GETTRUCKIN’

Pop-up restaurants offer gourmet grilled cheese to blueberry pizza

By Christa Lawler clawler@duluthnews.com

The food truckers adapted quickly to the new rules of mealtime in apandemic, and popup fare has been easy to find for the past few months. Here are some of the regulars with the most hustle.

Log Home Wood Fired Pizza

This traveling wood-fired pizza stand, based out of McGregor,offers amix of pizza-pizza —ranging from classic multiple meats and mushrooms, to say,another with pesto and zucchini —and dessert pizzas, like as’mores version or one that is like ablueberry pie. Owner Rick Herman is aself-described foodie who went from working as ateacher to wielding apie peeler and lugging the 9,000 pound mobile restaurant from place to place. These are quick-hit pies —ittakes just 90 seconds to cook one. Herman sets up in McGregor,in addition to spots in Duluth and private events.

Mama Roots

Mama Roots, which has ties to Juice Pharm, is Duluth’sfirst vegan food truck —which matches the latter’s claim on beingthe first local vegan restaurant. The blue bus has a beachy vibe and the menu options range from bowls to tacos to thai lettuce cups to apple butter toast, with seeds and nuts and chunks of apple. The bus tours to the usual food truck stops in the Lincoln Park area, in addition to The BackAlley

Oasis Del Norte

This is ahardworking pop-up food truck with Mexican fare —itsometimes shows up at two spots in one day.Eduard Sandoval Luna, the owner,grewupinMexico where his mother ran alocals-onlyrestaurant. He has set out to create her recipes here, according to his bio, but incorporates local touches, like marinades that incorporate local craft beers. He carries street tacos, quesadillas, tortas, nachos and more. Oasis Del Norte often sets up in the parkinglotsoflocal businesses.

Therambler

Food trucks come and go, but The Rambler has maintained its consistent, rigorous green machine presence since the start. During the pandemic, the crew has delivered food to health care workers —inaddition to keeping regular hours with social distancing, adashof normalcy in strange times.

But enough about the do-gooder-ism.

Among the fan-favorites are Mahi Mahi Tacos, with caper tarter sauce and jicama slaw,and teriyaki pulled pork with pineapple. Don’t forget the Reuben fritters —justmore than abitesize of corned beef and sauerkraut ball with thousand island dipping sauce.

Scenic 61

The New Scenic is a special-occasions restaurant —whether that special occasion be an anniversary or the way the wind happens to be blowingperfectly on acertain day

This longtime North Shore favorite shut down because of the pandemic, but recently polished offanairstream trailer to create Scenic 61. This pop up kitchen has amenuthat matches the unprecedented things that come out of the bricks and mortar kitchen. The airstream is sometimes on site and sometimes travels and its menu is themed according to burgers, tacos, sausages or sandwiches. During our visit to the restaurantgrounds,itwas tacosand theincacorn in the sweet potato variation was acrunchy pop of surprise. Pro tip: go for the add-ons. The house-made tortilla chips are well-seasoned and the seis leche cake was acreamy treat.

File photos /News Tribune