Since we live in Sacramento, America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, we are very fortunate to have amazing culinary events throughout the area. In addition to the amazing restaurants, farmers markets, and other activities, food trucks play a big role in Sacramento’s culinary scene. And maybe you've seen 'em zipping around town: big, boxy, brightly colored wagons with catchy names. Or maybe you have heard of a gourmet food truck event on TV or in the paper. Maybe you were intrigued and wondered, “What's all the excitement about?” I was - enough to make note of the sign along Fair Oaks Boulevard at Carmichael Park and contact my fellow Hometown Tourists to see if we could meet for an adventure at the “Park Rec & Eat It” food truck event. We met near the tennis courts at Carmichael Park. We wandered down the row of trucks, reading menus.
Among the offerings:
- First in line, Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen offers Hemi (beefed up), Mustang (w/horseradish), & Prius (vegetarian).
- Next, Krush Burger was recommended to us for sliders and sweet potato tots. Plus, a salmon BLT. Hmmmm, bookmark that!
- A wagon selling gelato and smoothies. Dessert!
- Next, Rudy's Hideaway for chowder and seafood specialties.
We paused at the Ciao Chow truck and read the menu on a LCD screen. We appreciated that selections were marked “vegan” or “gluten-free." Of particular interest: the plum-sauce-braised tofu plate, something to keep in mind and perhaps return for. But it was the Green Papaya wagon out of Stockton that took our fancy and our orders: papaya salad, fried rice and drunken noodles. We never made it to the last van in line serving tacos and quesadillas! But we were glad to see a line there later.
After a short wait in front of the Green Papaya, two of our orders came up. We went back to Ciao Chow for the plum tofu plate. When we collected all of our dishes, we headed over to the picnic tables by the tennis courts. Luckily, the entrée items had two paper bowls as support, so we each had a plate and shared family style. Just the right mix of flavors played well together. There was plenty to eat, tasted delicious, and something to take home. It doesn’t get much better than that.
As we ate and chatted, we watched couples, families and groups of friends repeat our experience of perusing the line of gourmet food trucks and deciding what they wanted for dinner. The next morning, the event was the talk of the office. Turns out two of our coworkers were there as well!
For more information about Carmichael Park, you can sign up for the newsletter at http://carmichaelpark.com/.
Since Sacramento is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, food events are always happening throughout the city. You can learn more about these events, the exciting restaurant scene in Sacramento, and the latest on the farm-to-fork movement at www.farmtoforkcapital.com.