Foodists

The Summer Of Food Trucks

For years those of us living in Toronto have watched while other cities across North America have celebrated and grown their vibrant street food scene. We’ve traveled sampling noodles, tamales, fish tacos, pulled pork and Japa Dogs served from trucks, carts and vans. Watching our Toronto friends salivate with envy as we regale them with the tasty delights that are available on every street corner in other cities while in Toronto we are hobbled with the singular choice – “hot dog or sausage?”

The Toronto street food and idling by-laws make the street food scene very bleak.  Ignoring the disastrous Toronto A La Carte fiasco, we’ve been starved for the delights that other North Americans take for granted as quick and tasty lunch options or post-clubbing snacks.

But all that is changing!  2011 has been the summer of Food Trucks! 

Chefs across the city have already taken the jump. Kitting out trucks, trailers and vans with all the equipment and licences and running what are essentially mobile restaurants sans seating. 

They are gambling on festivals, private catering or permanent partnerships with private property owners with parking to spare.  But unless you are visiting a winery or invited to the coolest wedding of the season where the food is catered by food truck, you are likely to miss out.

That is until Food Truck Eats, a movement to get everyone access to these great food trucks through food truck rallies organised by Spotlight Toronto founder, Suresh Doss.

Suresh is well known in the food community, and social media community, around southern Ontario as a knowledgeable, measured and capable instigator.  If something cool is happening in the food or wine scene in Toronto, Suresh is probably in the know.  In this case, he’s at the helm.  Both Food Truck Eats and and the Ontario Food Truck movement evolved after a trip earlier this year to Florida and where Suresh found himself dining on fantastic food served from food trucks and thought “how do we get this going in Toronto?”.

Suresh recognized the convergence of Toronto’s rising desire for more interesting and exciting street food experiences; the current buzz around gourmet grub from mobile kitchens; and the number of local chefs starting to play with alternative ways to get their food into the mouths of hungry enthusiasts. 

So far this summer, there have been 2 wildly successful Food Truck Eats events. More successful than anyone could have predicted, filling the Distillery District with trucks, chef stations and thousand and thousands of people hungry for new experiences.  The food was fantastic and included things from fish tacos to red velvet cupcakes, wood fired pizza to lobster rolls, ceviche to banh mi.

With prices ranging from $1 to $7, you can understand the lineups and why some vendors who came well-stocked for the day still sold out completely!

There have also been regular food truck pop-up events across the city, and more Food Truck Rallies happening in Hamilton and Mississauga.

The next Food Truck Eats is schedule to happen October 1st during Nuit Blanche and should be another fantastic event.   If you can come, expect line ups for fantastic food from some of the most fun and creative chefs around the region!