Archive for 'Food Truck'

Evan Funke’s Porchetta Truck Finds Solid Lunchtime Home on Pennsylvania

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The stories of this sandwich’s greatness have not been exaggerated. Back in December Chef Evan Funke, formerly of Rustic Canyon and Milo & Olive, launched a Porchetta Truck to hold us over until Bucato opens- his forthcoming Italian restaurant inside Helms Bakery.  The truck launched on a First Friday in Venice and initially felt more like a night time thing; less lunch truck, more gourmet chef pop up.  Early word was pretty great from all fronts, and the price was right ($5), but then the holidays hit and the idea of trying to chase down a porchetta truck for lunch didn’t seem as urgent as it might have 2 years ago.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the porchetta truck has become a lunchtime staple for anybody who works near the food truck alley on Pennsylvania and 26th in Santa Monica.  It still roams around to various locations at night, and you’ll still want to check twitter for exact locations, but at lunchtime you can count on finding them on Pennsylvania and 26th at least 3 days a week.  And find them people have… with some reports of people eating lunch at the truck 2 or 3 times in a single week.

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Pig’s Feet Under Wraps Everything in Scallion Pancakes!

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Do you think a person can get eyeball fatigue from rolling their eyes too much?  Because if you can, then I think I do.  And if I had to guess what one thing contributed most to giving me this horrible affliction, it’d have to be food trucks. Of all the things that annoy me about lunching in L.A. (and there are a lot) food trucks reign supreme. It’s not that I hate food trucks, in fact it’s quite the opposite. If I hated them I could just stop going. Problem solved. The issue is I kind of love them, and as the revolving door of bad business decisions food trucks continues to turn round and round I just can’t stop from trying every new one that hits the scene.

My eyes started twitching at the very first site of this new truck.  Pig’s Feet Under?!  Really?  Just what we need, ANOTHER pork-centric food truck.  And if the name wasn’t enough, their website sent my face balls into full rotation:

The Pig’s Feet Under truck was an “oink” of an idea that came about at a food truck festival, of all places! The lack of pork on many of these trucks drove one particular chef nuts- well, more than he usually is anyways. So, he decided to devote a truck to the animal he loves eating so dearly.

Are you kidding with this shit? Flying Pig. Lardon. Bacon Mania.  Somebody needs to tell these guys that the pork wars have already been fought in L.A. and chicken won. This idea isn’t new.  But whatever. Forget about the pork, or the dumb name, or the pork. Also, forget about the dumb name. All you have to know about this truck is that they wrap everything in scallion pancakes…

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Slap Yo Mama vs. Trailer Park: Fried Chx & Waffle Battle to the (Possibly Literal) Death

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Completely sick of food trucks?  You might want to stop reading.  Sick of food trucks with stupid names?  Stop reading. Sick of gluttony?  Stop reading.  Sick of food bloggers getting excited about disgusting creations that nobody who doesn’t hate themselves would ever be caught eating?  Stop reading.  Hate fried chicken and waffles?  Stop reading.  Mom, is that you?  Stop reading. Don’t want to see the food version of Leaving Las Vegas?  Stop reading.  Because if I die anytime in the next month, they will likely point to this lunch as a major cause. I’m not saying it will get blamed the way Marilyn Manson did for Columbine… actually, that’s exactly what I’m saying.  The only difference is, this lunch will truly be to blame. Don’t want to throw up in your own mouth?  Stop reading.

Last week I found myself at the recently re-opened food truck lot on Washington and Overland, and by some amazing bit of luck two trucks both serving fried chicken and waffles were parked side by side.  Well, maybe “luck” is the wrong word for it. By some amazing bit of the-gods-conspiring-against-me-and-my-overall-health, the Slap Yo Mama Truck and the Trailer Park Truck were parked next to each other, making a fried chicken and waffle battle practically mandated by Fortuna.  Aka, it had to be done.  You know… for science.

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“Cod Save the Queen” Brings UK Kitsch to the Streets of L.A.

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My love of food trucks is an odd obsession that has managed to endure many years despite numerous contradictions.  For one thing, even though I love to track the comings and goings of new food trucks it is always with a slightly disapproving eye.  “Did you seriously put money into this idea?” “Didn’t anybody warn you that food trucks are a losing proposition?”  “Didn’t you bother to ask!?”   Most new trucks are either too cute for their own good, more expensive than they should be, or (the worst offense) just downright awful.  As if dressing up shitty food in a painted truck is going to somehow turn it into the next Kogi.  And yet on indecisive lunch days I can’t resist heading to Miracle Mile, or Pennsylvania and 26th, or the newly re-opened food truck lot on Overland and Washington to see what’s going on.

Last week I was rewarded with “Cod Save the Queen”, a new fish and chips truck that launched at Coachella this year.  And as somebody who runs a website/podcast called Food is the New Rock, how could I not?

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Where To Find California Burritos in Los Angeles

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What do falafel sandwiches, chicken parm sandwiches, gyro pitas, and burritos all have in common? Answer: They are all made infinitely better when stuffed with french fries. Don’t agree? Then you’re probably a communist. (Or a far less disgusting eater than I.) But in California, the king of the french fry stuffed lunch has got to be the California Burrito, a San Diego creation that is essentially carne asada fries, wrapped in a giant tortilla. Or as I like to call it, a nugget of deliciousness.  I’ve never actually had a California burrito in San Diego, but that’s probably a good thing. Because it means that I can enjoy these 3 (presumably more mediocre) versions available right here in Los Angeles.

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The Garbage Truck Brings Rochester Trash Plates to L.A.

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Ever since Kogi exploded onto the scene 4 years ago wannabe entrepreneurs have flocked into food trucks of their own, spurred on by the media’s overblown coverage, many of them with no real understanding of what made Kogi a success in the first place.  In other words, there have been a lot of dumb food truck ideas in this city. But there have also been a lot of genius food trucks (I’m looking at you sushi burritos!), and my love of street food keeps me rushing out every time a new one hits the streets.  The latest concept to catch my stomach’s eye (that’s the bellybutton, right?) is The Garbage Truck, a new truck serving up Rochester, New York style garbage plates/trash plates.

What are garbage plates you ask?  Well, imagine going to a Fourth of July picnic, eating as much as you possibly could, throwing it all up onto a plate, and having that throw up taste delicious.  That’s a Rochester garbage plate. Want to see what it looks like?  Of course you do!

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Ludo’s Provencal Fried Chicken is No Longer Balls

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I hit up the Ludo Fried Chicken Truck yesterday for the first time since the end of last year, and discovered a big change.  No more balls!  Not sure when they started doing this (it may have been awhile ago), but Ludo’s Provencal fried chicken is no longer franken-balls held together with lord knows what.  Instead, they’re using what appear to be whole thighs- making them more like dark meat chicken strips.  It’s completely understandable considering how much work it takes to make Ludo’s famous balls, and it’s hard to be mad since the chicken still has the same great herbes de provence packed flavor.  Oh… and the portions are waaaaay bigger- so there’s that.

Congrats to Starry Kitchen for now serving our favorite balls in Los Angeles, uncontested. But for fried chicken from a truck, Ludo is still king.

Related:
Ludo Fried Chicken is a Truck Worth Chasing