Food t ru ck Re voluti on In late 2008 I was spending a lot of time at a restaurant called Fuel (now Surrey’s) where my friend Maribeth Del Castillo was the chef and where I could feast on her maple-bacon scones. When it was slow enough for her to sit and chat with me for a moment, she talked about how she and her husband were buying a food truck from someone in Florida. Not long thereafter, her husband Alex drove that truck to New Orleans, and not long after that, Taceaux Loceaux was born. Navigating New Orleans’s city laws for food trucks was daunting, frustrating, and time consuming. Ultimately Maribeth and Alex got the permits required, and, leveraging social media for advertising, they got people eating and talking about their “taceaux.” They also brought back a style of dining that Hurricane Katrina had all but washed away—they were open late at night. Chefs and restaurant industry folks loved to hit the truck after service, and as word spread, their menu and locations grew. Taceaux Loceaux also served as the impetus for other would-be food truck owners to look into this type of food service. Interestingly, the truck scene really blossomed in Baton Rouge, where there is a robust truck scene that seems to have started with Nick Hufft and his insanely delicious burger truck Curbside. Both Alex and Nick
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are the front men for coalitions (New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively) seeking to expand mobile food laws, and they are making headway. But it is not without controversy. Currently the number of licenses for mobile food vendors in Orleans Parish is limited, but those that have permits are doing beautifully. Evidence these food trucks, each with its own delicious food interpretations, crafted by creative cooks on a mission: • Taceaux Loceaux—Creative “taceauxs” both carnivore and vegetarian • Brigade Coffee Truck—Espresso, iced coffee, hot coffee • The French Truck—Micro Coffee Roaster • La Cocinita—South American food • Foodie Call—Ramped-up comfort food • Empanada Intifada—Hand pies • Rue Chow—American and Louisiana home cooking • Miss Linda/The Yakamein Lady—East-meets-West noodle soup • The Fry Bar—Decked-out french fries covered in herbs and served with dipping sauces • SliderShak—Meat and veg sliders, shakes, frites. More to come . . . believe it!
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