AlwaysInformed: ESPN’s Match Truck

Maryse Chevrière — June 11, 2010

Clockwise from top: Carne Asada Burrito with Skirt and Flank Steak marinated in Lime, Garlic, Cilantro and Beer (Mexico); a server at the ESPN Match Truck, the crowd during lunch.

In what is perhaps one of the more exciting pieces of recent food truck news, ESPN’s Match Truck debuted this morning at Columbus Circle to dish out snacks to hungry World Cup fans.

As reported, the menu was designed by Kogi truck chef Roy Choi who drew inspiration from the street foods of some of the participating teams. Team USA’s Silver Dollar Pancakes and Sliders scored over Italy’s Seared Rice Balls, and it was a draw between South Korea’s Yaki Mandoo Dumplings and Spain’s Tortilla Española— both very good. But if we had to back a team based on their representative dish, we’d have to side with Greece for the Lamb Gyro or Mexico for the Carne Asada Burrito.

Photographs of the Food from ESPN's Match Truck >>

AlwaysTraveling: L.A. Tacos (Los Angeles)

The Gluttoness — September 21, 2009

Los Angeles may be the land of glitz and glamour, but when it comes to food, we all know that the City of Angels is Taqueria Town. There are tons of authentic options, from free-standing originals to chains like King Taco, but newcomers are also shaking up the scene with international alternatives. Their prevalence even led one man to embark on The Great Taco Hunt, a lofty mission to taste and rate L.A. tacos in a quest to find the perfect one. During a recent trip, I conducted my own AlwaysHungry taco expedition, following a visit to the famed Tito’s Tacos with a stop at the nearest Kogi Truck (view site).

Clockwise from top left: Tito’s exterior, Tito’s Taco, Chili con Carne, Tostada.

Tito’s Tacos in Culver City is an inexpensive Mexican institution that has been preparing their top-secret recipes since 1959. Despite eight fast-moving windows for takeout and eat-in orders, long lines for this standard fare never let up. There are no frills and limited options. Tacos come with beef—don’t even think about substitutions.

While the name is Tito’s Tacos, the best thing on the menu is the Chili con Carne, which is slow-cooked for a decadent, heavily-spiced beefiness. Although the same beef fills the hard-shelled tacos, the proportion is overwhelmed by a flavorless helping of shredded lettuce. Refried Beans are topped with melted cheese and the Been & Cheese Tostadas are best eaten fast, before the crisp, underlying shell goes inconveniently soggy and becomes impossible to eat without utensils. The fresh Tomato Salsa is somewhat watery, needing both salt and pepper. Nothing at Titos’ is the best, and some of the stuff is barely average—it’s obvious that lifelong patrons have grown accustomed to the authentic, if underseasoned flavors.

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AlwaysPartying: Top 5 Sweet & Savory at Street & Savory

The Gluttoness — June 10, 2009

“Street and Savory— A Global Street Food Festival for the Benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels” was one of the most successful tasting events I’ve ever attended, and not because Kelly Choi was hosting. Rather than trying to outdo the next guy with fancier foie gras, the mission at Street & Savory was much simpler: a legion of legendary chefs set out to creatively interpret their favorite street foods. While the dishes weren’t necessarily low-brow, the majority of them kept with the theme, and the most delicious bites were those which could easily be served on the street.

Street cart veterans, like Roy Choi of the famed Los Angeles Kogi BBQ Truck, served Kimchi Quesadillas alongside Jean Georges, Daniel Boulud and Charlie Palmer, who took on the format with impressive results. With a little under forty booths, there was much to be eaten. Our award for creativity goes to Park Avenue Summer’s “3-Minute Picnic.” Of course, this wasn’t a contest, and ultimately, the real winner was Citymeals-on-Wheels, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help feed the homeless, but of course we had our favorites among the many stands.

A quick round-up of the best of the bunch follows.

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