Table Hopping –September 2011
“Food Trucks to Try”
The Truck Stop
Corner of 21st & Wyandotte
Kansas City, MO
The Truck Stop was created as a permanent food truck lot where vendors can reserve a weekly spot to sell their goods on Fridays and Saturdays year round. The collection of food trucks that gather here can vary from week to week, so be sure to check their Facebook page where they post who will be down there. Tables and chairs are available to sit on, and trash cans are provided. Now, there is a place where you are guaranteed to find a collection of several food trucks ready to serve you. Food Truck culture is alive and well in Kansas City.
Port Fonda
Chef Patrick Ryan owns the only food truck in KC with his own 6-top inside that you can rent for the night. If you want to see what the food truck business is like from the inside out while enjoying the finest Mexican cuisine to ever come from a refurbished silver air-stream trailer, book the private table at Port Fonda. Trained by Chef Rick Bayless in Chicago, Chef Patrick’s chilaquiles with a perfectly fried egg will put his truck on your list. Find this truck in the lot of The Rieger at 19th & Main every weekend.
Good You
Chef Kelli Daniels is making one of the best burgers in Kansas City out of her organic rolling mobile kitchen. Using grass-fed beef, and Farm to Market brioche buns with her own secret sauce, her “Good You Burger” is not to be missed. Kelli also offers other items including something for vegetarians. With a fine dining background, Kelli’s version of good food simply comes down to using the best ingredients.
Cajun Cabin
Mark Drouin hails from Louisianna, which is where he learned to make the cajun home-cooked dishes he sells out of his red wagon. Fragrant Chicken and Sausage gumbo, Jambalaya, Crawfish Etoufee, Shrimp Creole and Red Beans and Sausage round out the list of items that will with one taste take you right back to New Orleans. Quality cajun food at reasonable prices. Go!
Magical Meatball Tour
Chef Ceasar Reyes and Chef Venus Van Horn found they had culinary chemistry and that’s when they decided to do a food truck based on meatballs from around the globe. Italy, Middle East, Spain and a number of Vegan and Vegetarian balls please numerous and varied palates. Quality ingredients and carnival theme make this truck a “must”.
Westport Street Fare
http://westportkcmo.com/locations/eats/westport-street-fare
After running the successful Westport Cafe & Bar in Westport, Chef Aaron Confessori and his partner Richard Wiles, decided to mix it up by opening the Westport Street Fare. This food truck is a red and yellow permanent stationary food truck that offers street food staples including, tacos, burritos, quesedillas, and tortas with a varitey of five core fillings to choose from and a featured special. Open Thursday - Saturday from 7:00p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
Tamale Wizard
Bruce Swabb, happily traded his career as a tax accountant for his passion for making things that come in small packages. Bruce’s hand-made tamales from his Tamale Wizard food cart, pack a flavorful punch. His specialties are smoked pork, chicken, beef and black bean sweet potato. Sending you off to see the wizard.
CoffeeCakeKC
Renee Kloeblen bakes delicious cupcakes in her bakery on 39th Street, while her partner, Brian Jurgens, roasts his own beans to make his private label coffee called EF Hobbs. Together they make the smartest pairing in food truck history in the form of a traveling cupcake and coffee truck called CoffeeCakeKC. Hop on Twitter and see if you can get a “drive by” from this truck at work. The people in your office will thank you.
Fresher than Fresh Snowcones
Lindsay Laricks left an advertising career to jump into the land of snow and ice. Making all of her own syrups, her flavors are 100% all natural using fresh fruits and herbs in combinations that will really blow your palate right open. Perfectly shaved ice is topped with Pineapple Serrano Pepper, Green Tea Pear or Lime Mint syrups. Find her most every Sunday in the garden on the corner of 17th & Summit from 12 noon – 7 pm or on First Fridays in front of Hammerpress.
The Truck Stop idea is a cool idea for all foodies out there. They can just hang out all day and taste the food. As for me, I'd probably devour the food there. And looking at the names will tell you that you wouldn't regret going there.
Posted by: Duncan Moredock | January 23, 2012 at 08:03 AM