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Food Junkies, Worth the Wait!
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are easily overwhelmed by too many options at a food truck roundup, the event at Seminole Casino Hollywood might just be for you. There were 10 trucks, all serving different food and I decided on the one with the longest line.
Food Junkies not only had the longest line when I arrived at the event, they had the longest line the whole time I was there. It has to be said, I was there a long time because the food took about 30 minutes or so to come out of the window. They disclose this with a blurb on their menu, they state that their food is made fresh and ask for the patience of their customers. Boy, were we patient.
Hungry customers patiently waiting!
Reading the menu you get the idea that the food is a combination of Island and Comfort – two of my favs! They carry some Conch, Shrimp and Fish dishes as well as dishes like Chicken and Waffles. They also have some freshly baked goods and a super secret punch that I believe is made after a delicious Caribbean drink recipe, but you didn’t hear that from me!
I finally got to the front of the window, ordered and waited what seemed like an eternity for the following delicious menu items.
Fried Chicken and Red Velvet Waffles
I have to say, I’m not one for this kind of dish but the Food Junkies did it right. The Waffle was the perfect “Plate” to catch the Chicken and Maple Flavor. The Wings on this dish were amazing. As I sit here and write about them, I detect some drool collecting. They were cooked perfectly!
Next up I took a few bites of their enormous side of Seafood Slaw! Seriously, for 10 dollars I could have had this side dish as my meal and called it a night! The Coleslaw was fresh and tasted homemade and the Seafood in it was delicious! Definitely worth the $10!
Food Junkies Side of Seafood Slaw
Next up (I know, I can’t believe I ate so much) was the Conch Balls. We all know these as Conch Fritters and they are rarely anything to write home about. The main difference in the Conch Balls from the Food Junkies is that there is actually large chunk of delicious Conch in them!
Food Junkies Conch Balls
The inside of the Food Junkies’ Conch Ball
Whew! I was waddling away from the Food Truck after this meal! Luckily I had their Super Secret Punch to wash it all down with. It’s so sweet it’s almost as if you’re having dessert.
Everything off this truck was worth the wait, the staff were so appreciative of our patience it made it all the more enjoyable of an experience.
If you can find this truck behind it’s epic line of food fans, do yourself a favor and give them a try!
Become a Food Junkie:
Food Junkies
Facebook: Food Junkies
Twitter: @FoodJunkies_
Go! Moto? Maybe, Go! Bento
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve said it before, Arts Park is a great food truck event. Probably the best I’ve been to in the tri-county area. For that reason, when I trek my happy behind there after a long Monday I choose wisely – today though, I chose Go! Moto.
Go! Moto is the mobile version of the Hollywood restaurant, Go! Bento. Although the restaurant is Asian (sushi, noodles, etc.) the truck only featured things as Asian as Spicy Mayo.
I walked up, read the short menu and decided on the following items.
Bento Dog
The Bento Dog is what you see above: Bun, Tomato, Cucumber, Spicy Mayo and Dog. The guy at the trailer told me the Sun Sentinel wrote this Hot Dog up as the best the writer had during Burger Beast’s July 1st Hot Dog Fest – I couldn’t find anything to that effect. I bit into the dog and was immediately bummed. The dog was good. I could taste the meat, but the other ingredients did nothing for it. Why was I eating all this other stuff that served no purpose? Also, what’s with the random nori garnish?
The Fries were also nothing special. The frozen crinkle cut fries were fried to order and seasoned with something unidentifiable. I suspect the seasoning had no salt because these were some pretty bland fries.
Avocado Fries
Next up were the Avocado Fries. The description made them sound like I was about to have a crunchy, creamy, spicy party in my mouth. Sadly this tasted about as flavorful as a kids party with no cake.
I did however enjoy a refreshing Boba Tea. The Lychee Green Tea had chunks of fruit in it and was served school cafeteria style with a plastic film over so you can plop your straw in and not have to worry about lids and things. But from the looks of the packaging it doesn’t seem to be made in house.
Check out the Boba Tea
Go! Moto is not the best representation of what the guys at Go! Bento can do, this makes me sad. So maybe you don’t Go Moto, but maybe you do Go! Bento.
GO! Wisely:
GO! Moto
Facebook: GO! Bento
Twitter: GOmototruck
Los Chamos Have a Friend in Me!
Posted by: | CommentsThe name Los Chamos comes from the slang word for friends in Venezuela – if these guys want to cook for me on a regular I would like to be their friend!
I stood in a heavy duty line for Los Chamos and not once did the Chamo at the window lose his cool. Despite being busy he took the time to lead my menu choices in the right direction – I’m a simple person so little details like that stick with me.
Menu choice #1 was going to be the Sweet Domino Arepa but I switched it to the Empanada. The Chamo told me it would prevent all the cheesy Sweet Plantain gooeyness from falling out. He was right! Tucked into a freshly fried Empanada was the sweet and savory combination of Black Beans, White Cheese and Sweet Plantains. It sounds like dessert but it was a great way to start the meal.
Los Chamos Sweet Domino Empanada
Next up I dug into an Arepa that looked almost like a burger when they first handed it to me but it was so much more than that! This Arepa was chock full of sliced Chicken, Chorizo, Caramelized Onions and White Cheese. No condiments needed here just a few dozen napkins and a hearty appetite. Honestly if you order this you may not need to eat anything else.
Los Chamos La De Chi-Cho Arepa
Finally I made my way to the Tequeños. Even though I was nearly stuffed from the Empanada and Arepa I absolutely had to make room for these guys because they were the best I have ever had! Never before has a Cheese stick tasted so good on its own. Sauce lovers don’t be discouraged though; Los Chamos serves their Tequeños with a spicy Guava sauce that is so good you will want to ask for a gallon of it to take home.
Los Chamos Tequeños
Ultimately there are two things you need to remember when thinking about eating at Los Chamos: 1. A long line doesn’t mean rushed service and 2. A long wait for your food means it’s being prepared with care, it is worth the wait! Dale Chamo!
Chase Los Chamos:
Los Chamos
Facebook: Los Chamos Food Truck
Twitter: @LosChamosTruck
Mushaboom – Some Fun Girls!
Posted by: | CommentsMushaboom! I say that word and start singing the Feist song that helped inspire the name for the tastiest – wait, the only vegan food truck this side of the county line!
I know you’re thinking that the food must be way too green, way too bland and way too boring to stand up to any other the other food trucks you’ve visited. But, you are wrong!
Walk up to this playfully wrapped truck and prepare to change the way you feel about eating vegan.
Vegan Goodness!
While the menu does include vegetarian staples like Portobello mushroom burgers and falafel; these two girls are definitely not resting on classics for success. I took advantage of the fact that they make any burger a slider and tried the Chickpea Parm and Black Bean burgers. Make it a combo with a side of fries and a soda for $11. Besides the fact that this lunch was a steal, it was delicious!
Steal of a Combo!
I started with the Chickpea Parm! Made up of chickpeas, tomato sauce and vegan cheese, I bit into this little slider and thought they had sprinkled it with magic. Seriously, this burger has no meat on it but I chewed it as if it was a regular meaty patty. It was not tough or chewy it just didn’t have the texture you would expect from a sandwich made almost entirely of chick peas.
Chickpea Parm
Next up was their spicy Black Bean burger. A classic taken to new heights by chopped jalapeño and their special sauce! Tell me this doesn’t look like a burger!
Black Bean Burger
It was fresh tasting and had just the tiniest hint of spice from the jalapeños. Serious flavor inhabits this black bean burger.
If you’re not into things vegan, try their fries. They definitely stand up against any other fries I’ve had. Fresh cut and cooked to perfection, a dash of salt is all you need to do these puppies justice.
These two ladies are the real deal. Next time you see them on the street wave, honk or better yet, stop in and give their vegan goodness a try. Meat eater or not you will not regret it.
So Mushagood:
Mushaboom
Facebook: MushaboomVegan
Twitter: @MushaboomVegan
Waiting for a sign? Killer Pasta has got a big one!
Posted by: | CommentsThe next time you’re at a food truck event don’t decide which trucks to approach based on their bright wraps or shiny graphics. Look for the truck with their whole menu posted on top of the roof! Once you find it you’ll know you’ve found some Killer Pasta!
Follow your stomach to the big sign!
I know, I know, your eye caught the Caramelized Pear Ravioli – right? If it did, good and if it didn’t you really should read the description again. This dish was balanced with just enough sweet and savory to make you wish Killer Pasta gave you more of their killer bread to dip their sauce in! Fine, if you need more convincing, just remember this dish has Pancetta (aka Italian bacon)!
Caramelized Pear Ravioli
Next up I opted for a classic dish of Penne a la Vodka. This heavy plate can fill the belly of the heartiest of pasta eaters. If you brought a friend I suggest splitting this dish and trying some other tasty items. After all, how often do you see an Italian food truck? My only beef with this dish was I wanted more sauce! It was a good sauce!
Penne a la Vodka
Don’t disregard that lemonade in the background folks. I was skeptical when the person who took my order said it was freshly squeezed but once my lips touched the tart and sweet beverage I knew his claims were legit! Kudos to trucks like these who take the time to make a fresh signature drink.
Also, if you’re not into canned or bottled soda, Killer Pasta has fountain! Come for the pasta, stay for the soda.
Kill that Pasta:
Killer Pasta
Facebook: Killer Pasta Truck
Twitter: @KillerPastaMIA
Gypsy Kitchen – South Florida Food Truck
Posted by: | CommentsWandering souls starve no more!
Gypsy Kitchen emerged during the strong wave of new trucks in 2011, but unlike many who have fallen the Indian and his team have kept the quality and creativity up.
I visited Gypsy Kitchen during the Food Truck Invasion in Hollywood at Young Circle event. This event sticks out as one of the better food truck round ups – but that’s another post.
After browsing the menu I decided on a few items. This was harder than it sounds because everything looked amazing and the smells coming out of the kitchen had my mouth watering!
Rice Balls
First up, Rice balls – These were delicious crunchy balls of rice with a creamy goodness going on inside similar to the consistency of mac-n-cheese without cheese. The dipping sauce was a refreshing combination of Indian yogurt, cilantro and mint. I really could have filled up on these!
Kickin’ Vegan Kimchee Lo Mein
Next up, Kickin’ Vegan Kimchee Lo Mein – This spicy bowl of lo mein noodles, onions, kimchee cabbage topped with scallions was like nothing I have ever tasted before. The spice, crunch and bright pop of flavor from the chopped scallions made my mouth very happy!
Don’t let this gorgeous dish fool you, it packs a punch! Luckily my refreshing Ginger Limeade was ice cold and ready to quench the fire in my mouth. I swear The Indian flavored this to compliment his dishes because the bright kick of ginger and the sour lime all sweetened to perfection tasted as if the drink was made for the food. I wanted to ask him to sell me a gallon of this stuff!
Ginger Limeade
Finally – and I say that with the emotion of exhaustion from being so full and happy! I tried the fried rice topped with a runny egg.
Fried Rice
While it wasn’t as wildly flavored as the rice balls and lo mein, Gypsy Kitchen has a solid fried rice recipe on their hands. And let’s face it, you top anything with a runny fried egg and it just takes it to another level.
Take my advice, the next time you hear about a food truck event get out of your house, into your car and get in the line at Gypsy Kitchen. This truck really has something for everyone, veggies, chicken, pork, spicy, non spicy and yes, they have dessert too!
Check out Gypsy Kitchen:
Gypsy Kitchen
Facebook: GypsyKitchen305
Twitter: GypsyKitchen305
