8/24/2011

food that fell off a truck ... vol. 2

people please do not worry, i'm still eating sandwiches, and i am still on our ever evolving sandwich quest. i'm just a little side tracked this summer with all the delicious summer bbq's, my new excuse to eat pizza all the time, the summer happy hours where dinner is just a blurry afterthought soaked in spirits, and of course with all the hip and happening food trucks that are popping up all around town. so here's another sandwich quest distraction post ...

at first it was a small blip on twitter. then it became noticeable via facebook. but now, baltimore food truck fervor has reached new summer highs, and these trucks are all around town, infecting bored lunch crowds, adventuresome diners, and the baltimore foodie scene with “the non malignant street food fever". it seems like these trucks are breeding like rabbits. it used to be just the burger wagon from koopers, now there's a wagon for crepes and even a truck for grilled cheese sandwiches (could this be an elusive double post in the culinary making ???). i personally believe it's getting a little out of hand, but at the same time i am in love with the idea of inventive mobile food distribution vehicles pushing the proverbial palate of the entire city. it's creative, quirky, fun, and as i'm finding out, a good source for great cheap eats.

what!? now you really have my attention
most of these trucks have a weekly schedule of places where you can find them, or if you are a glutton for long lines, big crowds, and slower service, then there is always the newly created monthly food truck gathering. seriously, these gatherings are kind of out of control. since i am all over the place slinging pastries and cakes during lunch time, it's hard to nail down a visit to a truck. and since i hate the mob scene, i avoid the gatherings. this leaves me with a fantastic option for indulging in these four wheeled food dispensaries, the wednesday night food truck food court on central and eastern ave in little italy/fells point.

there aren't as many trucks at the food court as there are at gatherings. less choices and less fanfare mean short lines, interaction with the chefs, food not running out, and an all-around nice mid week evening activity. this week there were only 2 trucks at the food court. there was probably my favorite, the gypsy queen, and the 'permanent fixture' at the food court, the silver platter. since i had had already pigged out with the gueen i decided i was going to be all about the platter. the first thing that grabs you about the latest venture of the czar of fells point is that plastered on its jetstream silver exterior is a giant sign that shouts 'lobster rolls & pit beef'. 

ooops, i think i was supposed to take
a before, not after ....
now if you know me at all, you know that if you need to pique my interest or get me all hot and bothered, all you need to do is mention lobster rolls or pit beef. but here is the kicker ... upon reading the silver platters menu i realized that there was more on the menu that i wanted to try besides the pit beef and lobster. what instantly jumped out at me was the sweet chili bbq ribs. what!?!? ribs from a truck? i needed to see this and, more importantly: needed to eat it!
seeing how the ribs were of the sweet chili bbq variety it was a pleasant surprise to see them served up with an over-the-top asian theme. there were 4 ribs that were piping hot, covered in that all telling, orange hue of thai sweet chili. to add to the asian theme they were garnished with sesame seeds and finely chopped green onion, and they were stuffed into a chinese takeout box! the ribs were still on the bone, which had me wondering about how tender they would be, but when i was handed the rib filled chinese take away box with a plastic fork, i got excited. and these bad boys needed a fork. there was no way i was going to be able to eat these with my hands, because they were the exact definition of "fall off the bone". they had a nice spice to them, and despite being so soft and tender they had a little crunch on the outside, as a result of a quick pan fry to re-heat and subtle pop of the sesame seeds. but there was even more crunch in my take away box. underneath my sweet and spicy asian ribs was a bed of onion straws that were super thin, breaded, and fried to a golden brown. trust me, these were the best possible compliment to the juicy, fatty, sweet, and spicy ribs. the only critique i have towards these bad boys is that i would not recommend eating these during your lunch hour, because these ribs will bring on an instant onset of the 'itus' ... can you say: nap under the desk!?!

in case you are keeping score at home, its 2-0 in favor of the food trucks ....


The Silver Platter on Urbanspoon

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