Consider the foundation of a great meal. Grilled meats, sure; fresh herbs, certainly; sliced vegetables, yeah; add a little petrol along with a stretch of asphalt and … um …
OK ‑ the last two elements may sound like something from an Andrew Zimmern nightmare. Yet they are the perfect ingredients for a standout food truck.
That’s right, a kitchen on wheels.
For the past decade Americans have been obsessed with food trucks. Some credit — or blame—the hipster crowds in places like Portland, Austin and San Francisco. Others point to economic whims. Trucks caught on just as the nation bottomed out in the recession years of 2007-08. Mobile kitchen sales grew up to 12 percent per year through 2015.
And it may not be just an urban phenomenon.
For several years a popular truck parked alongside a gas station in Middletown. Just over a month ago a second truck set up in front of Hidden Valley Lake’s Shell station.
Mariana’s Tacos y Autojitos serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas and the like from a shaded space alongside Highway 29. And Emmanuel Saucedo, who mans the grill, understands the allure of food trucks.
“In restaurants it’s very mechanical,” he explained. “Right here you cook with passion, with heart.”
It shows in asada and puerco tacos. In both, brawny meat holds sway over grilled onions and the rasp of cilantro. The flavor is swarthy — enough so that a coating of nippy hot sauce loses its zeal, settling into a neat peppery prop.
The fish tacos are a revelation. The flesh is firm and flaky, the crust brittle with a rich, malty savor.
Saucedo refers to it as Mexican with a personal twist.
“It’s not fast food, it’s good food,” he said.
There’s a waiting period after you order from the truck. After you ask for tacos or burritos, Saucedo sets to work. You hear chopping and sizzling —the quick prep work of a seasoned hand. Instead of a sparse plate, you end up with a decked assembly, including the acrid burn of a grilled chile and cleansing slices of crisp cucumber.
“Everything is fresh,” explained Saucedo’s partner Valerie Rappaccioli.
The plates are simple, yet full. They offer the barbed wire and sage brush of lean meat alongside the garden brightness of greens. The tacos are just satisfying.
Saucedo hopes one day to open a restaurant featuring Mexican seafood dishes. But he is hooked on the food truck idea, planning to park one alongside if and when he becomes a restaurateur.
For now, the menu is confined by the narrow kitchen. They turned out hot dogs, fish and chips and steak fries, along with their take on taco truck staples.
“It’s a small space,” Rappaccioli said. “We try our best.”
And their best is more than good enough.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
