Tragic Sandwich

Tag: food trucks

  • More on Food Trucks: Grill ‘Em All

    GRILL 'EM ALL

    We finally made it! After a year and a half of following them on Twitter, we were able to match up our schedules, location, and cash with the Grill ‘Em All Truck.

    They were just in Northridge last week, so I hadn’t expected them to be nearby soon–but a tweet caught my attention, and I found out that they were planning a trip to Reseda. We bundled Baguette into the car and sped off to the intersection of Sherman and Lindley.

    Imagine my amazement to find four food trucks (Grill ‘Em All, Coolhaus, Mandoline Grill, and Meet ‘n’Potatoes)–and not one of them had a line more than two or three people deep.

    We focused entirely on Grill ‘Em All, and I have to say: it’s no surprise they won the first Great Food Truck Race. I ordered a Waste ‘Em All (green chiles, pepper jack, beer-soaked onion), and Mr. Sandwich ordered the Molly Hatchet (seared fennel sausage gravy, bacon, maple)–with a side of fries for Baguette, naturally.

    First, the burgers. They were amazing. The Waste ‘Em All is the best burger I’ve had in a long time. Don’t get me wrong–there are plenty of burgers I like. But this one was noteworthy. And the Molly Hatchet was also excellent, with maple that we could still sense after we got home. These are two very different burgers, both executed magnificently.

    Next, the fries. I don’t remember the last time I had fries this good. Crispy, flavorful, salty. I’ve previously mentioned my love of salt–well, these fries were wonderfully salty, which is a characteristic that too many people seem to be trying to ignore in the interest of health, or some such nonsense.

    Seriously, the fries were so good I had to go up and ask about them. It turns out that they’re double-fried in vegetable oil–once at high heat, and then again on-site to ensure crispiness. And you also get your choice of dipping sauce. It turns out that Baguette is a fan of garlic aioli, which I can only see as a good sign for her eating future.

    If you like burgers, you want to find Grill ‘Em All. You will not be sorry.

    Photo by davecobb, via Flickr.

  • Food Trucks! Food Trucks!

    Grill em' All truck

    Ever since Food Network aired the first “Great Food Truck Race,” Mr. Sandwich and I have wanted burgers from the Grill ‘Em All truck. Unfortunately, their lines have always been enormous–not really feasible since Baguette is about as patient as you’d expect a 16-month-old to be.

    Nevertheless, we headed up to Northridge Din Din a Go Go with the intention of finally consuming the “Molly Hatchet” burger. Or maybe a “Waste ‘Em All.” Or both. Hosted by the Classic Car Wash at the corner of Reseda and Devonshire, this weekly event provides a variety of food trucks–and actual seating!

    We started off with a “Trailer Trash” dog (chili, nacho cheese, Fritos) and freshly fried tater tots from Dogtown Dog, as well as a maple-braised pork crepe from Crepe’n Around. Both hit the spot. The pork had a surprising kick to it; it was spicier than anything I usually associate with crepes, but I’d order it again in a heartbeat.

    Next up was Lardon and their Baco Taco. This is a mixture of potatoes and cheddar cheese stuffed into a taco shell made of woven bacon strips. Decadent? Sure. Kind of ridiculous? Definitely. Tasty? For those of us who love bacon, potatoes, and cheese, it’s a sure-fire hit.

    To round out the meal (and ourselves), we moved on to The Buttermilk Truck. I’ve wanted to try their morning menu with donuts and pancake bites, and maybe one of these days I will–but they had their Late Night Menu, which meant we overdid with the Buttermilk Brick–a biscuit, hash browns, eggs over easy, and chorizo gravy. It was excellent (although I would have expected a much better biscuit from a truck with “buttermilk” right there in its name), but overwhelming considering how much we’d already eaten.

    So we still didn’t make it to Grill ‘Em All (or Lobsta Truck, which was there as well). And I ate so much that I’m still full this morning, which never happens. But most importantly, Baguette stayed asleep and in her stroller until just before we were ready to leave. Because otherwise we would have had to share with her, too.

    Photo by standardpixel, via Flickr.

  • Food Truck Follies

    Once upon a time, there was an empty lot in Santa Monica. Then, the owner of the lot thought, “Hey, what if–instead of selling the lot–I let food trucks park here and sell food?”

    People loved it. All day.

    Then, Santa Monica shut it down.

    So what is a food truck to do? They scattered to the winds. Fortunately for me, two of them landed just a few bus stops away from my office. And also fortunately for me, one of them was posting on Twitter.

    First up, Calbi BBQ. This truck serves Korean-style BBQ. I ordered two tacos: one beef, one shrimp. I got two tacos: one beef, one chicken (I think). Get the chicken–it was excellent, and I didn’t even get the spicy sauce. The shrimp might be great, but I don ‘t know. The beef was fine, but I liked the offerings at Kogi BBQ better.

    A half block away was the truck I’d found via Twitter: Frysmith. As you might guess, they sell fries, topped with a range of multicultural offerings. I chose the Rajas fries, which come with shawarma-marinated steak, poblano peppers, caramelized onions, and jack cheese. This combination is delicious. It’s also a meal, which means that I would have been able to have more of it if I hadn’t eaten two tacos from the Calbi truck just moments before.

    Between the two trucks, though, I’d had a fair amount of spice. What to do? Why, walk across the street to Baskin Robbins and have a scoop of New York Cheesecake, of course.

    So what did this feast set me back? If you add in the water and don’t count the $2 in bus fare, about $13 for more food than I could (and probably should) eat.

    Later, I thought, “Hmm. I probably didn’t need that mid-morning protein shake.”