Food, Spirits and Music
The cool evening breezes over Newport Dunes filled the air with the tantalizing aroma rising from 15 gourmet food trucks. The combination of delicious food, craft beer, hard cider and salty air created an air of happy abandon and one giant beach party.
Party-goers had their pick of entertainment with some crowding the booths to sample unique blends created by the craft brewers. Others lined up to sample the culinary delights offered by nothing less than restaurants on wheels manned by gourmet chefs and their staffs.
As the sun began its descent into the sea, thousands crammed a tent where a musical lineup which included Whitney Peyton, Kottonmouth Kings, Hoobestank and Alien Ant Farm tuned up to entertain the crowd.
We took advantage of people lured by other distractions to focus our attention on the men and women who combined their culinary creativity with mobility to share their talents with a wider audience. As is often the case, many of the chefs were selective with their repertoire, choosing dishes most likely to entice a clientele attracted to the event with promises of craft beer and rock music.
Traditional Foods With a Flair
There were definitely multiple variations on a theme. Curry Wurst offered grilled cheese sandwiches in 6 different variations while Mess Hall Canteen, winner of the “Food Truck Face Off” offered 3, plus mac and cheese bowls with the same toppings as the sandwiches. In keeping with their name, CurryWurst focused on German-style toppings including bratwurst, kielbasa and Polish Sausage. Mess Hall Canteen opted for a more gourmet style sandwich using ingredients like lobster, snow crab, smoked pork butt, kobe beef and bleu cheese.
Burgers and fries were also well represented. Me So Hungry offered burgers and sliders in a gastronomic splendor of choices, many topped with Executive Chef Cory Ewing’s Meso Miso Sauce™. Not only did they feature traditional burgers like the Meso 1000 and BBQ Meso, but let their creativity run wild with a PB&J burger and a monster portobello.
The Cut offered all-beef burgers and fried chicken breast sandwiches using both common and uncommon toppings to compliment their line of signature sauces. Their menu also included fried green beans as an alternative to the usual potatoes.
When a Chef Charts His Own Voyage
Hack’s is a prime example of the level of expertise possessed by the men and women behind the inauspicious moniker “food truck”. Dustin White, former Executive Chef for the Orange Hill Restaurant left to pursue his own interests, taking with him Kogi, Tito and Wes, the Pastry Chef, Cook and Chef de Cuisine. Together, they’ve created a menu focusing on smoked comfort food including brisket and pulled pork, as well as blackened chicken which they assemble into burgers and tacos. With their combined experience and expertise, they might also pull a few surprises out of their hats. Check their calendar so you can catch up with them as they cut a wide swathe between Orange and San Diego County. And watch their website as their plans for the future are lofty, indeed.
Putting the “Class” in Classic
Also well-represented were tacos, but like no tacos you’ve seen at your local taqueria. Classic Tacos offered 4 kinds of meat plus grilled veggies in combinations which are anything but classic. They also created both wet, dry, and wet and crispy burritos making succulent use of their marinated meats and home made salsas.
MexiCalbi shared a surprising twist on the classic taco by fusing the flavors of a Korean barbecue with Mexican style dishes. Their signature citrus-ginger sauce is a perfect compliment for delicately spiced chicken on a bed of cabbage. Their spicy pork taco is just the thing to make your taste buds stand up and take notice. Chef Sepeda is the manager of the MexiCalbi food truck and trained at the Art Institute in Costa Mesa.
International and Regional Fare
Unexpected variations on traditional themes did not, however, dominate this event. There were also a few trucks which specialized in a particular genre of food.
Nostimo cooked up Greek Mediterranean Cuisine including pitas, gyros and fiery feta fries. Buqqa also offered Mediterranean Cuisine but Turkish instead of Greek. They offered more lightly spiced variations of gyro and falafel.
Piaggio, who call themselves “Gaucho on Wheels” served Argentinian fare including an especially flavorful pulled pork.
And what would a So Cal food event be without sushi? Rolling Sushi made sure those with a taste for sushi, sashimi or tempura didn’t go away hungry.
Perhaps one of the most popular trucks was Ragin Cajun. Chef Stephen Dominique, whose great-grandmother created Louisiana Hot Sauce started out with a restaurant in Hermosa Beach. When the restaurant closed, he took his talents on the road, bringing his chicken and sausage corn bisque, and chicken and sausage gumbolaya to an ever-expanding, adoring public. One of those patrons, Kasey Marshall, a recent transplant from the South proclaimed it the …”best Cajun food ever!”. Not to be outdone, her husband Rob declared the corn chowder to be “…like sex in a cup.”. It doesn’t get much better than that. After tasting the chowder myself, I had to agree it was extraordinary with an attention-demanding kick of spice.
Ragin Cajun now commands a fleet of trucks as well as a new restaurant in Redondo Beach, and appeared on “The Great Food Truck Race”. It looks like the place to be to party like you’re in New Orleans!
The Latest Trend in Comestibles
The chefs and food trucks in attendance at the Newport Beach Beerfest left no doubt about the rising popularity of food trucks. This is truly fine dining wherever and whenever you might want it. Bring your own ambiance.
