Barbecued donuts, please!?!

Greetings from the food world!
I had a glorious weekend in the San Francisco bay area and also had some tasty meals. Foodie Frontier weekender addition coming soon!

Today is Monday- can't say it's my favorite day of the week. But today it wasn't so bad. I regrettably arrived at work a tad bit on the tardy side because of my flight but made it nonetheless. I didn't realize that being a little late would make lunch time come sooner so once 12:30p rolled around, I was golden. Unfortunately, Chris is seeing the doctor today (feel better, man) so I went on this mission alone.

On Thursday, my vegetarian friend asked if the Buttermilk truck could make an appearance in the area. Thanks to my savvy way with words and twitter, I was able to confirm that they would be in my 'hood around 11:30a today! Hells yeah! Not only was Buttermilk in the neighborhood, but Barbie's Q also came out to play on the westside.

Those who know me are aware that if I can't smell barbecue before I can spot the venue, it's probably going to suck! Here's why: good bbq is smoked and cooked very slowly so if it's fresh, you can smell it from nearly a mile away. Well I'll be damned if I couldn't smell this 'cue from almost 2 blocks away, maybe more. Here in la, I swear by Phillip's bbq because you can smell it from afar, the sauce is perfect, and the rib tips are meaty & tender. If you're from the midwest, you probably prefer a vinegar based sauce, while the south and now even the west gravitate to more of a molasses based sauce. This truck, seemed to be a cross of the two. Let's start with the breakfast themed truck first though, shall we.

So I place my order at the bbq truck and then proceed to the end of the block to Buttermilk. The menu was fun, whimsical even! There were mini pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, Hawaiian bread french toast, breakfast sliders, house made donuts, the list goes on and on! I tried at least two thirds of the menu in an effort to get a fair idea of what's really going on with this truck. I must say I was looking forward to this truck more than most. The line was moderate (about 6 or 7 people) and the prices seemed reasonable enough. I began my order. Can you guys guess how this story will end?

I ordered breakfast sliders, a breakfast sandwich, red velvet mini-pancakes, and Hawaiian French toast sticks. In about 15 minutes, I received my mini pancakes. I couldn't wait for the rest of my order to try them out. They seemed like they needed to be devoured fresh. There was a dollop of what I thought was butter on the side. After eating it, I'm now thinking it was more like cream cheese frosting. Makes sense, right? There was powdered sugar and syrup. I sneak around to the backside of the truck setting the plate down on the bumper near the exhaust- almost ducking like a closet eater. For some reason I was filled with guilt, probably because only I knew how badly I was in love with the notion of these pancakes. I bite into one... this is almost indescribable.

To kill the suspense, they were pretty good if you're a pancake lover. A red velvet cupcake basically had a one night stand with some chocolate chips and a red velvet chocolate chip baby-pancake was born! My first bite deceived me a bit. It was like chocolate molten cake in the center because several chocolate chips laid there to rest before arriving at their final resting place in my belly. I'm not a chocolate fan so I can live without these but I'm very proud to say I tried them.

Next I went for the sliders. Any college student, or hungry junior high school kid probably has put this together before. It was just a Hawaiian roll with a fried egg (which tasted EXACTLY like the bits of egg that can be found in dollar Chinese food fried rice), cheese, grilled onions, and the meat I'd guess was Portuguese sausage. These were a waste of calories. Hardly tasty enough to sell.

The breakfast sandwich, not even as good as McDonald's breakfast. It was eggs, cheese, and bacon on a biscuit. The biscuit tasted fried- almost like a donut. That isn't the worst thing in the world, but the bacon was more salty than normal, the egg was bland & runny against my wishes, and the crispy biscuit was not a happy surprise. Buttermilk is starting to disappoint. I'm having trouble understanding why this feels more like a pacific-island take on breakfast. The Hawaiian bread was central in more than one dish, making it the star. The buttermilk was so muted. A name change is in order perhaps?

Just as they are STARTING to disappoint, they take it all the way. Those french toast sticks, that were actually for my vegetarian friend, never showed up. I waited on the rest of my items after the red velvet hotcakes for about 15 minutes. One by one each item came out and then the fella on the truck jumps down and hands several people, including myself, red tickets. He apologized for the fryer breaking down. They cannot produce anymore french toast sticks. This was particularly aggravating because once again, the person who ordered directly in front of me stood nearby eating the very last order of french toast sticks. What sets these guys apart from the other dream crushers from previous lunches is they guaranteed a fresh oversized order for next Monday. That was sweet. The fella taking the orders was very nice and the food was priced pretty fairly. Overall, it was a disappointing trip to the truck, but not the worst experience I've had so far.

After the half hour I spent up the street at Buttermilk I had to swing back by Barbie's Q to grab my lunch from there. They were nice enough to keep it warm while I was away. I carried a BOX of bbq back to my office quite skeptically. I spent months before this blog scouring for good bbq. When in the east bay I was terribly unsuccessful. I tried Everett & Jones which is supposed to be top notch with about 4 locations within 10 miles. Another place called Looney's, and then T-Rex- all in the bay area. All were mediocre at best, some just plane 'ol nasty. So to be honest, I'm defeated on the bbq front. Until now! I must be right about the senses telling a story. I could smell the bbq and I could taste it! I ordered a sampler, which is chicken, pulled pork, and beef all on a french roll served with a side. I got baked beans.  For only $8, I could afford to try a few other tasty treats and I did. I ordered 4 ribs also. They were only $2 each and if you ordered 3 or more, you get a free side. For this side, I tried the potato salad. So that was technically a separate meal. Not bad, eh? Because of all the horrible mac and cheese I've been having for lunch, I decided to give Barbie a shot at redemption on behalf of lunch trucks across the city. I ordered a side of it too.

The meat on the sandwich was tasty. I'm not crazy about the sauce, but that's just me being an overly tough critic. I'm sure it was tasty. It was neither Carolina nor Southern. It had the tang of the Carolinas plus the sweetness of the South.  It was pretty good sauce.  Normally, I don't even entertain 'sides' of potato salad. It's normally a club grocery store brand and disgusting. I'm really glad I tried this awesome salad made with red potatoes, fresh dill, yellow mustard, and love! It was well seasoned, the potatoes were cooked perfect, and I licked my lips and smacked them too when the tangy dill and creamy mayo hit the back of my tongue. Impressive. The beans were something to write home about also. Using 3 types of beans (kidney, black, and pintos), this side order was good enough to stand on it's own. They were full of flavor- brown sugar and other yummy seasonings could be detected- and good enough to finish the entire container. The mac and cheese was better than the last few but still not to my standards. In their defense it was cold since it was the last thing I tried and most mac and cheese is unappealing when it's cold. This mac and cheese is unique because jack cheese is the main event. Usually, something orange and sharp rules this dish like cheddar. So 3 points for cooking outside the box. I will try it again for dinner and get back to you with a fair assessment.

The meat... THE RIBS WERE YUMM-O! I was impressed with the color, the size, the texture, the flavor, and even the sauce. The sauce paired well with this super smoky pork rib. There was lots of meat on the bone, no fat. I could taste the smoke- and not just a capful of liquid smoke. This meat was clearly smoked in a smoker. I'm not sure how they managed to get the aroma and the freshness onto this truck but they did and I'm proud of them. I licked my fingers and said, "Mmmmmmm" at least 3 times.

Was this the best bbq I've ever had, no. Was it damn good to come from a freakin' lunch truck, darn skippy! This is quality bbq and deserves a tasting. They were friendly, fast, and affordable. For a sandwich with 3 meats, 3 sides, and about a quarter slab of pork ribs, I only paid $20. In the land of quality bbq that's reasonable. I'm glad I tried it and do, by all means, recommend it as todays' truck!

Plains, Trains, and Automobiles

I’m sitting in my usual Friday night hang out, Los Angeles International Airport, awaiting my flying chariot to come whisk me away from the agony of a busy L.A workweek to hide in the east bay. Suddenly it dawns on me that today, I literally took a plane, train, and automobile all in one day! I also had a 15-minute encounter with a bus…

Today’s truck of the day- yup! The GastroBus!!! I know I said they were the worst truck just a few days ago and they were- a few days ago! Today, they were the lone soldiers on a gloomy desolate west la street lined with sizeable corporate buildings. Those who dare to go it alone always earn points with me so The GastroBus is already on the upswing from the fiery pick-your-part junkyard I mentally banished them to in my head.

Before I go on, I must acknowledge my partner in the office and now on the lunch scene, Chris. He’s been on enough lunch runs to be given a title on my quest- his title however, yet to be determined.

So anyhow I approach the big yellow bus (pun TOTALLY intended) with forgiveness in my heart and an echo in my belly. I’ve started cheating a little and going online to pre-determine my meals but always ordering ‘the special’ on the fly. Therefore I knew what I wanted: the skirt steak sandwich combo, complete with sweet potato fries and honey mustard dipping sauce.

As always, I was ready with my order, prepared to pay. “I’ll have the skirt steak sandwich combo with a fried egg atop and an organic zucchini soup, please!” I exclaimed with nothing but good home training and famine in my overtly polite tone. She said, “I’m sorry, I JUST ran out of soup!” I mean come on people, don’t you agree this is really getting old! On top of “just” running out of soup, she was also out of free pound cake with lemon curd that the website boasted about being available to all customers *while supplies last*.  Clearly supplies didn’t last. I like to imagine it was the size of one of those free KFC situations you see on the commercial that comes free with an overwhelming amount of ‘chicken.’ So I’d bet ya only 4 people indeed had a slice of this illustrious cake anyway.

I quickly got over the disappointment-hell, I’m getting used to it- and purchased my meal with my preferred method of payment. A credit card! Yes people that’s right! They accepted major credit cards! Score for team GastroBus! I mean seriously, if you’re anything like me you don’t carry cash as to avoid a guilty conscience and being able to honestly tell panhandlers you don’t have any cash on you, and if street thugs jack you, cash is one less loss. Beside, ATM/Debit/Credit is a paper trail for the IRS in case you’re audited for expenses and do a crummy job with keeping up with receipts!  Okay- this isn’t economics- I’m off task. Sorry.

Now for the good stuff- the food! I received my food in a pretty timely fashion. Chris and I head back to the office to dig in.  The sandwich, flavorful. I love steak. I love most cuts of steak in fact, so I’m wide open to be impressed. No sandwich is even considerable if the bread isn’t right however. This bread wass right! It’s like a chabatta gone soft! This was some seriously awesomely textured bread. As you may have learned yesterday, I think that some foods and flavors consummate and this bun was the offspring of a blissful croissant/chibatta romance! There was love made because it was soft and flaky, a little buttery but pretty durable. I did notice if you let the steak sit on the bread for too long, it will go a bit soggy on you, but that was mainly because the meat was juicy at first bite and the wonderful chimichuri smeared between the bread and the fried egg I added made it weak with envy! My bottom bun wanted to BE that chimichuri so it soaked it all up hoping to emody it’s bright green essence! Who knew food had such drama!

So, to be clear, this sandwich originally has lettuce, tomato, chimichuri, radish, red onion, and of course, skirt steak. There was a $2 option to add a fried egg, and I thought I’d be a fool not to.  I did however opt to hold the radish and I’m glad I did. 

This lovely sandwich was served up with sweet potato fries that were generously dusted in kosher salt. They were served with a side of honey mustard, which I was excited about and what a let down it turned out to be. They used Dijon mustard, which left an overwhelming wasabi flavor. It totally rained on the sweet potato’s parade. If you’re in to that sorta thing, I guess it was good. Not my thing. Boy was I glad I passed on that radish on the sandwich.

I can’t imagine how unappealing the radish, red onion, and Dijon flavored happy dip would’ve offended me had I not done some quick mental flavor math while ordering! After I rid the sandwich of 99% of the red onion (I have a sensitivity to raw onion- I’m sure they did nothing wrong) it was delicious! My kind of sandwich-meat you can taste, ingredients that are fresh, and anything but mayo for moisture- good to the last bite.

The combo (sandwich, fries, and canned soda) was $9 BEFORE I added the egg. My total was 11 bucks! 11 bucks??  Can you say yikes?!? Yeah, I like to pay for food, but everyone isn’t me. So this spot was a little on the pricey side in my frugal opinion.

The vegetarian items were impressive and I may regret not trying them. There was a roasted cauliflower with yogurt sauce that did catch my attention and the organic zucchini soup I saw others eating around me looked unbelievable. They offered a special of soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for only $6 I think. It was the perfect meal for this gloomy day too. I think that was actually the way to go. The veggie sandwich had sprouts, sweet potato, zucchini, and some other things that they advertised as farmer’s market fresh ingredients for only $6 or $9 as a combo. Awesome! So for my veggie lovahs out there, this could be one for you to follow!

Overall, the GastroBus was pretty good. I’m on the plane right now, and it’s not necessarily living up to its name. Although the cauliflower may have made an honest bus out of them after all had I tried it! So the fella sitting next to me is grateful and I am pleased with my experience. I’d do it again! In fact, I look forward to doing it again.

Uh oh, I’m descending into San Francisco. My electronic device must be shut down completely and stowed safely beneath my seat or overhead compartment as I return my seat and tray table to an upright position for landing (would you believe me if I told you I know every word of the safety speech and periodic announcements?) Scary right?

I plan on trying a truck or two here in the bay as well. I hope you all had a good week, as I have certainly had a tasty one!

Please remember to sleep, love, and most important, eat well!

(Is that corny? I told you I’d be trying out catch phrases!) I really wish, “Seacrest out,” wasn’t taken!  

THE FIELD TRIP

Today was a glorious day for foodies in West La, but even more so for me. I managed to gather up a group of friends to stroll from our office over to my favorite intersection, Olympic and Butler. 10 of us had Kogi today, the Genesis, the Alpha, the alleged king of korean bbq tacos. The result, an overall success.

Now I've been to this truck over a dozen times to eat burritos late night after drinking and partaking in typical weekend decompression. Lucky for me, stiff competition was parked just across the street- Bool Bbq who claim to be, "the perfect marriage of asian flavors with staples of central and south american culinary history." I did some minimal research before leaving and learned that Bool is comparable if not preferred by other lunch truck enthusiasts. I'm somewhat of a skeptic of things I've never witnessed with my own senses, so I snuck off from my willing troupe to gather my materials for an inevitable taste test. 

There was NO line at Bool. The menu was simple and easy to read. The service wasn't beyond amazing, but the fella working the counter was friendly enough. I ordered a beef taco and a pastel- which can normally be found in Brazil- a pastry stuffed with savory or sweet ingredients much like a fried dumpling. It could even be mistaken for an oblong empanada. I ordered one filled with chicken and cheese. 

I unwrapped my taco. I tried the meat first and it was delicious! Unlike Kogi it wasn't over marinated. As a true carnivore I enjoy the taste of meat and don't care for it to be completely muddled by strong Korean flavors. No knock on Kogi, as it was the best FIRST Korean bbq taco I've ever had, but it's no longer the best ever. I could taste every element of this taco- the kimchi, the sesame, and my favorite part, the Siracha hot sauce! 

As for the pastel, it was so delicate and flaky. It was like an empanada made love to a chimichanga and gave birth to a chicken and cheese Korean flauta love child. I REALLY enjoyed this. At $4 and not very filling, it may have been slightly overpriced but I don't have a problem paying for good food so I was okay with it. Overall, I'd say this place was pretty damn good. Tacos were typically $2.50, pastels were $4, and burritos were $6. 

Back at the Kogi truck, I reunited with my comrades. The line was pretty long but all 9 of them seemed to have their food within about 10 minutes from ordering. Good for Kogi! They're known for having some of the worst lines in lunch truck history. Between the 9 of them, the entire menu seemed to be covered. With our lunches in tow we headed back to eat in our cushy office kitchen. "Mmmmms, wow's, and Oh man's"were of no shortage at this lunch table. The sliders and spicy pork taco seemed to be the overall crowd pleaser. One brave burrito eater said, "It's almost too much of a good thing." I'd say that's a complement! 

The biggest kudos of the day must've come from my brave vegetarian friend. Just to provide you with a little background, she is a critics' critic and knows what she likes. The good thing is if she likes it, it's exceptional! Her sensitive palette attempted the quesadilla. This isn't just any quesadilla, it's the coveted Black Jack Quesadilla.  This thing was loaded with jack and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions, a spicy verde sauce (which i'm sure was red on her plate) topped with sesame seeds. Again, I wouldn't dare characterize my friend as an adventurous foodie, but more of a discerning skeptic on what we may consider popular food. To her credit, she's perfectly fine with eating what she eats and liking what she likes and she described her first Korean dining experience as, "edible." To you and I, that means good! She enjoyed it and ate half of it! I knew that this was a pretty good take on a quesadilla when she wrapped it up to take the other half home for dinner. For $7, she got what essentially will be 2 meals for her today. Their tacos are just $2 and burritos $5, making it more affordable than Bool Bbq. 

I also had a taco from Kogi to complete my comparison to Bool Bbq. I found the flavors to be way more pungent and even overbearing in some bites. The kimchi was heavy and masked the awesome flavor of the meat. 

The verdict? My vote for truck of the day and winner of the Korean Bbq taco taste off would have to go to Bool Bbq. The marriage of Korean bbq to Latin flavors and the Brazilian influence just really made this food stand out just a bit more. There was also a certain subtle confidence in the Bool truck. They parked across the street from the Genesis! You can't get much more confident than that. They also weren't afraid to let you taste the individual ingredients, paying homage to the complexity of each element on the plate. As an advanced novice foodie, I'd say they're the winners! 

I'd like to thank my readers and my awesome pals at work for participating in today's excursion. For some, it was a first and others enjoyed it again. For me, it was gathering over a meal with people who's company I enjoy, providing me with material to write about, therefore feeding my soul. Many thanks. I'll see you all for tomorrows' Foodie Frontier.

Snack-O

Follow your first mind

Greetings lunch friends. I'm back to my desk after visiting my local watering hole and I gotta say, I let myself down today. I invited a friend Devon to roll with me down to my usual spot to politely stalk trucks. I found out around 11am that the Grilled Cheese truck would be there so I was geeked about lunch since breakfast!  They were advertising their pastrami grilled cheese and you guys know pastrami is my favorite. So i hit Devon up (he's an editor down the hall) and told him we were leaving around 1p. Chris, my sick partner from yesterday, was back- feeling sub par but was hoping a grilled cheese would lift his spirits. And so, we left. We walked & talked and played catch up until we got to the spot.


There was a pepto pink colored truck just beyond the corner and it was those awesome burger babes! We walked past them down to the TLoft location and there was this marigold and orange truck with one of the longest lines I've seen just at the intersection and my mouth instantly became a swimming pool. Devon (the smart one) opted to head back for the burger babes while Chris and I stayed behind at this supposed 8th wonder; after all the grilled cheese truck is ranked number one on most lists.


I stood patiently behind almost a dozen people in line. I get to the front of the line finally feeling like the perfect customer- cash in hand, order ready, bread selection and substitutions rolled off my tongue like a rehearsed monologue. Then he says, "I just sold the last pastrami to the guy in front of you." WHAT??? I was livid. I'm not sure if I was more upset that I was one person away or because he rubbed it in and told me that. When I looked at the guy who just walked away from the window, I thought about tripping him, offering him double for his sandwich, or even waiting til they called his number and intercepting then running down the street with pastrami hanging from my lip. I digress.


After pulling myself together and wiping the tears from my eyes and taking off my boxing gloves, I ordered a Cheesy Mac and Rib. This sandwich has mac and cheese, bbq pork ribs and caramelized onions between grilled buttery white bread slices. To stay true to myself, I had to create something on my own. I also left with a grilled cheese on wheat with bacon, heirloom tomatoes, and basil. I rounded out this cheese fest with a side of mac and cheese and their signature pickles. 


Would you be disappointed if I told you that hands down, the best part of my meal was the damn pickles!? And not because the sandwiches were gross (only the mac and cheese on the side was gross!) These pickles are just that damn good. Imagine your favorite butter pickle but with jalapenos and onions in the same pickling solution. It made both sandwiches 20 times better than they were to start! These things are great and boy are they spicy. I couldn't resist eating a few on their own. After the Coke Zero put the fire out on my tongue I reached for a few more slices. I could eat these things all day.


The sandwiches you ask, they were pretty good. The mac and cheese was past al dente but I think they get away with it because it's between bread. The bbq pork rib actually tasted pretty good. It was tender and the sauce was okay too. The blend of the bbq sauce with the cheese and slight crunch of the toasts' edge made this baby really pop! Texturally, it works!  I must say they get an 'A' for creativity which is great. The Mac and rib sandwich was interesting. While I can't boast that it's the best thing I've ever tasted, or even the best grilled cheese I've ever had, it was something different and not too bad at all. 


The tomato, basil, bacon combo was stellar! I'm sure you think I should've added mozzarella instead of sharp cheddar but isn't that too much like right? The tomatoes stood their ground and didn't turn into a mushy mess. EVERYTHING is better with bacon and the basil made you forget you were eating pork surrounded by cheese. It was so bright and fresh and complemented the tomatoes perfectly. I'd say it was a winner. 


The mac and cheese, not so much. I'm just about ready to tell people to stop trying to make mac and cheese. It's not just pasta and cheese. There should be significant doses of love and care put into a good batch. Theirs was good enough to throw on a sandwich, but the side order I tried was inedible. The pasta was way overcooked. There were tons of bright specks of seasoning: red, green, black- indicating that perhaps paprika, pepper, and even some dried parsley may have been used. Too bad all I could taste was perhaps the plastic spoon that it was served from. I do not recommend the stand alone mac and cheese. 


Overall, by pure default, this is my truck of the day. But I'd like to just say that Devon wins the Frontier of the day Award because he followed his gut to the right damn truck- the burger babes! Those burgers are so awesome that I won't taint their image with this petty honorable mention. I will do things the right way, hunt them down, take plenty of pictures, and write about their glory one bite at at a time like they deserve. Sorry burger babes. I should've followed my first mind. 


Grilled cheese truck, you better take this award for Truck of the Day before I change my mind. Good'day.

What a day in the lunch world

So today, I'm feeling less than myself- still stuck in weekend mode on a Tuesday. I thought this day was doomed until I stumbled across a bit of excitement. Just to enlighten you on the events leading up to my lunch order, my flight from SFO was delayed last night and I didn't get out of the cab and through the threshold of my apartment until 1:20a. Then I get to work today, my co-worker was feeling icky and bailed (feel better Chris) and to make matters worse, my favorite food truck site was not displaying any trucks on the radar this morning. Oh no! Please don't take my joy!

So I find one truck through alternative methods of research and slide out of my office about a half an hour early, in hopes of avoiding the Gastrobus type of rejection again. I found one! The Border Grill truck, owned by two of my favs in the food world, 'Two Hot Tamales!' This got me in better spirits.  Did I mention it feels like a freakin' Indian Summer outside today... I'm just really not in the mood for foolishness. But foolishness I got!

As promised Border Grill was parked right up front. But then behind it, there were not 2 but 3 more frickin trucks! Okay, I think I'm getting excited again. One was a greek truck that I passed on for the day. The other 2, Lomo Arigato: a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors sold out of a converted FedEx truck, and Asian Soul food. Let's start with the good, shall we?


So I purchased a couple tacos from the Border Grill because I couldn't pass on an opportunity to taste the Tamales' culinary genius. So I tried a carne taco and a chicken cilantro, and requested a side of creamy corn salsa that sounded really good. And it was- it lacked salt, but overall a good deal. The corn was sweet and roasted before being combined with red onions, cilantro, and other fun ingredients in a creamy base  (perhaps crema fresca?) The chicken taco was delish! I was surprised by the intense flavor of the chicken. The taco was topped off with a creamy fresca salsa (pico + sour cream would be my guess). If I sound lackluster in my description of my experience it's because  I am. The carne taco was decent, the guac on top was pretty tasty but the presentation, the attitude and the overall energy of the truck was seriously lacking. Did they feel defeated by the smell of competition? If so here's my advice- park on a lonely dark road so you don't have to compete! This truck was cool. I'd recommend the food but bring your own party hat and clown nose if you're looking to have a fun experience. 


Asian soul food... where do I begin. Let's start with the menu which completely lacked focus. If you have more than a few items on your menu, I'm not gonna know what to try therefore if you have a specialty- the customer will never find it! This menu had everything from soba noodles and black rice, to black eyed peas, fried chicken, and greens. There was one item in particular that caught my interest from the gate- Macaroni and Cheese. This is  my FAVORITE 'soul food' item, so I was planning on trying this item as soon as I saw the bright yellow signage of the Asian Soul Food truck.


I ordered greens and mac & cheese, as I've already decided to go elsewhere for my main meal. At only 2 bucks a piece, ordering a couple sides seemed harmless. They were ready before I could put the change from my 10 dollar bill away, so this was off to a good start. While walking away, I cracked into my mac & cheese to find a gooey dark orange substance with a tint of red to it. Uh oh! Then I checked it out. Mercy. This was gag-worthy. It was thick, it tasted artificial, and it was just a bad representation of what I know to be Asian and/or Soul food. I crack open the other container to find string beans and not the greens I ordered. I believe in divine cuisine however, so I planned on keeping what I got and trying out the beans. They were hot but bland. No salt. Just pepper and garlic. I walked back toward the truck a bit upset. I told him about the mistake on his part and asked for the greens I ordered. While he argued with his cook and even me about who's fault the mis-order was, I scoped out the gi-normous can of nacho cheese on the shelf- it was the reason my mac & cheese tasted like it came from the menu of AMC movie theaters. All it needed was to lie on a bed of tortilla chips topped off with jalapenos to be an order of nachos. BAD BAD mistake! On a lighter note, the greens were both spicy and savory. I didn't get the sense of Asian seasoning I would've invited into the dish, but its attempt to mimic a style of food that is unmatched was sub-par as far as the greens. The mac and cheese, again, FAIL!  This day has GOT to get better. 


So I walk up and Ice Cube is blasting from this once FedEx truck- now all white with subtle logos on each side at Lomo Arigato. The girl taking orders, Kori (spelled with an 'I') took great care to make me feel very comfortable when ordering. Despite how busy they were, I never felt rushed. That's a great start. Huge flames on the trucks' interior seemed to literally swallow the half dozen people i could SEE inside the truck cooking on hot woks, throwing ingredients about into their vessels like a bean bag toss at the carnival. On top of that, when asking for my name to distinguish my order, I told her my usual alias. She insisted I tell he how to spell and pronounce the dumbed down name, Terah, that I've used for years. I went ahead and obliged her with the true spelling and pronunciation of my birth given name and she proceeded to tell me her name, Kori- with an 'I'. In case you haven't noticed, customer service is at the tippy top of my list. It, in my opinion, distinguishes great trucks from awesome trucks. Cori and this truck were awesome. I finally got my rice, took it back to the office along with the other items I purchased and was invited to almost consume this entire trough of yummy rice once I sat down! The silver lining, fried rice from Lomo Arigato. 


This rice was full of flavor, seasoned with red peppers (which I normally can't stand), green onion, egg, braised tri-tip, some carrots, and NO PEAS! Thank goodness- I hate peas! Served with a side of creamy jalapeno hot sauce, this dish and truck had all the elements of greatness. The wait was long, and so was the line. Out of all the trucks, they had the most action. I mean seriously, it was seasoned, it was textured perfectly, and it was affordable. $7 filled me up today, and earned my vote for the truck of the day! Thanks Lomo Arigato, and Cori, for making this lunch day salvageable. 


Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be in better spirits- but I'm a critic on my best and worst days, so step your lunch truck game up. You never know when you're gonna find me in your line! 

TGIF!

I wish oh I wish I had a best truck of the day, but instead I bring you the very opposite of testimony! My first not-so-happy experience was first perpetuated by a lack of rest. Today I was tired. And I don’t mean like I started the weekend too soon tired, we’re talking 3 hours of sleep tired. I was looking forward to lunch not only to fill my humps but also to get some wind in my face and sun on my neck to keep me awake for the duration of the day.  So I conducted my daily scan of the neighborhood and what do ya know- there are two trucks in the area on my favorite little side street in West La.

One of the trucks was TastyMeats, my pick for yesterdays’ truck of the day. The other was the big yellow Gastrobus! Boy was I excited to see this ball of sunshine on wheels- dipped in a rich coat of paint the color of egg yolks. An ashy blackboard with delectable items spelled out on it hung just beside the order window. As my mouth began to water and I drew back the rushing saliva, smiling like a fat kid at a school potluck to ask what their specialty was, the chick says in a less than kosher tone, “We’re not serving anymore!” She shut the window and started the engine before I could ask where she was headed next or offer her a million dollars, or anything else I may have wanted to share to her. Now I know there HAS to be a nicer way to turn away eager customers who more than likely cyber-stalked you to this location.

My heart sank, just as their name did on my list of must-tries. When I gave it some more thought as I continued north toward the awesome black polka dot truck parked in front of the TLofts, I decided that the Gastrobus probably did me a favor. I am on a flight as I type. Had I eaten something of  a a mobile kitchen called GASTRObus, I more than like would’ve had some regret. In fact, Iprobably would be unavailable for blogging in fear of dropping my MacBook Pro into a Southwest Airline blue toilet water stankfest. 

So believe it or not, what started out to be the worst truck experience really just saved my MacBook Pro from a sure death. So thanks Gastrobus- for being complete nozzles and turning me away like I knocked on the door of your 5-star restaurant in board shorts sipping a malt liquor 1 hour after the kitchen closed demanding service. Yep- I felt all that.

As not to take away from a now trustworthy lunch experience, I did enjoy another one of those awesome chicken grilled cheese flatbread situations from TastyMeats with a side of zesty spicy fries. They were smothered in some unidentifiable sauces, spices, and cheese. I can guess the cheese was feta and there was some taziki sauce on there too. There humble Mediterranean goodies are definitely showing their ability to go the distance when half these trucks end up in a junkyard 6 months from now. And to make up for just photographing cheese paper, I did remember to take a flic of the sandwich before scarfing it down this time!

I’m halfway to San Francisco on my almost weekly trip to the bay area. I wonder what tasty treats cupid has lined up for me. I hear there is a fleet of trucks in the City, perhaps I’ll get to check a couple of them out. I am sad to miss the La Food Truck Fest, but I’m sure there will be others- beside, that’s too easy. If there all in one place, then what will I have to write about everyday? I like to hunt for my feed, remember?

I think it’s time I work on some catchy catchphrase to go out on like, “I bid you good eats,” or my personal favorite “Seacrest, Out!” I think I’ll work on that this weekend! 

Truck of the day, Thursday, February 11th

Today's truck of the day had some stiff competition. Around noon, I logged on to my favorite tracking source to locate todays' lunch. The picture I'd like to paint for you is me, setting a snare to catch a wild hare like Survivorman would. That's right, I'd like to think I corner my pray, sneak up on it, then grill it until it's perfectly charred and free of killer disease. Clearly that's not the case.

I simply clicked a few buttons on my computer, walked for about 8 minutes, and there parked 3 fine trucks! Tasty Meat and Fressers were the frontrunners, followed by todays' Westside wildcard- The Genesis- Kogi. Be it that it is the genesis, I had to pass- for I have had more korean bbq burritos than I care to admit. So now, we're down to 2.

I skip across the street to Tasty Meat first, because I had my heart set on The Cuban. When I saw they ran out, I politely took 13 steps north to Fressers. Let me just say that pastrami is hands down my favorite sandwich- so I never had the intention to walk past this truck empty handed. What I didn't expect was for the fella hand carving the meat to hand me a slice from his cutting board. Boy am I glad he did!

This was a succulent piece of meat! It was flavorful, juicy, tender, and had remarkable color. The bark was salty and almost briny, and the texture felt like butter on my tongue. Yet there was not one single piece of fat. And that's why Fressers gets honorable mention as todays' truck of the day.

The winner? Oh the winner! Tasty Meat takes the cake, or should I say takes the meat for ingenuity and taste. So back to The Cuban I went after (keep up guys- we're talking about a sandwich!) Much to my dismay as soon as I glanced at the thoughtful carnivorous partially mediterranean menu, I realized there was a thick piece of masking tape obstructing the word, "The Cuban." I couldn't believe it. I felt defeated  at first but was redeemed shortly thereafter when the nice fella with the order book explained there were no Cuban sandwiches today and encouraged me to try something else. In lieu of  my desired snack I ordered a grilled cheese. Sounds silly right? Especially because there in fact is a grilled cheese truck which we'll speak about on a later date.

The kind Sir with his persevering spirit suggested that I add meat to my grilled cheese to make up for the Cuban. While he mentioned a beef/ lamb mix, my supernatural palette urged me to go another route: the chicken- which they claim, "swims for a whole day in secret soy lemon-lime soda marinade." They also boast that its treated in a, "chicken day spa," for a full 24-hours. I gotta tell you- this chicken must've been to the Glen Ivy of chicken spas because it was delicious!

First of all, you wanna talk about cheese paper? This sandwich was oozing with amazing cheeses that thoughtfully blanketed this savory chopped chicken enveloped in a warm grilled flatbread that clearly was torched with butter on a hot flat top.

Let's recap...Grilled cheese with chicken, in buttery hot flatbread. Sounds boring? Don't let the ears deceive you, for this is perfectly expectable culinary genius and because it was on the fly, it has earned Tasty Meats todays' truck of the day recognition.

The fact that this treat isn't blatantly on the menu, there was a person OUTSIDE the truck to greet potential customers, AND I got this awesome sandwich and tasty fries for only $6! There's no beating that! On top of being inviting and creative, they're also good people. While I was waiting on my Fressers sandwich next door, the chef from Tasty Meats got off the truck and walked over a few meals to the staff at Fressers. How's that for good sportsmanship?!? I know they'll be one of the trucks downtown this weekend, and they are definitely worth the look!

Congrats to Fressers for the honorable mention and incomparable meat preparation. You could still be the truck of the day- provided you and I meat again! Get it, meat again?! Aww shucks, okay, fine. Never mind. Wheels are up on lunch today- see ya next time!

The Origins of a Foodie

So consider me being the blindfolded short kid trying to hit a donkey pinata that's suspended 10ft beyond my reach- and again i'm blindfolded. That's sorta what I'm doing here.
I'm 20 something, have a very exciting job as a television story producer, and I don't drive. I'm obsessed with the culture, smells, sights, and everyday happenstance of Los Angeles California and I experience it all on foot. Even with a car- I choose to take on these mean streets on foot. And on weekends, I hop on a plane after work and do the same thing in Northern California.

No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I'm always chewing along the way. I love food. I love the way it smells, tastes, teases the senses, upsets my stomach, and alters my mood. Since I'm stuck in an office or on a hot set for up to 15 hours a day, the only chance I get to tempt my taste buds with tasty combinations of the unknown is on my lunch hour. Thank goodness I work in beautiful West Los Angeles- a practical parking lot for the steadily budding lunch truck culture.

These aren't your average hunks of metal also known as roach coaches with cheese 'exhaust' burgers grilled on the transmission and tented blue windows that make cow tongue look awfully similar to chicken underneath the high noon sun. We're talking shiny, clean, colorful custom built mobile kitchens toting the capable culinary hands that produce masterpieces we couldn't have wrapped our minds around just 10 years ago. Everything is available- from American sandwiches to Vietnamese pho- these trucks can feed you 3 square meals a day. That is, if you know where to find them.

Each truck has a viral following and can be tracked down, even located on GPS systems. I have a feeling that this is half the fun, the experience of hunting and gathering.

Everyday, I will hunt down another mobile kitchen. I may even go for 2 or 3, and share with you my findings on this Foodie Frontier!