The food truck phenomenon is all over the place, not so much in Key West but mainland Florida with splendid night time weather has embraced this way of eating. Monday nights it's Arts Park in Hollywood at the circle in the middle of town called Young Circle.
The line up this past week was endless:
90 Miles to Go
B.C. Tacos
Che Grill
Churrasco Grill
Da Burger Shack
Don Mofongo
FOAR
Food Junkies
HipPOPs handcrafted gelato bars
Il Fiorentino
Inspir-Asian
Jerk it Cuisine
Jersey Dawg
King of Racks
The Lobsta Guy
Monster Burgers
Ms. Cheezious
Nacho Bizness
Palate Party
Paradise Cups
Poblano’s Mexican Fusion
Sugar Yummy Mama
Sweet Blenz
Tuto’s Cuisine
Voo La Voo
Wholesome Rollers
I got overwhelmed in short order but my wife and her sister marched off to check out what was on offer.
I have no idea what sort of a living one makes cooking in the back of a van but young people seemed to make a decent date night out of it.
The lines were long and after ordering there wasn't much to do but stand around and wait. Cause for conversation!
I was looking after Rusty whose brain must have been blown by his change of fortune. A few weeks ago he was an unwanted dog on the margins of life and now he was being petted and admired by strangers and welcomed into the middle of crowds. He took it like the stoic he has become.
I tried to wander but the crowds were thick and I had no idea what I wanted to eat.
I left the decisions up to my wife. These guys yielded crab fries and a thick wedge of caramel bread pudding. Food trucks tend to go with substantial fare it seems to me.
Rusty was totally absorbed into people watching, too entranced to be scared.
Ms Cheezious sold grilled cheese sandwiches which I thought an odd choice but we had a couple of theirs.
Burger Beast claims to have the most up to date list of trucks and locations:
Every Monday: Food Trucks at Arts Park
Every Tuesday: Food Truck Invasion in Plantation
Every 1st Friday: Friday Night Food Trucks
Every 2nd Friday: Second Fridays at Abacoa Every 3rd Saturday: Wheelin’ Dealin’ Street Food Festival
2015 was the year of Chef Robyn Almodovar on Food Network where she won an episode of Chopped and also won Cutthroat Kitchen. My wife noticed her South Florida base, along with her truck "Palate Party" and noted them down in her phone. She was quite pleased to be recognized. Her crab cakes really were very good. We ate them on the spot.
My patient dog, navigating the chaos with the aplomb of an old hand. I hope he enjoyed being in the middle of middle class life as a participant.
My sister-in-law studying the menu:
The crab and fries:
The bacon and blue cheese grilled sandwich. Perhaps it was bleu cheese but food trucks bring out the pleb in me:
The bread pudding:
The exhausted little trooper:
What an interesting evening.