Seoul on Wheels - Cheeseburger

When I think of Seoul on Wheels, a cheeseburger isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Sure they have them on the menu, but when I walk by the blue truck my mouth usually waters with the thoughts of spicy pork or bulgogi. However, when my son came to work with me today and we headed over to the food trucks, he jumped up and down screaming when I told him a cheeseburger was on their menu (good thing he didn’t choose the bulgogi, a favorite of his, since they were sold out!). I have to admit I was a bit skeptical – could a Korean food truck pull off a great burger?

Vesta Flatbread - Breakfast Sandwich

The breakfast sandwich. Too often the phrase conjures up images of fat-laden bacon, sausage, or some other factory-farmed breakfast meat, powdered eggs, a greasy biscuit or bun (or muffin, if you prefer), all bound together with too-generous a helping of cheese of indeterminate origin. Vesta Flatbread, though, has something a little different in mind when it comes to their Breakfast Sandwich, a vegetarian offering centered around locally-sourced organic eggs and their signature flatbread. Is the world ready for this reinterpretation of breakfast on the go?

New Taste Marketplace's Winter Revival

It's no secret that Liz and I are big fans of New Taste Marketplace, the once-monthly benefit for the Food Pantry held at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Potrero Hill. When former director Elianna Friedman left earlier this year, the market went into a kind of limbo, but this past Saturday the small food showcase for small Bay Area vendors was back for a special holiday market. With over 30 new and returning vendors, three food trucks, live music, a DJ, knife sharpening, and plenty of food for the stomach and soul, New Taste felt like it had never left the little church on De Haro Street.

When we arrived at New Taste Marketplace the rain had thankfully stopped, which was important because One Ninety Seven Coffee had setup their tent outside the front door, alongside the food trucks Little Green Cyclo, El Sur, and the brand spanking new Frozen Kuhsterd. Liz simply can't resist a good cup of locally-roasted pour over coffee, so our first stop was for a cup of joe and a bag of their excellent Baird beans.

Voodoo Van - The Cocksman

The return of Off the Grid to the Front and Vallejo street location means that I once again have food trucks only a few steps away. Only this time it's better than before because they have four trucks instead of two and have added more vareity to their rotation. And at last I got to try the sexy Voodoo Van, with it's bad-ass black truck and punk-rock inspired menu - or as they like to call it, Cosmic American Cuisine.

Founded by Phil Stefani, lead guitarist of the local rock-n-roll band Flexx Bronco, Voodoo Van serves up American comfort food, kicked-up a notch. He is running the truck alongside band member Guy Thunderbird and chef Seth Stowaway. Their menu is edgy, fun and was created with the idea that they could bring the food truck to music venues. It's a perfect idea to me; there has been many a night where I finished up drinking and just wanted some quick tasty food.

The return of Off the Grid Front/Vallejo

I am happy to report that today was the re-launch of Off the Grid at Front and Vallejo - a location that is just a few blocks away from me, and also close to both FiDi and North Beach. And this time it's even bigger and better than before! The new location will be open during lunch three times a week, and will have 3-4 trucks for your dining pleasure.

This location was shut down a few months ago due to permitting restrictions, but fortunately for me and other food truck lovers, Off the Grid was finally given permission to park here during lunch. At today's event there was a decent size crowd which was nice to see. Let's face it, there aren't too many restaurants for a quick bite around here, so having OTG come for lunch three times a week is giving many people lots of variety. Today's selection included Sanguchon, Hapa SF, The Fish Tank, Cheese Gone Wild and Cookie Time Truck who was giving out free cookies to the first 300 visitors.

Our Bites from the 2012 San Francisco Street Food Festival, Part II

If I had to choose my favorite way to spend a day, eating for the entire length of it would probably come in somewhere near the top. So needless to say, attending the San Francisco Street Food Festival ranks high of my list of things I enjoy doing. This year I was armed with an empty tummy and pocketfuls of La Cocina Monopoly money, and I had a plan of attack. Above all else, I wanted to try Slanted Door's fried chicken. And in my quest to find the chicken, I enjoyed many other delicious treats along the way.

The hardest thing about festivals is that my eyes are absolutely bigger than my stomach. I think I can eat a lot, and so I go from booth to booth buying everything that catches my eye. But in reality I fill up quite quickly, and I am never able to try everything that I want to. Luckily I did at least manage to eat a fair amount. Here are some of my favorites: