Keep on Truckin’

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chuckwagonKeep_On_TruckinFood Truck

There’s an old saying which is that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Those that know this author well know that I’ve always been a chowhound; but that label and the above statement have been even truer for me over the last several weeks.

I’ve recently started working for a large global company based in downtown NYC. Our offices are located in the World Financial Center (WFC).  From my home in the burbs, it’s quite the commute most days, but its well worth it as my new-found love of culinary delights delivered via a window in a vehicle is sure to pack on the pounds – so the longer walk to work is welcome!

While the WFC has a number of indoor restaurants and specialty shops providing decent chow from coffee to sandwiches to salads to soups and more – the culinary masterpieces I crave are outside in the ever-changing restaurant on four wheels, the Food Truck.

Look, I know that buying food from a vendor cart is not a new phenomenon. For years I got my coffee and buttered roll from a cart right in front of the building where I worked. You couldn’t beat the convenience and they always slapped way too much butter on the roll…no probs, butter happens to be one of my favorite food groups!  In NYC, one learns pretty quickly where to go (and not to go) to get their street food…for instance Sabrett carts are great places for hot dogs and sausages, but steer clear of the ones with the old umbrellas!

However, the four-wheel food truck is essentially a new phenomenon for me and has apparently been around since the ChuckWagon days in the late 1800’s.

But, some would say a food truck is the new hot business venture

My foodie daughter and her boyfriend who operate Full Belly Blog have talked for sometime how they would like to open a food truck and what they want to serve.  While discussing their dream the menu keeps changing, but the constant theme is driving your own office to work and sharing your passion of food with others.

That conversation was basically intangible to me until I ventured one day onto Vesey Street and Brookfield Place.

Each weekday, there are 4-5 food trucks stationed outside in the square during the lunch hour. If so inclined, one can purchase anything – burgers & fries, barbecue, Vietnamese food, Greek food, cheese steaks, Chinese food, salads, grilled cheese, milkshakes, Mexican food, even Lobster rolls…and I’m sure I’ve missed a country or food type somewhere!  Prices generally range from about $5 to a max of $14, which I think is a food truck rule of thumb (cheap and plentiful), and so far at least, the food is almost always terrific!

OK, this is a problem for a food addict like me.  I’ll leave the office thinking “let’s get a salad today” and then gravitate over to the truck area and end up with a ham & Gruyère grilled cheese with Colman’s mustard on rosemary bread the size of a Frisbee. Yes, I’ll have the Old Bay fries with that, thanks.

Or it will be, “just a cup of vegetable soup today”…and oops, it’s a cheese steak with hot peppers and onions the size of a small dachshund.

Yes, I’m very weak-willed as making questionable dietary food choices occurs almost daily. I suspect the calories will add up or as my children like to say – I’m going to put on the “Food Truck 15” pretty soon!

You’ve got to try it.  These trucks show up daily in certain locations – try the NYCTruckFood link online, and they have an app for it. World Financial Center lists its daily food truck schedule online – and the truck’s themselves have sites and post on Twitter where they will be on certain days. Or if you just love street food in general, NY Street Food is a good link.

While it’s too early to share my favorites; make sure to look back here, as I might provide a few quick reviews purely as a public service…and, well, excuse to eat.

Warning though…like everything in life, you’d better munch in moderation…I’m personally not there yet – but I’m pretty sure there’s a sensible salad with lemon juice dressing in my future!

Until then, just Keep on Truckin’!

About Wally

Wally Greene is both an eternal optimist and cynic, a waffling right-winger, a somewhat decent husband and father of three, budding masters swimmer, delusional comedy writer, chocolate lab lover, martini drinker and executive recruiter...not necessarily in that order.

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