The Great Food Truck Race

You may have caught the premier of Tyler Florence’s new show, “The Great Food Truck Race” this past Sunday (8/15) on the Food Network.   Seven gourmet food truck teams are followed on a cross country journey from the west to the east coast, where they must each showcase their cooking skills, in hopes of going home with the grand prize of $50,000.

This year, I felt that everyone was going on a food truck binge. I first heard of food trucks from friends and co-workers – they would tell me that they were going to get Korean tacos or gourmet crepes – all, conveniently, out of a food truck. I was thinking, “What in the world?! I thought food trucks were those junky things that popped up at various office buildings to feed those sad office robots that had no Google cafeteria or nearby restaurants.”

Anyway, to make the long story short, I am now too, one of those avid “food truck” fans. Here is a list of the ones I have visited, starting with my # 1 favorite, Spencer on the Go, which is one of the teams in the running for The Great Food Truck Race!

1.) Spencer on the Go (based out of San Francisc0)

Currently my favorite food truck (it was my favorite before I even learned that they were going to be on the show), Spencer on the Go likes to embrace its Parisian flair, and arrives fashionably late. On a recent trip there, although they were supposed to be out by 6PM, they didn’t roll into the lot until 6:27PM. With a menu that offers a wide array of choices – from escargot to foie gras torchon, this is the most affordable way to get your gourmet French food!

Checking In on my Yelp App

Foie Gras Torchon and Toast, $12

Far West Fungi Truffle Emulsion “Vol au Vent”, $9

So excited to eat these treats

2.) TreatBot (based out of San Jose)

Everything at TreatBot is made locally, but does that even matter when each flavor is delicious? The 408 which consists of vanilla ice cream with caramel, fudge and Oreo cookies, is their signature flavor, but their plain vanilla is great for their rootbeer float ($5). They also have other unique flavors like Ube and Eastside Horchata.

2 Scoops of their “408” Flavor, $3

3.) Primo’s Parrilla (based out of Oakland)

If meat is what you’re craving, Primo’s Parrilla is your best bet. For the price, this food truck offers the best bang for your buck. Bringing you slow grilled argentine asado, Primo’s menu has a variety of yummy meats including Grass Fed Trip-tip ($12), Chicken ($10), pork, and sausage ($10). The secret is in their delicious homemade chimichurri.

At Outside Lands Festival, where they cooked right on front of us on the coals

(Photo credits vamosprimos.com)

4.) Sam’s Chowdermobile (based out of Half Moon Bay)

Not all food trucks start as food trucks. Just as Spencer on the Go was started by Chez Spencer of San Francisco, Sam’s Chowdermobile was founded by Sam’s Chowder House. They offer a wide price of seafood treats, from $5 fish tacos to their signature $15 Lobster roll.

5.) Mogo BBQ (based out of Santa Clara)

Inspired by the K-town taco trucks of Los Angeles, Mogo BBQ serves up korean style bbq in corn tacos ($2 each) or burritos ($7). These tasty treats are fresh made to order, so they may take a while before you get to dig in!

If you have a particular food truck to recommend, please drop me a line at vsartori8 @ live dot com !