Tag Archives: Food Trucks

Indianapolis Food Trucks Save Day, Change World for Better (Part 2 of 3)

May 16, 2012 By in Indiana Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Continuing the recount of my encounters with the Indianapolis food truck phenomenon. Although the five trucks I covered in part 1 were extraordinarily good, the following trucks merely ranged from extremely good to very, very good.

The Spice Box — At last, a convenient source of Indian food! The little Indian place we once had near work shut down years ago. No other member of my household will join me at any local establishments such as India Palace or the Shalimar. The Spice Box and their Chicken Tikka Masala cater to a very underserved niche in my palate. Oddly, they can often be seen teaming up with the Mac Genie mac-‘n’-cheese truck for an interesting either/or face-off. Taken together, they’re symbolic of the duality of man.

Taco Lassi — More Indian food, but served Mexican-style with “local ingredients and natural meats.” This sounds wrong, but works well. The Chicken Tandoori won for me last time, but I still need to try the fabled Mango Lassi at some point.

Seoul Grill — Korean tacos! Or, if you need a break from food-truck tacos and don’t insist on meat, try their kimchi quesadillas. I do insist on meat, but don’t let my rules inhibit you.

Gypsy Cafe — Their massive Cuban po-boy is the largest food-truck sandwich I’ve had to date, not to mention one of the most competitively priced. As with Korean and Indian, this is another food group shamefully lacking in my suburb. Some online reviews complain that their use of mayo calls their authenticity into question. I forgive them.

The NY Slice — Pizza truck! Everybody loves pizza! They’re at a disadvantage because they have to compete with a decent brick-‘n’-mortar Enzo Pizza down the block, but the NY Slice has its own charm. I appreciated that they offered options beyond the pepperoni-sausage-cheese Axis of Ho-Hum. Fans of thin pizza might appreciate that their crust isn’t as doughy. Also in the NY Slice’s favor: they’re not a corporate franchise.

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort — The Catfish Po’boy may not have been as spicy as the other dishes on their Cajun-themed menu, but I was fine with it. It should be noted one of my coworkers didn’t care for the untoasted, unwarmed bun on her sandwich. I don’t deduct points for bun quality unless it’s stale, frozen, or Subway.

To be concluded!

Indianapolis Food Trucks Win Hearts and Lunchtime (Part 1 of 3)

May 14, 2012 By in Indiana Tags: , , , , , , , 3 Comments

My favorite new (over)use of disposable income in 2011 was the veritable tidal wave of food trucks that began flooding Indianapolis in general and downtown in particular. All those new options coming and going at random have enlivened many a workday with their momentary detours from our ruts, their surprise goodies luring us curbside, and the occasional menu items we’ve had to Google for definitions.

Out of the sixteen trucks on which I’ve overspent, none of them has sold me a disastrous experience. Food quality has varied, but all staffers were pleasant and welcoming, as one would hope to encounter at their traditional brick-‘n’-mortar counterparts (albeit sometimes in vain). Super Bowl LXVI weekend saw a particularly lively food truck festival between several trucks gridlocked on Monument Circle, greeting and feeding any tourists who strayed from the colossal party down on Georgia Street. It was all the more opportunity for me to sample wares and pass the good word along to the neighbors on my cubicle block.

Of my food truck experiences to date, five served hard and stood tallest:

Duos. Their motto of “Slow Food Fast” humbly belies their true calling of vegan and gluten-free sandwiches and soups with gourmet ingredients, of the varieties exclusive to your more upscale groceries. Not all their dishes are tailored for those two categories, but those that are have been equally delicious to those of us with general-audience appetites. Duos has done so well for themselves that they’ve recently opened a brick-‘n’-mortar location down the street from the Children’s Museum. They’re the only food truck I’ve patronized more than half a dozen times, and the only truck with a schedule consistent enough for me to consider as appointment dining.

Keys Gourmet Slider Station. Think White Castle with exotic toppings. I heartily endorse this idea. I’ve rarely seen them around of late, but trust that they’ve been off enriching the lives of others who were far more in need of enrichment.

Mac Genie. A recent article in Indianapolis Monthly extolled the up-‘n’-coming trend of fine-dining restaurants offering specialty mac-‘n’-cheese on their menus for refined sensibilities. As I recall, none of the featured restaurants were near my home or workplace. Thankfully Mac Genie will appear from nowhere to grant my wish of dense, prettied-up cheesy carbs with non-standard toppings. (I actually make a concerted effort not to wish for this too often, for the sake of my physical health. This kind of harmful wishing is why I’m not allowed to own any Arabian lamps.)

Scout’s Treats. If you prefer your desserts prepackaged and artificially preserved, this truck isn’t for you. The proprietor/baker/driver specializes in scrumptious chocolate ganache cupcakes and sea salt brownies that make Little Debbie cry all over her factory floor.

The Edwards Drive-In Dashboard Diner. On the complete opposite end of the culinary spectrum from Duos in innumerable ways is this mobile version of the longtime south-side drive-in As Seen On TV’s Man v. Food. Giant sandwiches and intimidating sides provide a heapin’ helping of shortening overdose that we less finicky businesspeople are hard-pressed to find anywhere else downtown. I have yet to witness a single coworker finish an entire tenderloin and order of onion rings without begging for assistance from others.

To be continued!