Food Truck Festival. 30 Nov 2012
Lunch Review
As the local food truck phenomenon continues to rapidly grow in Adelaide it was only a matter of time before someone seized the opportunity to create an event to bring these restaurants on wheels together; that person was Joe Noone. Joe has been following the food truck space for a number of years with visits to Los Angeles and New York where this activity thrives. The aptly named ‘Fork on the Road’ festival was set to break new ground, being the first of its kind in Australia and what better place to hold it than in the Festival State, S.A. Held in Victoria Square, one of the key parade grounds of the weekly food truck lunchtime loiter, the central hub of Adelaide city was the perfect place to launch the inaugural festival.
Rocking up at 12:30pm with my mate and passionate foodie Macca in tow, there was already a large swarm of hungry patron's eager to get their truck on. A total of 24 food trucks, vans and stalls had mustered together creating a lunchtime extravaganza with line-ups visible from the Hilton, it was clear that Adelaidian's had embraced the event.
Having previously tried the fare from the La Cantina crew and legendary status Burger Theory team, we had our eyes set on some authentic Argentinean grub as starters from the new kids on the block at Chimichurri Grill. The line would have been at least 40 people deep, but was moving smoothly. About 10 minutes in and half way to the front, we heard our greatest fear being yelled from the truck, "No more steak". That's okay; we'll have the Chorizo we thought. Alas, 5 minutes later our fear turned to nightmare when that too had all been devoured. They were turning over some serious numbers and luckily there were plenty of other options to choose from.
With grumbles bellowing from our stomach's we decided to split up and try our luck from 2 separate sites, regrouping for a shared lunch under the shade of a tree. Macca headed off in the direction of Los Compadres whilst I darted over to Tacocat who had set up next to the iconic Victoria Square fountain. After ordering and being advised of a 20 minute wait due to the unexpected traffic, I was alerted to the fact that Macca had also been notified of an extended wait time. Hopefully the organisers and vendors will take note of the event’s popularity and be better prepared for the next one, as someone on a restricted lunch break may have found the wait time limiting. Luckily we found ourselves a comfortable position to lounge around and chill on the grass so we decided to take in the sites.
I took this time as an opportunity to visit some vendors Joe had put me onto who were very generous and more than happy to offer me a taste of their individual concoctions. First up I met with James from Smooth Revolution who does his circuit in a very unique and healthy manner by cycling. James not only rides to events, but also uses pedal power to crank up a blender that attaches to the back wheel of his bike, whipping up all the goodies he has on offer. The smoothies are all made with organic fruit which has been frozen to ensure freshness and you get the option of saving some cash while burning some calories if you choose to pedal yourself. I tried the Hybrid which was a non-milk based smoothie. It was full of fruit flavour and cold enough to quench my thirst and cool me down a tad.
Next I met with Csaba and Monika over at Bodri's Bakery & Cafe. Bodri's make traditional Hungarian Chimney cakes and barista’d coffee using their own unique imported Italian blend bean called Lucaffé. Only operating for 2 weeks prior to Fork on the Road, the couple were amazed at how many people were supporting not only the festival, but also their coffee and cakes. The demand was so high on the day that they had sold out of their Chimney Cakes early, and Monika was frantically whipping up another batch. Certainly a great sign for them, the event and the customers. I would have to return a bit later to try the sugary delight of the Chimney Cake as I was certain not to miss out on this dessert.
I headed back towards Tacocat and collected my taco trio before catching up with Macca to share the plate of mini mouthfuls. With a selection of 3 different soft shell taco's we were pleasantly refreshed by the flavours, but knew this would only just touch the surface of our hunger. After an extended wait we finally received our 2nd serve of Mexican food from Los Compadres which seemed even smaller than Tacocat's and left us begging for more.
We were joined by another great mate and food aficionado in the way of Hobbsy who alerted us to Phat Buddha Rolls who were situated in a green van on the second row of trucks from where we were sat in the shade. We moseyed around and were rejuvenated by the smell of herbaceous meat wafting from the van. Unfortunately only chicken wraps were left, but with the flavour sensations tingling our nasal passages we could not refuse. The wrap was crammed to capacity with warm grilled chicken and all fresh salads and we requested it be cut in half to make the share easier. The intense flavours were incredible and our taste buds reached a new height while our stomachs were now nearing capacity. On returning to the Phat Buddha Roll van to thank them, I was greeted with a piece of steak which had just been grilled and unsurprisingly it was succulent and moreish.
As the afternoon drew to a close, there was only one thing left to do, revisit the lovely team at Bodri's and grab some sweets for the road. Csaba advised that they had done a roaring trade and almost completely sold out for the day, truly reflective of the products and service they were offering. He provided me with a warm cinnamon sugared Chimney Cake and the smell instantly reminded me of a walk through sideshow alley at the Royal Show. The cake was humongous but so light; an awesome end to my tasting sensation at Fork on the Road.
If this first event is anything to go by, Joe, the Adelaide City Council and all of the F'ruckers (food truckers) are onto a massive winner. The next event will be held on Friday 21st December at Hindmarsh Square from 11am - 2pm. I only have 3 recommendations: Get there early, get there hungry and just Forkin' get there!
Darren Richards
(AKA Dougal McFuzzlebutt)
When/Where: 30 Nov 2012. Victoria Square
Next Event: 21 Dec 2012. Hindmarsh Square
Trading: Lunch 11am – 2pm
Website: facebook.com/ForkontheRoadAdelaide
Twitter: @Fork_ontheRoad
Photography by Darren Richards
