Street Meat

We don't have food trucks in Boston.  Apparently this is a travesty because there is a huge movement underway to bring food trucks to the city.

And let me just state for the record, that if they DO unleash a mobile caravan of epicurean establishments - I will NOT be buying.  Because, while I CAN admit to frequently buying croissants from a street cart in NYC, I could not actually buy prepared food from a truck.

First of all, they pre-cook the food and then it just SITS there.  FOR HOURS.  

Secondly, there is no place for them to wash their hands.  What if the cook sneezes, or scratches his ear? 

And don't talk to me about Purell, I get that it kills germs, but they're still THERE - they're just dead.

"Excuse me, would you like dead germs with that?"

UGH.

Anyway, there is an incredible proliferation of food trucks of every sort in New York - from the aforementioned croissants to sausage & onions or hotdogs to trucks offering Halal food (think kosher but for arabs.)

Now back at Blogher, one of these Halal trucks caught my eye.  You see, there are two halal trucks on the corner of 6th Ave and 54th St - one on 6th Ave, and one on 54th St and the interesting thing is that while the truck on 6th Ave has a steady line of 2 or 3 customers, the one on 54th St has a constant line of 30-40 people.

I kid you not.

So one day as I was walking back to the hotel I noticed this phenomenon and I thought the obvious, "The guy on 54th street must put crack cocaine in the halal."

And then I had an epiphany.

If you were keeping to a Halal diet, what would be even BETTER than crack cocaine?

That's right baby!

BACON.

I'll give you odds that that halal truck is sneaking bacon into their chicken, rice and salad kabobs and there are thousands of muslim people eating out of the back of that truck three times a day, shoveling bacon-laced food into their mouths going, "Praise Allah, This is the best damn halal meal I have ever fucking eaten."

 

Comments

[KidGMan]

I've eaten from those food carts many a night when I worked third shift on 53rd street. We affectionately called it "Street Meat" whenever we decided on a shift-wide food run. I have to say that none of us ever got sick and I am very much alive (New Yorker's have iron stomachs). The best way to gauge where to nosh on street food in NYC is to eat where there are lots of cabs parked or where the line is out the door. No I'm not Muslim and the only "Crack" they put in the food is great tasting food at an affordable price for the after-hours crowd.

NYC IS the city that never sleeps. Don't sleep on the Street Meat!

[Dan]

The food trucks (not food stands) in DC are mostly converted cargo vans with full kitchens. Depending on the type of food, it may be cooked to order. However, the best hot dogs are those NY dogs that have been sitting in water all day.

[Pauline]

The quest for food truck world domination has begun. But they're no longer just roach coaches; many are extensions brick and mortar restaurants and the majority here in LA are "gourmet" or very specialized menus. Most are very good too! They're held to the same if not higher cleanliness standards and are routinely spot inspected by the health department. I recently observed one being shut down for the day because of inadequate amounts of water in its supply. And besides having really yummy food, there is a very fun sort of "underground" communal feel among customers where food truck gatherings take place. Especially when they congregate outside one's favorite bar. :-)

[c_k]

The food trucks just across the river in Cambridge serve some of the best food in town! And all the good ones cook everything made to order. I spent seven years living in Boston and going to grad school in Cambridge. I unquestionably preferred food truck lunches over pretty much any other affordable option.

[Andie]

Ha! That's hilarious. So much for truth in advertising... Give them what they want but don't know they want...

[Daddyrunsalot.wordpress.com]

Funny - I saw "what's more addicting than cocaine," and it was written by Kit, so I assumed the answer was orgasms.

I don't know if the Asian delicacy of cream of sum yun gai is more or less of a blasphemy than bacon, honestly.

[Matt Conlon]

There USED to be food trucks (or roach coaches as we used to call them)in Boston I used to get breakfast at one every day for a few years back in the mid 2000s.

[Nicole]

I am so glad someone else said this! Every night when i was walking back to the hotel at BlogHer I was wondering what the eff that particular truck was doing that all the other ones weren't doing! Bacon! That makes perfect sense. Now i'm pissed I didn't get in line.

[The Borg Blog]

That which does not kill you makes you stronger! Dead or no dead germs! ;)

[Jenn]

I live in Amish Paradise, so we don't have food trucks here (unless you count the semis hauling trailers stuffed full of chicken to the nearest Tyson plant...). But when I was at BlogHer in 2010 and again this year, I definitely noticed the crazy line, and good smells, around that truck. My curiosity has been piqued, but not enough to stand in line that long!

[Sarah]

Actually, Boston has a lot of food trucks now! I only know this because I work in Copley and there are tons around lately. Some even have Boston-y names: The Cookie Monstah, Lobsta Love.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/business/mobile/schedule-tabs.asp