Gourmet Food Trucks Are The Hip New Restaurants In Southern California

In Southern California, the old-fashioned sandwich trucks are being upgraded to mobile restaurants with menus as varied as the culture. In the face of chain restaurants and high operating costs, many small locally owned food businesses have disappeared and the catering truck industry is stepping into the gap.




The speed of the growth of this new development in the restaurant industry has, at times, created conflicts within some communities. The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association was formed to attempt to create a set of "best practices" for operating within the changing industry. While the rules and regulations are still developing, the popularity of the movement with the general public is unquestioned.




One of the many ways the industry is changing is in the use of Web sites and Twitter to let customers know the schedules and locations of their favorite gourmet traveling restaurant. The various truck owners post schedules and menus so their "followers" can easily make plans to meet for their favorite meal. The possibilities are seemingly endless. From a simple grilled cheese to Japanese noodles, there's something for almost every taste.




The Grilled Cheese Truck - Whether you are looking for that simple grilled cheese or something more exotic, this menu has an answer to the search. The cheese offerings start with the routine American and extend to a creamy Brie (on Cranberry Walnut bread) or Gruyere with lots of savory additions and interesting sides.




Barbie's Q - If your preference is St. Louis style ribs or pulled pork sandwiches, Barbie's can supply it along with the traditional sides. They even have a Veggie Burger for those who love barbecue but don't eat meat. Like many other gourmet food trucks, they also cater.




Skewers on Wheels - A non-traditional meal choice for many Americans, food on skewers lends itself to a wide variety of textures and flavors. From Shiitake mushrooms or tofu to Hawaiian spam pineapple the skewers can be paired with a salad and create a full meal for any taste preference.




TastyMeat - Meat lovers can choose from beef, lamb, or chicken in a savory sauce; add lettuce, tomato, and onions, then wrap it in a fresh flatbread for a delicious quick meal.




Kogi - Combine Korean barbecue with Mexican style and you get Spicy Pork Tacos or Short Rib Burritos and they haven't forgotten the vegetarians either, Tofu comes in either a taco or a burrito.




Asian Soul Kitchen - For a more traditional Asian meal, try Japanese soul food. Sample Yakisoba, a combination of noodles, veggies, and a flavorful sauce or for a more filling meal order Nijukaga a hearty stew of beef, potatoes, and noodles in a Bonita broth.




Even the old-fashioned ice cream trucks are leaping onto the gourmet, twittering bandwagon.




Coolhaus - Make an ice cream sandwich to order with your favorite cookie and ice cream. Choose from six cookie flavors and fill them with your choice of more than twenty ice creams. From the traditional vanilla bean to white chocolate macadamia, they make an ice cream sandwich new.




Get Shaved - Shaved ice may sound like another version of a "snow-cone", but the resemblance ends with the basic ingredient. These low-calorie (60-70 calories per 8 ounce serving) come in a myriad of flavors from Banana to Watermelon.




There are trucks that serve at most any hour of the day, from breakfast to dinner time. Whether you are looking for a Southwest Omelet or a slice of Pizza, there's a truck out there looking for your business. Twitter is the easiest way to keep track, but many are also on Facebook or have their own Web sites.

Food Trucks Doin' Time in The LBC

This past Saturday, the 9th of October, there was an invasion of sorts in Long Beach. It was the LB Street Food Fest, which featured 28 of Southern California's top Gourmet Food Trucks. Aside from the uncharacteristic heat for an October day, it was AWESOME! I had invited a few of my friends down to join in on the fun and hang with my girl and I. We even got a chance to spend some time with Lou & Sue (dad & step-mom), and there was a guest appearance by my niece. Friends, family and food, what could be better? Yes, I'm sure we could all think of a few things, but that was a rhetorical question...

There was some lively music, and a buzz in the crowd. I could overhear conversations about what was the best and which lines were the longest (The Grilled Cheese Truck, by far the longest), where to get cold adult beverages, and what a cool event to be having in our own backyard. The kinds of conversations that are brought about by the combination of people that love food and love the newest craze- The Food Trucks. I don't know if it's really considered "new," but it is catching a huge groundswell and following right now. And from where this dude sits, it doesn't look like it's going to die down anytime soon, either. Which brings me to the food. By the way, if you think I am going to name all of the trucks that were there... I might or not?

I started off with some really delicious Chili-Cheese Fries from The Munchies Machine. Hand cut fries cooked perfectly with an some pretty damn good chili and super melty, tangy cheddar. For you burger enthusiasts,
it reminded me of Tommy's chili, delicious. Then it was on to the Yakisoba Dog from Dogzilla- what a combination of flavors. Spicy with a hint of sweetness and just salty enough. The yakisoba noodles, okonomi sauce and crunch of the slaw were outstanding, and the dog itself had great flavor, and yes, the snap! Which leads me to believe that if you have a great dog to begin with, anything you add is icing on the cake.

The last two dogs I've had have been a couple of the best I've ever had, both equally great in their own right- The Greasy Wiener & Dogzilla. I would be hard pressed to say if one was better than the other, because they were both completely different ends of the spectrum. So I will say that I was wearing my Greasy Wiener T-shirt while eating my Dogzilla Yakisoba Dog and asking if I could buy one of their shirts. That should say it all.

After the fries and the dog, we decided on making a visit to Bool Korean BBQ Tacos. I, like another Matt(MattBites), like just about anything in a tortilla. Hell, I've made Corned Beef Tacos with horseradish mayo, pico de gallo and cabbage in one of my places. So when you tell me Korean BBQ Short rib in the form of a taco, I'm all in! Simple "street style" tacos with a little kim-chi and you have something that I could eat all day long. Big Lou went for the burrito and it went over just as good. Bool got the thumbs up from all in our crowd and by the looks of things the crowds at the festival agreed. After that a few of our friends started becoming overwhelmed by the day and decided to tap out.

I on the other hand waltzed over to The Place and had a Pastrami Melt. So take a grilled cheese with white American and slamming it together into a double decker with perfectly cooked, peppery pastrami and mustard and you've got one hell of a sandwich. The last couple of bites we had were from Ahn Joo Korean Pub Grub. While a couple of friends went for the Bacon Wrapped Rice Cylinders, we opted for the Grilled Japanese Eggplant and Tofu Skewers- wonderful! And the report back on the bacon and rice was equally as promising. I think that was where I started feeling the sleepy feeling of the food coma coming on...

So we ended the afternoon walking from truck to truck wanting to say hi to the new friends we've made- Slice Truck, Fresh Fries and The Greasy Wiener. We stopped by the Save the Food Trucks and Saturday Night Foodies booth and chatted for a few minutes, getting further info on different events that will be upcoming in OC, South Bay and of course, LA. So, stuffed and sated from the samplings of the day, sufficiently drained from the sun we decided to call it a day. My only regret is that we didn't get to all of the trucks, but I'm sure that I will be venturing and adventuring out to find them more and more as time goes on. Oh yeah, and I didn't get my white whale, The Grilled Cheese Truck!