Gastronomica
bandwagon, new partnerships are emerging to take advantage of the growing trend. Breweries in particular have recognized the potential for synergy, and popular spots like Marble Brewery and Tractor Brewery now book food trucks on a regular basis to pair craft brews and tasty food in a casual, fun atmosphere. At the Great New Mexico Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival held each April, some 20 trucks fill as many as 100 orders an hour, and beer sales are brisk. The annual New Mexico Brew Fest, held during the second weekend of Balloon Fiesta, features live music and many of the top food trucks. “Beer and street food are a natural pairing. It brings people together and creates a hip street scene that didn’t exist before,” says Garcia-Shams, who reports that SFI has partnered with Central New Mexico 140
TREND Spring 2016
Community College to provide a curriculum for students interested in working in the food industry. SFI, which has its own truck, also created a monthly event, Salud y Sabor, in which they team up with the University of New Mexico Hospitals to offer health screenings, flu shots, and talks on specific health concerns. In addition to the food truck, the event includes tastings, food demonstrations, a produce giveaway, art, music, and a kids’ corner featuring activities to encourage healthy eating. “We’re also involved in the Kids Cook! nonprofit, and we’re looking at ways we can use food trucks to bring a mobile farmers market to food deserts to provide local produce, tastings, and recipes that show people how to use food they may not be used to cooking,” Garcia-Shams says. “We’re interested in developing food
hubs, or pods, that would build on our reputation as a food destination to attract more of that kind of tourism.” Albuquerque’s downtown Civic Plaza is the site for Truckin’ Tuesdays, a project of Mayor Richard J. Berry that brings together a variety of food trucks to serve up lunch every week. “Bringing the trucks to Civic Plaza is a great way to connect city and downtown employees with these culinary establishments,” Berry says. He also launched First Friday Food Trucks, where up to 15 trucks congregate in the parking lot on the northeast corner of First and Central from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on the
Chewing is for suckers, as fans of Green Growler Smoothies will tell you. Owners Stephanie Pier and Tanya Jones (above) are a regular feature at Food Truck Wednesday at Talin Market (opposite).