Followers of The Bistro Truck on twitter may have noted with concern the recent tweets saying that yesterday was its last day on the road for a while. Yesterday afternoon, a notice when out from their PR folks saying that chef Yassir was heading to Morocco to “gather inspiration” and that “big plans” and “exciting news and updates” would be coming when he returned.  Zagat Buzz apparently received the email and speculates about a potential brick and mortar launch. We can’t say either way, but have no idea how we’re going to manage 2-3 months without that delicious mixed grill platter.

Those of you who work around 53rd and 6th Ave. might have noticed this truck setting up shop today for some event… it’s actually the Bistro Truck, repurposed for a week long promotion to spread the word about turkey.  They’ll be giving out free turkey burgers every day this week starting tomorrow, but won’t be in Midtown until Friday (on 52nd and Park).  We can’t say we love turkey, but we love free stuff and the Bistro Truck can make anything taste delicious!  As for today’s craziness?  We were told it was a media only preview event… but who knows? Maybe they’ll start giving stuff away to slackjawed passerbys…

Ever since they launched in 2009 and ultraclay gushed over their mixed grill platter, the question on everybody’s mind concerning the Vendy Award nominated Bistro Truck is when will they join the truck shuffle and come to Midtown. Up until two weeks ago, they were comfortable staying at their usual location in the Flatiron District on 17th and 5th Avenue. But as we previously announced, they’ve added four new locations to their roster and Midtown East got lucky on Thursdays when they’ve been showing up on 55th between Park and Lexington.

Besides a tasting at the Vendys, I had only tried the Morroccan truck once before. So last Thursday I was pretty excited they’d be nearby. I arrived at 1:00pm and was surprised to discover no line. While it was refreshing not to have to wait an hour at a food truck, I feel like a bigger Midtown welcome is in order for these guys.

The menu has been focused a bit since ultraclay’s review and it now includes Morroccan specialities like chicken and seafood pastilla along with their refined takes on street meat: lamb marrakech, dijon chicken, and vegetable tajine. The price of some of the sandwiches has also increased and a few new ones have been added, like an Old Bay fish sandwich.

I was drawn to the lamb burger, which has replaced the former Bistro beef burger. I was told this new burger was mostly lamb leg meat, but was cut with a bit of beef fat to reduce the gaminess. Honestly, if I hadn’t known it was lamb, I may not have guessed it. It had a very subtle gamey flavor and tasted more like an intense beef burger. It was unbelievably juicy and perfectly seasoned. I thought the combination of cheddar cheese with spicy harissa and the white Bistro sauce would be a little strange, but the fusion worked perfectly. Dare I say it, but this one rivals Shake Shack!

I had also been intrigued by the updated lamb marrakech, which is now made with lamb shank rather than leg meat. The price has also increased to $10 (which, of course, is the Midtown Lunch limit), but lamb shank is definitely more tender, fattier, and full of flavor.

It’s served on the bone on top of cous cous or basmati rice. Although $10 is a good deal for this quality food, my only gripe was that there wasn’t enough meat.  Yet I found the stewed rich flavors to be fit for a king. The braised and roasted dark meat fell off the bone with each tug of my plastic fork. Almonds and mushrooms garnished the lamb and added a nice texture to the dish. A side of harissa was included to bring some heat and balance the white sauce.  I didn’t toss my container until I unabashedly gnawed every last piece of meat off that bone.

I also tried their special Bistro Salad, which was a colorful array of chickpeas, marinated peppers, grilled portabello mushrooms, and creamy goat cheese on a bed of arugula. This was a filling, tasty alternative to all the lamb heavy dishes. We carnivores shouldn’t have all the fun.

This is street food at its most delicious and refined and it’s certainly worth the slightly inflated prices. They’ve been spending Thursdays on 55th btw. Park+Lex in Midtown, but make sure you check their twitter feed or the Midtown Lunch Twitter Tracker before heading out.

It’s been two years since we pondered when the Flatiron staple, Bistro Truck would make it’s way to Midtown. Since then, it has been stationed on or near the same block of 5th Avenue at 17th Street pretty much every day, but that’s all about to change.

Starting Monday, the Moroccan food truck will be spreading the love, taking its blend of North African, Southern European and global dishes around town. On Mondays they’ll be on 27th between Park and Madison, Tuesday in SoHo on Hudson and King, Wednesdays are their sole day in Midtown on 55th between Park and Lexington, Thursdays they’ll be down in the Financial District serving to Downtown Lunchers on Water and Wall Streets. For the loyal followers in Flatiron, they’ll still be in their current spot every Friday.

They’ll also be offering a newly streamlined menu, which I hope doesn’t stop them from offering some of the daily specials that have made them great like the fish tacos and the mixed grill I loved so much.  Check it out after the jump…

The Bistro Truck is such a tease. When Zach posted about their opening last year, he mentioned that they might come up to Midtown eventually. Nearly a year later and we still get no love. So, after spending all winter drooling over the tweets about their specials, it was time to take matters into my own hands and hop the bus down 5th Avenue.

Except for some recent difficulties that have left them renting someone else’s truck, they have been showing up to the same spot on 5th Avenue near 17th Street pretty faithfully. That’s just bad news for Midtowners because they serve some great Moroccan specialties along with burgers, frites and regularly changing specials that I’d love to have closer to the office.

Some more on the menu and the food after the jump…

The menu sports seven sandwiches ranging in price from the $4.75 burger to the $7 steak sandwich. For a couple dollars more, the entree platters trade in the rolls for piles of rice or couscous, a salad and a little dollop of yogurt that is surprisingly refreshing with whatever you dip in it. The specials often include fish tacos or fish and chips and an ever-changing list of soups.

The mixed grill platter is a regular special – I’ve seen it on the chalkboard every time I’ve passed by – and it offers the most bang for your buck. It’s basically the best chicken and lamb over rice I’ve ever had. That’s a strong statement, I know, but hear me out. It’s not just chicken and lamb over rice. It’s chicken and lamb and merguez sausage and skirt steak over basmati rice with a salad.

At $10, it is a lot more than most halal carts, but with all that meat jammed in there it’s a bargain to me. It also serves as the easiest way for a newcomer to sample the meats that fill the various sandwiches. I love a spicy merguez, but it’d be a struggle to have to decide between that and the juicy skirt steak.

Most recently, I tried the Marrakech Lamb, a platter of shreds and chunks of roasted lamb on couscous. If you eat enough street meat, after a while you almost forget what real lamb is. This is that. Underneath flavors of ginger and spices, you can actually taste lamb. Now, the hazard of that is you’ve got a mild gaminess that real lamb has, which some aren’t into, but I like just fine. My only complaint was that it cried out for harissa or some other hot sauce to liven it up a bit. I didn’t think to ask for it, but it may be available. I’ll have to check next time.

If that’s not enough food, they have a few small ‘cigars’ for starters. Lamb, chicken or veggies are rolled up in phyllo wrappers and served like little savory ladyfingers.

The only thing that Bistro Truck doesn’t have is a place for me to sit and enjoy the food, meaning I’ve got to schlep back up to the office before my food gets cold or sit in one of the area parks, weather permitting. With the weather hopefully improving for the season, I expect to spend some quality time deciding between the skirt steak and the merguez.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• I love that you can get four types of grilled meat with rice in one giant platter
• All entrees come with a salad made with real greens and tossed with a vinaigrette, You won’t eat it, but it’ll look nice.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• $10! For street meat? Real lamb is fine, but I’d rather have gyro and pay half the price
• Needs some hot sauce
• No place to sit nearby

Bistro Truck, 5th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets (West side of the street)

There are also rumors that a Momofuku Truck is in the works. We would welcome that venture into Midtown with open arms as well (natch.)

Related:
Le Gamin’s Merguez Sandwich is Totally Worth the $9
The Perfect Space For the Next Momofuku is in Midtown