I’m feeling excited for Jacksonville. Food trucks are starting to pop up here and there despite some currently restrictive laws–something I think is a sign of a thriving metropolis. Corner Taco is one of these new trucks, and I was so impressed by my lunch there that I’m typing this with some carnitas possibly still stuck in my teeth.

Mario and I tracked down Corner Taco’s Airstream trailer today for lunch:

Corner Taco

Mario’s order was easy–1 of each type of chicken on the menu (marinated and dijon buttermilk fried). I went back and forth over my order (disappointed the shrimp tacos weren’t being offered )and finally settled on the carnitas and espresso-blackened mahi-mahi:

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Now nearing its 2 month anniversary, the French Fry Heaven kiosk in the Town Center serves different & delicious varieties of “Angels” (regular fries) and “Saints” (sweet potato fries). Due to a number of restricting regulations in the city, this is about as close to food trucks/street food as we’ll get in Jax for the foreseeable future:

French Fry Heaven

We visited FFH’s soft open and have been back many times since. On our first visit, we tried a flock of three cupid-sized Angels & Saints (you see what they’re doing there?), GarlicParm Angels, French Quarter Angels (Cajun spice & remoulade), and Breakfast Saints (with maple syrup):

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You may remember that I blogged about visiting the very first Urban Picnic at Sweet Auburn Curb Market last year. I was a little underwhelmed by the small number of vendors then, but since having gone back a few times, I can say that the offerings have only gotten better and more varied. I’m excited that the Urban Picnic is getting back into the swing of things!

Now that spring is in the air, the 2011 Atlanta Urban Picnic will return to Sweet Auburn Curb Market. The Urban Picnic is just about a year old, but if you didn’t make any of the 2010 meetings, you may be wondering: What is an urban picnic? It’s a chance for in-towners to meet up during Friday lunch hours (and sometimes early Saturday evenings) and sample the wares of Atlanta’s growing fleet of food trucks and other food vendors.

The Urban Picnics will again take place regularly at Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn Curb Market downtown. The Sweet Auburn Curb Market is “an urban farmers’ market that unites rural and urban Georgians through food and activities that celebrate local agriculture, the history of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood and the diversity of the city of Atlanta.”

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If you haven’t heard anything about the food truck “movement” in the past year or so, you’ve probably been living under a rock. I’m particularly proud of my city (Baton Rouge) for not being late to the game on this trend and supporting at least 5 (just off the top of my head) food trucks. Some folks may be starting to consider mobile food passé, but then one comes across a truck offering really unique fare, like the crepes from GoYaYa’s Gourmet Food Truck. Although really, it’s not so much a truck as a pulled trailer:

GoYaYa's Gourmet Food Truck

GoYaYa’s was started by Chef Kevin Black, who was inspired by the food carts he was exposed to while living in Taiwan. He says that experience and his education at the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana were the perfect combination to open a gourmet food truck. GoYaYa’s crepes are from rotating international cuisines varying from Greek and Vietnamese to classic French. I visited on an overcast day when they were parked under the Perkins Rd. overpass. Aside from being slightly muddy from the recent rain, the overpass is a great area for a food truck: lots of businesses around and ample parking. On my visit there were other diners, but no line (a combination of the holidays and the rain, I’m sure), so I quickly picked out my lunch choice: the grilled chicken caprese crepe (thin sliced grilled chicken breast, roma tomatoes, Mozzarella, pesto aioli).
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Food trucks have long been a staple in other major metropolises, but due to a myriad of restrictive laws, Atlanta is just catching up to the game. Luckily though, there are a number of vendors who hit the ground running and are serving up some truly inspired food from these mobile restaurants.

Good Food Truck: Known for their intriguing hand-held food combos like cones (Zanzibar cone: filled with roasted beet and mango salad) and the Poodle (French-toasted bun with hot dog, topped with apple maple slaw, and either mustard or syrup-or both!), the aptly-named Good Food Truck can be found around town at art walks, festivals, and farmers markets. Its Facebook page can keep you updated on its location.

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Last weekend my brother decided to cash in on letting me sneak into his dorm for Mardi Gras and crash at my place during his spring break. I was worried we wouldn’t have anything to do around the city because, well, I’m pretty boring, but some food-centric events had us out and about and made for a pretty decent weekend. For lunch Friday, we stopped by the Sweet Auburn Curb Market for “Atlanta’s Urban Picnic” (which I’m just calling “street food fest”). Saturday, the 10th annual (but my first time attending) BaconFest was hosted by theatre/improv group Dad’s Garage in Inman Park.

I was a little disappointed with both festivals. At Street Food Fest, organized to raise awareness on legalizing street food in Atlanta, I felt it was a case of over-promise and under-deliver. Press releases promised a myriad of street foods, including “handmade biscuit sandwiches, Korean BBQ tacos, locally sourced sandwiches and baked goods, fresh smoothies, Caribbean specialties, Greek gyros, vegetarian samosas, locally made hot dogs, wood-fired pizza, and Grindhouse Killer Burgers.” At our arrival, there were 4 food carts with pizza, salads, hot dogs (Good Food), and soup (Souper Jenny), along with a few tables selling sandwiches, meats and cheeses, and a few other knick-knacks. I suppose the foods mentioned may have encompassed both what was available outside the Market and what’s typically available inside, but I was expecting a larger showing. We did, however, taste a “Poodle Dog” (French toast bun and apple/cabbage slaw) from the Good Food cart, and a lovely prosciutto, swiss, rosemary mayo, and artichoke sandwich from Artichoke Bliss.

Poodle Dog

Sandwich from Artichoke Bliss

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