Trying Something New

Getting outside is a huge perk to street food lunches, but I think the best part is the variety of foods the trucks introduce to the downtown scene. After working in Downtown Minneapolis for 15 years, the usual options have lost their spark and I’ve probably just sunk too deep into the ruts of my habits to even notice if there are better choices out there. With the trucks there is something new everyday. Not only are there so many different trucks, but most trucks change their menus regularly.

Today I tried the mushroom bahn mi from World Street Kitchen for the first time and it was fabulous (and only $6)! Who would have guessed that a mushroom loaf sandwich could be so great? I have to give some credit to the fresh cilantro.

While talking with Saed today, I learned that WSK will be back in its regular location on 5th and Nicollet starting next Monday. Good news with all the sunshine and great seating options nearby.

And a tip for fans of the salted caramel ice cream sandwich: if you plan to sit in the sun for lunch, get your dessert on the way out, or maybe just eat it first! For ultimate enjoyment it needs to go straight to the mouth or straight to the freezer (if anyone actually has that kind of will power).

Street Food Soldiers.

I'd been looking so forward to the food at World Street Kitchen that it was with great pride my cohort and I made our way to their truck on a rainy and blustery day for our first Yum Yum Rice Bowl of the season, the second day WSK was out on the streets.

And it was an honor to be memorialized in their Twitter feed as the unstoppable food truck chasers that we have turned into.

My first Yum Yum Rice Bowl (with chicken) was amazing-- their combination of rice, soy glazed chicken and mushrooms, crunchy onions, chinese broccoli, fresh green onions, peanuts, fresh cilantro, garnished with an over-easy egg, sesame seeds and a spicy aioli is delightful. The kind of meal I really want to be left alone with so I can talk dirty to it for a couple of minutes, in private.

WSK Brightens the Day

After a drag of a winter longingly gazing at the yellow WSK sticker on my bulletin board, frankly I’m a little giddy that World Street Kitchen has opened for the season in downtown Minneapolis.

Jenn and I didn’t let a little rain stop us from our inaugural WSK lunch of 2011 today (an occasion we saved for when we could go together – they opened yesterday).

I practically inhaled my spicy yum yum rice bowl, slowing down just enough to enjoy every flavorful bite of mushroom, egg, onion, cilantro, and WSK’s killer sauce that makes it so amazing.

And I always have to get a Mexican Coke at WSK. A perfect balance to the spicy yum yum, and so much better than the American version with no high fructose corn syrup – just real sugar (why isn’t it that way everywhere?!).

Aside from the food, it’s the people that make World Street Kitchen stand apart. Saed is always so welcoming as he takes orders and mingles with the crowd on the sidewalk, even on busy days. He recognizes loyal customers and greets them warmly. Chatting with him is always a day brightener for me.

Currently on Marquette between 5th and 6th and moving around, WSK expects to land back in its 2010 location on 5th by summer.

First Taste of the Season

As the first work day with true Spring weather, today was the perfect day to start my 2011 truck chasing downtown and Dandelion Kitchen's bright yellow truck was the beacon pulling me back in.

After sticking it out into November last year, and now among the first trucks to open for 2011, Dandelion deserved to be my first taste of street food for the season and they did not disappoint.

Back in their prime location on Nicollet Mall in front of IDS, Dandelion has returned with many old favorites on the menu, including the BLT, ham and brie, and grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as their house-made sodas.

I went with a trusted favorite meal which ranked among my top three last year - the grilled cheese and a basil lime soda. I am pleased to report that nothing has changed!

Dandelion's grilled cheese is the most gourmet version of the sandwich I've ever had the joy of tasting. Plan on eating it with a fork! I'm sure a food writer could find exquisite words to describe the perfect combination of thick grilled sour dough, sweet caramelized onions, and tangy cabbage-fennel slaw - all I can say is beyond delicious. And I love that they use mostly local ingredients (hard to believe at the extremely reasonable price).

But the best part of today's meal was the soda. I have to admit that I've been craving a Dandelion soda ever since I started thinking street food this year. I can't think of anything better to do on my lunch break than sit in the sun with a Dandelion basil lime (served in compostable cups, no less!).

I think it's safe to say that Dandelion can count on seeing me at least weekly this year. I can't wait until the heat sets in for the start of popsicle season!

Food Truck Frenzy.

It started one day during the winter of 2009, with mini donuts and a complimentary cup of hot chocolate on Nicollet Mall, from Chef Shack, after work when I was trying to get out of Downtown Minneapolis before the Holidazzle parade started.

And last spring, the thought of escaping the skyways and their "Burger Mondays" and "Taco Tuesdays" was exilarating. The promise of a menu driven by local and seasonal ingredients served from vibrant trucks dotting the Minneapolis streetscape set the tone of the day. I tuned in to Twitter and eagerly anticipated the "windows up" messages, so I could rush down 30 floors to beat the long lines that would inevitably form.

My scheduled vacation this past fall turned into a week long game of find-the-food-trucks-in-St. Paul. And as the weather turned cold, and most trucks went into storage for the season (and their operators ventured off to far off exotic locales), I found solace in Fork In The Road truck, who offered delivery. A recent recreational trip to Los Angeles found me dedicating a day to dragging my good friend and host around town in search of the inspiration for my favorite sandwich from the ladies at Fork In The Road, and an innovative ice cream sandwich truck known for pushing creative boundaries.

This year, with Minneapolis expanding mobile food vendor opportunities, I expect my daily lunch decision to be a pleasant sort of agony, and my weekends to be spent bicycling to local Farmer's Markets to seek out the purveyors that don't yet make the streets of downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul their destination. The food truck frenzy makes finding that lunchtime gem, once an exercise in futility, an absolute pleasure.