nom truck is probably the most well known of the 3. Started by two college girls after graduating they adhere to the sound philosophy of doing one thing and doing it well. Their truck is always clean, service is very fast and the food is very good. I've stood in line at the Nom Nom truck on a couple of occasions and was very surprised how fast they are able to move that line. On one occasion I was actually first in line and my sandwich was ready before I was even done paying for it. The quality is good and reliable. Nom Nom definitely doesn't disappoint.
Next up we have Mandoline Grill. Here we have the vision of one woman inspired by her family's fusion of Vietnamese and Hawaiian flavors. She spent years researching and perfecting these recipes to the point where they could be reproduced with constancy. All that research paid off in spades. These are some of the best quality sandwiches I've ever had. And there are some other very imaginative uses of the ingredients here as well. The Vietnamese Nachos are wort trying as well for something a little different.
Finally we have the family owned Eat Phamish truck. This is more of a restaurant on wheels in the sense that their offerings go beyond the Banh Mi's to spring rolls, Pho and Vermicelli/Rice dishes. This was also the first Banh Mi I ever tried. Clearly it hooked me in. The Banh Mi was meaty, big and delicious. The spring roll is also very good here.
So who's cuisine reins supreme?
That's the decision of our judges.
Who are our judges?
Why, you of course!
Here's the way I see it. The flat out best one in my opinion is Mandoline Grill. For me, the flavor is best and the sandwich satisfies me.
Only a very short distance behind is Nom Nom. Technically well executed, these girls know what the sandwich should taste like and hit it consistently. Great truck if you're in a hurry. Very fast service.
And almost in a dead heat with Nom Nom is Eat Phamish.The food here tastes as if it came from somebody's kitchen. The Banh Mi itself, large and meaty with great flavor. The spring rolls here are worth a try as well, but beware, they're bigger in person than the pictures on the truck make you think they are.
So try all 3 and you be the judge.
Make it an adventure. Then it's obvious who the winner will be, why you of course!
FTS

Friday Night Madness... With Pictures!!!

Mobile food courts are a good thing.
Your friendly neighborhood food truck stalkers love this notion. Most of the trucks we've tried have been in this setting. Anywhere from 4 to 10 trucks all set up in a parking lot with tables and chairs, maybe even music.
They're organized, planned and usually go off without a hitch.
Then there are the places where trucks just gather with no real plan. These tend to be along the sidewalks in area that will support it. Downtown LA, Hollywood, Miracle Mile and Santa Monica come to mind.

Then there's Granada Hills.....
What happens on the 1 mile stretch of Chatsworth Street between Zelzah and Yarmouth on Friday nights could best be described as a disorganized foodtruckpalooza. It's utter insanity!
The sheer volume of trucks that gather here is staggering. This is NOT a place where you can sample everything, there's just too much... EVEN FOR ME!!!!
There are some regulars there every week and some newcomers.
Last time I went there were 32 trucks. And this is not planned, it's spontaneous. True guerilla dining!
Take a look here

 

This really doesn't even begin to show the size of this gathering.
Here's the part that bothers me, When I went to take all these pictures, I HAD JUST EATEN!!!!!
Ok, that was probably ill thought out on my part but I needed the pictures! Never mind the fact that there were about 10 here I had never tried! So I avoided the inevitable food coma and just took the pictures.
So the next time you feel like a little something different on a Friday night check out Chatsworth Street between Zelzah and Yarmouth in Granada Hills. And prepare to be overwhelmed..
And for good measure, Here's the list of trucks that were there this particular week.

1.Pranzo
2.The Shawerma House
3.Sloppy Gourmet
4.Chef Che Argentine
5.Breezy Freeze
6.Slap Yo Mama
7.Jogasaki Burrito
8.The Nacho Truck
9.Caridad Cuisine
10.OG Tempura
11.New Delhi Express
12.Ta Bom
13.Antonia's Nuts
14.Bower's Sausages
15.New York Galbi
16.La Rue De Paris
17.Fresh And Meaty
18.Curb A Peel
19.Aloha Fridays LA
20.Streets Of Thailand
21.The Pokey Truck
22.Street Kitchen LA.
23.The Twist Burgers
24.Bajamar Seafood
25.Lardon
26.The Wein Truck
27.Let's Roll It
28.Mossie Lee's
29.The Stacker Truck
30.Tornado Potato
31.Yummy One
32.Calbi
Even for the uninitiated, If you can't find something here to like then you have deeper problems than what to have for dinner!
Check it out!

BURGERS!!!........part1??

Ahh, the majestic hamburger! Truly as American as any dish could claim to be.
And VERY popular fodder for the food trucks.
Yes, there are many good burger trucks, so many in fact that I've yet to try them all. So I'll just prattle on about the ones I have tried.
I guess I should say that most of what I've had has been good so here's some of the better ones I've had so far.
Grill 'Em All.
The undisputed king of L.A. Burger trucks after winning "The Great Food Truck Race". This truck ALWAYS has a long line. But is it worth it. My opinion, it depends on the line and what else is around. But these guys know their burgers.The stalkers have sampled about half of their menu board and found some surprises. Our favorite is probably the Molly Hatchet with the Waste 'Em All right up there as well. We also liked the Samoa Joe. The Behemoth sounds a lot better, (or worse depending on your point of view), than it actually is. All in all this is a burger that does not dissapoint.

Patty Wagon LA
Ok, these are technically sliders but though they are small, they are burgers just the same. They tout the fact that the use only grass fed beef and it shows. The burgers are well crafted, imaginative and just plain good. And yes, I'd try them again.
Baby's Badass Burgers
This is a truck I certainly will visit again since all I was able to tasted was one of their sliders and it was good. I tried their "cougar" and even though they were out of the St. Agur Bleu Cheese, (They charged me a buck less and subbed in swiss cheese), I loved it. I'll go back again. And I have to say, the Burger Babes aren't too bad either. OH come on, a guy can look!
There are several more that I've got my sights set one but they'll just have to wait until I get to them. Fresh and Meaty, Da Burger Boss and a couple of others are on my radar.
And when One of us does, we'll let you know.

Food Coma!!!!

Ok Here's the dilema...
Mobile food courts are awesome, but what do you do when 3 of your top 10 appear at the same time?
What do you do??????
Answer, Make a pig of yourself and spend the afternoon in an unproductive food coma.
We've all been there before, frequently happens at pot lucks and gatherings.
That's when after your appointment with gluttony you slump down on the couch, loosen any tight clothing and assume what Yoga refers to as the "Reclining Al Bundy" position.
OK, I made that part up but you get the picture.
This week my weekly visit to the Century lot included 3 of our top 15 list. Global Soul, Flying Pig and, India Jones. ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!
That's just not fair, The diet gods are mocking me!
Well, I can't pass up the duck taco and pork belly bun from the Pig and I can't pass up a Frankie from India Jones. Global Soul always has something on their board I want, after all they can't make anything bad. It's just not possible.
Hell, the trucks I passed on would make a great meal as well. What were they you ask? The Feast Truck, Lee's Philly, Gourmet Genie and, Me So Hungry!
So here I sit, slumped in my chair, almost asleep wondering how I'm going to get through the rest of the day.
If you see me in this state don't bother me, and don't tell me I'm snoring or that there's a little drool exiting my mouth, I DON'T CARE!
I just ate some of the best street eats money can buy!
I love L.A.!

The Mighty Sandwich

 The ultimate street food, the consummate lunch food. A food with as many variations as there are people who make them. To try to list all my favorites would be impossible, so I'll narrow it down a bit to some of the more imaginative things we've found.
And of course, this will be an ongoing series because the innovation never stops. But through it it we have found several honorable mentions.
If flat out innovation in a standard 2slice of bread with something in between is what you crave give The Munchie Machine a try. This man has a novel approach. First pick your bread, then pick your filling from 6 regular options or a couple of daily specials using check marks on a menu card. I tried a chicken pesto creation and was not disappointed. And the face on the menu does look disturbingly like the owner of the truck. But don't let that stop you. This man knows his way around a couple of slices of bread!

Perhaps a good deli sandwich is more to your liking. The 80 year Los Angeles institution, Canters Deli. prowls the streets serving better than average deli sandwiches to those in search of deli bliss. Is Canters the best? Well that's arguable, especially in an environment that hosts the likes of Label's Table, Brent's, Art's and Nate 'n Al's. But they don't have a truck. And that make's it the best deli sandwich on wheels! I tried one of their Ruebens and it melted in my mouth like a good Rueben should.


For something a little different keep an eye out for Naan Stop. This truck takes Indian Naan bread and wraps it around heavily spiced indian fare such as lamb, tandoori chicken, Paneer (cheese), and spiced turkey kebab. Need I say more?

Perhaps you like your entire meal on a roll. Meet 'N Potatoes makes one sandwich with 7 different meat choices. Each sandwich contains cole slaw, tomatoes, french fries, and cheese. And they are very generous with the portions. An entire meal between the slices.

Taking that  notion a step further is Jersey Grub.An idea born on the grounds of Rutgers university these sandwiches could best be describes as bar food on a roll. With ingredients such as mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, french fries, white sauce and anything else they can come up with, you're guaranteed a belly ache if you chow down an entire one.

Perhaps a Philly is more your style. There are a few of players in this arena. Bera's, South Philly Experience, Sandwich Brothers and Lee's Philly all have tossed their hat into the hoagie pool and in my opinion there's not a bad one among them. Granted I haven't yet tried them all but give me time.

Then there's the Banh Mi, a Vietnamese variation of a sub sandwich. Using a specially made french baguette and sporting marinated daikon, carrots and cilantro these are a surprisingly inexpensive and satisfying treat. The 3 biggest players here are The Nom Nom Truck, Eat Phamish and Mandoline Grill. My favorite among them is Mandoline Grill for taste but hands down, Nom Nom takes the prize for speed and price. Both Mandoline and Phamish offer more on their menu as well.

I suppose you can't talk sandwiches without mentioning Grilled Cheese, everybody's favorite. And indeed the Grilled Cheese truck has brought the elevated version of grilled cheese to the streets. But they're not the only game in town. Keep your eyes on the menus. You don't always have to wait in a 1/2 hour line for a good grilled fromage!

And least we not mention my personal favorite, BBQ! But since I've covered that in another blog.....

I won't even got into the burgers and hot dogs. Each of those in a blog within themselves.
There are a great many I haven't listed here, I know, but I will when time allows.
Till then... EAT A SANDWICH!