Archive for the 'Meals on Wheels' Category

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Lardon Truck – Los Angeles

Lardon Truck - Los Angeles

As luck would have it, on the very first day of the new year, the Lardon Truck parked its wheels a short drive from my home in Pasadena. The Astronomer and I had spent the morning hours stalking Paula Deen and gawking at floats at the Rose Parade, so when lunch time rolled around, we were more than ready for a big hit of bacon-inspired fare. Never one to miss out on good food finds, my mother arrived in town just in time to join us on our first truck chase of 2011. Party of three, please.

Lardon Truck - Los Angeles

Launched last fall, the Lardon Truck is the city’s first mobile venture showcasing the versatility and deliciousness of bacon. Jeremiah Crowley, one of Lardon’s co-owners, was on board the truck when we visited. What I really liked about Jerry was how he interacted with diners beyond just taking orders. He playfully bantered with the crowd and even asked bacon-related trivia questions during our meal. To increase audience participation, Jerry handed out bacon-scented car fresheners for prizes! This was certainly the best customer service I’d ever encountered at a truck.

Lardon Truck - Los Angeles

The first item served up were the bacon pancakes with bacon bourbon maple syrup ($5.50). Embedded into the pancakes was a generous sprinkling of smoky bacon confetti—just the right amount to assure that each bite was both fluffy and meaty. The syrup’s sweetness tied everything together into one tasty package.

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Lobsta Truck – Los Angeles

Lobsta Truck - Los Angeles

It was a red letter day this past Friday night  in Pasadena. Of all the neighborhoods the Lobsta Truck could’ve debuted in, they chose to peddle their wares first in my fair city. How cool is that?

The man behind the truck is Justin Mi, a seafood industry veteran and fellow 626 resident. The idea for the truck was born after a recent gut-busting lobster roll tour through Maine. In the span of two days, he consumed half a dozen specimens, and at the end of it all, he was inspired to bring the simple, clean, and satisfying flavors that he experienced to Los Angeles.

Lobsta Truck - Los Angeles

The unwrapped Lobsta Tuck was parked near the corner of Colorado and Fair Oaks in Old Town Pasadena. A line ten or so deep was already formed when The Astronomer and I arrived on the scene—it was really great to see Pasadenians coming out to show their support. We took our spots  and eagerly anticipated the New England fare coming our way.

Lobsta Truck - Los Angeles

While waiting in line, we contemplated what to order. In addition to lobster rolls, the truck also offers crab rolls, New England clam chowder, Cape Cod chips, whoopie pies, and fresh squeezed lemonade. The lobsters, as well as the split-top buns that both the crab and lobster rolls are served on, are flown in several times each week from the East Coast.

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Clover Food Lab – Boston (Cambridge)

Clover Food Lab - Cambridge

In early September, the Astronomer and I spent a week in Boston visiting friends and family. Whereas our previous travels were centered around eating and lots of it, this trip was about reconnecting with loved ones whom we don’t get to see nearly enough. While this trip wasn’t as food-centric as those in the past, we still managed to eat very well. After all, catching up with old friends is best accomplished over a long and delicious meal.

One of our most memorable dinners was eaten street side at the Clover Food Lab, a bright white vegetarian food truck parked on MIT‘s campus. The truck was founded by MIT graduate Ayr Muir. After earning an MBA from Harvard, he worked in marketing at Patagonia and as a consultant with McKinsey and Company. In 2008, he decided to leave the corporate world behind for new challenges in the culinary field.

Clover Food Lab - Cambridge

To make his dream a reality, Muir teamed up with Chef Rolando Robledo (@RolandoRobledo), a one-time poissonnier under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and an instructor at Johnson & Wales University. Together, they created a temporary “food lab” out of a truck to test recipes for a soon-to-be launched chain of vegetarian restaurants. The truck opened for business on MIT’s food lot in September of 2008 and closed down seven weeks later as planned. However, customer protests made the two reconsider their initial plan. The truck reopened in March 2009, and they have since expanded to two trucks.

By the way, I read in an article on MIT’s campus news site that the truck’s exterior pays homage to Muir’s MIT past. It features a dry-erase board menu, which Muir says reminds him of the problem sets he faced as a student. I ♥ nerds.

Clover Food Lab - Cambridge

The Clover truck, which runs on biodiesel (a fuel made from used vegetable oil), serves moderately healthy, meat-less fast food fare with a focus on seasonality and locality.

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Flying Pig – Los Angeles

Flying Pig - Los Angeles

After a round of deep-fried sushi, followed by Korean-flavored balls, The Astronomer and I made one last stop at the pretty in pink Flying Pig truck before calling it a night. Flying Pig hit the mean streets of Los Angeles last October, which in truck years seems like a lifetime ago. Even though it’s been around for a while and has been well received by diners, our paths and appetites never crossed until tonight.

Flying Pig - Los Angeles

The two dudes behind Flying Pig are Joe Kim and James Seitz, culinary school grads from the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena. Taking a cue from the truck that started it all, Flying Pig’s menu blends Asian and Pacific Rim flavors with French technique. Back when the truck first launched, owner Joe Kim informed the L.A. Weekly that Flying Pig was a testing ground for Butalanai, a restaurant that he planned to open in early 2010. While a brick and mortar joint has yet to come to fruition, the Flying Pig continues to do its porky fusion thing all around town.

Flying Pig - Los Angeles

Ripped straight out of the Momofuku playbook, the pork belly bao ($3.25) was braised to melt-in-my-mouth perfection. The red onion escabeche and pickled sesame cucumber provided enough tang to keep the pork’s fatty richness at bay. The truck’s signature “death sauce” wasn’t exactly deadly, just spicy with a touch of hoisin. The bao was one of the tastiest dishes I’ve eaten from a truck. The Flying Pig’s crunchy tofu bao ($2.75), which I tasted on a different occasion, is a great option for those with meatless leanings.

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Great Balls on Tires – Los Angeles

Great Balls of Tires - Los Angeles

When I stopped by the Ahn Joo truck a little over a month ago, Debbie Lee tipped me off that a meatball truck would be hitting the streets shortly. Meatballs and I get along quite swimmingly, so this was one launch that I was a wee bit more excited for than the rest.

After polishing off two gut busting deep-fried sushi rolls from Yatta-! Truck at Art Walk, The Astronomer and I moseyed on over to Great Balls on Tires for our second course.

Great Balls of Tires - Los Angeles

Great Balls on Tires was founded by Clint Peralta and Michael Brombart. According to the truck’s website, the duo chose to focus on meatballs because of their universal popularity and appeal. “They are found in nearly every culture with names like polpette, kofta and frikadel.  They are found in dumplings and on top of spaghetti all covered with cheese.”

Great Balls of Tires - Los Angeles

Inspired by travels abroad, the menu encompasses a wide range of flavors from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. By the time we arrived at the truck, they were sold out of the “IncrediBall” (Kobe Beef ball wrapped in bacon and gruyere) and the “Ballywood” (Garam Masala chicken ball cradled in a coconut curry and set atop saffron basmati rice), two of the most enticing menu items. After a bit of hemming and hawing, we finally settled on the “Ball Gogi” ($5.50).

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