food-truck

Think a meal from a food truck is limited to either a slice of pizza or a greasy taco? Think again. There’s a whole new generation of creative chefs in locations across the country who have taken food truck cuisine to a new level, offering a variety of quality items on their menus that put many brick-and-mortar restaurants to shame. Whether you’re a street-level foodie or a newbie to the culture, the following list of unique food truck cuisines might surprise you or at least make your mouth water.

Haute cuisine on a stick

“We create classical haute cuisine and we put it on a stick,” says Chef Ruth Lipsky who runs the Houston-based food truck Stick It with her chef boyfriend, Alberto Palmer. Not only is their menu of filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables unique to food truck cuisine, so is its presentation. Lipsky credits the stick food at the Renaissance festivals she attended as a child for inspiring this venture. Chipotle honey-glazed chicken with charro beans and rice and beer-battered fish with hand-cut fries are just two other menu items the culinary duo cooks and skewers on 10-inch bamboo sticks.

Bratwurst

Well, yes, bratwurst isn’t exactly unique to food trucks, especially for those who grew up going to state fairs in the Midwest. But Austin, Texas, food truck Wurst Texoffers several variations on the perennial Germanic sausage that will surprise even the most seasoned regular at Oktoberfest. Their menu includes veggie brats, buffalo brats, elk brats, and, since this is Texas and you don’t want to mess with it, rattlesnake brats. Many early settlers in Texas came from Eastern Europe, so is it really surprising that the brat is so popular in the Lone Star State?

Products from local farms

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, in Austin, Texas, creates a daily menu out of locally produced food. Half quail with potato salad, butternut squash with greens, and roasted beets with grilled carrots are just a few of the delectable and inexpensive items truck owner and chef Bryce Gilmore serves to a clientele loyal to his cuisine and their local farms. Gilmore also runs the brick-and-mortar restaurant Barley Swine, serving pork, lots of beer, and dishes made with ingredients sourced from local farms.

Big fat doughnuts

Austin food trailer Gourdoughs concocts and serves a mind-blowing array of doughnut creations for the most discerning yet gluttonous of sugar addicts. “More is more” must be the mantra chanted by Gourdoughs culinary team, as each doughnut is filled almost to a fault with a wild combination of exotic ingredients. Plain ol’ whipped cream is utilized as well. Street-smart troubadour Tom Waits once sang of a diner on a particularly mean street, “All the donuts have names like prostitutes.” Gourdoughs menu is no exception, with items that include Heavenly Hash, Dirty Berry, and Blue Balls. Mmm. Eat up!

Find the entire list at zencollegelife.com <here>

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