Curbside Cupcakes Truck

You know me. (Or at least I feel like you know me by now....) Practically every week I crave a cupcake. So last week when I discovered that the SweetBites truck was on vacation, I almost had a meltdown. How was I going to satisfy my longing for scrumptious cake? However, when I logged onto Fiesta Food Truck, what did I find??? A different cupcake truck parked at McPherson Square, Curbside Cupcakes.

I quickly grabbed my wallet and made a beeline for the truck.  The first thing I noticed about this truck was their efficiency.  I always like seeing a two-window system where you pay at one window, them move to the next for your product. However, there was no smiling, no talking with you, just business (which is not what I get with other trucks). This could be because I arrived at the end of their time at McPherson, but still, no warm an fuzzies from this truck.

I love that they have a frequent purchase card (more trucks should do this!!); however, I don't know when I will ever use it.  This is because of the sheer disappointment I felt eating my red velvet cupcake...

Why was I disappointed? Well, as you see my picture, the cupcake was lopsided and not the prettiest cupcake around. You could see bits of flour in the cake that had not been mixed properly, and the consistency was sticky. I don't mean sticky like the delicious stickiness in a dulce de leche cake. It was like the cake was sticking to my teeth as I ate, even though it wasn't humid outside (which can sometimes affect a cake's feel).

Secondly, the cream cheese frosting was way too sweet.  Although the cupcake is smaller than other establishment's, it was so sweet that my stomach had that heavy feeling you have after eating something way too sweet. Like a sugared up brick just sitting there. Oui, not fun.

Sadly, I wish that I could recommend this truck, but I can't. My intern even tried a cupcake for herself after I told her of my disappointment, and she too had similar feelings about their chocolate cupcake. So with a heavy heart, I dissuade all of you from using this truck....and urge you to go to Sweet Bites instead.

Pi Truck DC

I'm not from Chicago....but man do I love a good Chicago-style deep dish pizza!  Lucky for me, there's a pizza truck in DC that satisfies my desires for a perfect deep dish pizza, and that truck is the Pi Truck DC. In the coming months, this truck will also have a permanent location in Penn Quarter, but for the moment, we can all enjoy some great pizza when the Pi Truck comes around.

The District of Pi Pizzeria boasts a rather vast menu, however the truck supplies four different types of pizza a day: 2 veggie & 2 meat. Come early if you want meat pizza, because all that was left when I went during my last trip was a veggie one....

 

Not that I'm complaining, because I ADORE veggie pizza.  The above pizza was their "western addition" pizza, which has "mozzarella, spinach blended with ricotta and feta, mushrooms, onions, & garlic". All these veggies make me feel like I'm eating something healthy...although I know I should probably run 500 miles after eating half the pizza...

This 9-inch pizza is $12 and can definitely feed two people easily. My two interns and I split two pizzas and we could not finish them!  So for $6 a person, you get a great amount of food for little dough...sorry, couldn't help myself. Seriously, how great is this deal?!

The crust is the perfect thickness to create a nice crunchy outside, while maintaining that little bit of chew that gives Chicago deep dish pizzas their signature flavor.  What makes their crust distinctive is their nontraditional cornmeal crust!  Don't start imagining tomato sauce on cornbread though, this is some seriously good crust!

But don't even get me started on the sauce. Each bite reveals a new flavor. First you taste the freshness of the tomatoes, then the sweet garlic, and finally a mixture of Italian seasonings...I seriously love this pizza, can't you tell?  Go buy one for yourself...then bring some to me as well!

DC Empanadas Food Truck

Back on track with my "series" on food trucks, is yet another of my favorite trucks. What is the name of my new beloved truck? Why it is DC Empanadas!  As the name states, they sell a wide variety of empanadas with both traditional and creative flavor combinations. I have actually visited this truck twice...which I can only claim with one other truck, SweetBites.  So imagine my delight when I discovered a savory truck which I can not only enjoy, but is so reasonably priced that I can return again and again! (sorry lobster truck...I cannot afford you every day)

Although their website touts many different types of empanadas, the truck only brings one of each protein (pork, chicken, beef, and vegetarian) each day.  You can check out their twitter feed or the food truck finder for their empanada menu of the day.  All empanadas are $3.50 each or 3 for $9.  I, of course, chose the 3 for $9 for, umm, economies of scale reasons.  Ok, ok, it is because I can eat a lot...But anyway, below are my selections on my recent visit:

Special of the day: Eggplant & Mozzarella

The veggie empanada that day was the special of the day...which means this empanada is not on their regular menu.  The eggplant was cooked al dente (with just a little bit to it, not overcooked) and did not fall apart in your mouth like other poorly cooked eggplants. Let's celebrate for a moment a delicious vegetarian option....ok, now on to the meat.

Buffalo Chicken with blue cheese

The buffalo chicken had to be my favorite.  I was afraid that the blue cheese would overpower the chicken, but it was perfectly balanced.  I actually stopped eating this empanada mid-way through to eat my final pork empanada...just in case I liked the buffalo chicken better. (which I did)

Slow Roasted Cuban style pork, tossed with onions and a spicy guava sauce

Sadly the pork empanada was my least favorite.  **Disclaimer: DC Dmpanadas made this lack of flavor up to me the next time I ate at the truck with the "Amazingly Aroi" with Thai chili...yum!**  This empanada just lacked flavor, and I could not really tell there was a guava sauce in it.

So although I varied in my enjoyment of the fillings, overall the consistancy of the empanada crust was perfection: crisp edges and a slightly chewy, flaky middle.  Although I just ate a little while ago, I'm hungry again just thinking about these crunchy pillows of savory goodness!  I wonder if they are in my area today...

Meat Head Food Truck

 

Being from the south, I am CRAZY for barbeque.  Since moving here a few years ago, I have tried just about every barbeque place around DC and have been sincerely disappointed. Of course,  I know DC is not known for it's barbeque, but can you blame a girl for hoping this truck will be the exception to the rule?  Sadly, Meat Heat was no exception.

I ordered the "Oink Oink", which is a pork sandwich for the $7.   After a 35 minute wait, I finally had my foot long sandwich in my hands. The sauce was actually pretty good, but the pork had no smokey barbeque taste. Instead, it tasted like it was sauteed on a flat grill. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with sauteed pork; however, when you are advertising a sandwich with the words "barbeque" attached to its description, one usually expects to obtain a smoky, slow-cooked meat which was just not on this sandwich.  

On a side note (and as a personal bbq pet peeve), Meat Heat put their coleslaw on the bun instead of on top of the meat. This makes the bun fall apart in your hands, intensifies the taste of the slaw instead of the sauce, and diminishes the overall texture of the sandwich.  Plus squishy bread is just not as good. There, I've said my peace.

So if you want a large meat sandwich with barbeque sauce on top of it, this is a decent truck. However, there are so many great food trucks in DC that I would move on from this truck or wait to have barbeque at a place with real barbeque. This DC girl's quest for good barbeque continues.....

Lobster Food Truck

So I had a crazy Selection Sunday yesterday, which meant ZERO time to make lunch like I had planned...very un-Graduate-Gourmet of me.....So I signed on to my handy Food Truck Locator Website and saw that none other than the Red Hook Lobster Pound food truck was in my area.  Well of course, I had to give this infamous truck a try! So I headed with a friend to Franklin Square for some lobster rolls.

When we arrived at the truck, the line was so long I almost considered heading to the Korean BBQ Taco truck around the corner instead (which I will definitely visit in the near future).  I would say there were probably 15-20 people in line at 12:45 pm and it was not the warmest day out... That shows the dedication of this truck's followers!

Now, I know this post should be all about the food, but wow is this truck's ordering system efficient! With most food trucks you order, pay, and receive your food from one window.  With this truck, you order and pay at the first window, then move down to the second for your food, then grab a fountain drink for yourself at the end...PLUS, they take credit cards!  This is a huge plus for me because I like to track my spending by watching my bank account daily instead of saving receipts or using cash. 

Ok, my weird obsession with efficiency aside, one down side to this truck would have to be the price.  It's $15 for just the lobster roll, and an additional $3 for chips and a drink.  However, you get A LOT of lobster on this roll! I mean, just look at the two rolls below!

This first roll (above) is the Maine-style lobster roll and has a mayo based sauce...

While the second roll (above) is the Connecticut-style roll and has a butter based sauce. **Side note, obviously I am not a pig and did not ordered two rolls for myself...this second one was my friends, but you knew that...right?**

Of the two rolls, it is hard to decide which one I liked better.  When I think of a lobster roll, my head simply screams that it must be creamy like the Maine-style roll.  However, the Connecticut-style roll had a nice seasoning in the butter sauce, which really made me re-think my choice of the traditional lobster roll. Either way, large chunks of lobster (sometimes even the whole claw!) encased within a buttery soft roll have your mouth telling your brain to forget just how much you paid.

My eating companion also purchased one of the truck's huge whoopie pie, but the flavor (or lack of flavor) left much to be desired. So if you head to this gourmet lobster truck, stick with the crustacean and away from the pastry.  

Still, the moral of this post is YOU MUST VISIT THIS TRUCK!!  It definitely lives up to the hype....but maybe only on special occasions so you don't break the bank.

DC Food Truck Locator!

I ran across the most awesome website this week....a DC Food Truck tracker that tells you in REAL TIME where the trucks are. Oh my goodness, so cool! Now I will definitely be able to eat at several food trucks in the city!  The site is http://foodtruckfiesta.com/. Check it out the next time you want to find a local eatery on wheels!

Review: Sweet Bites Cupcake Truck

With the gourmet food truck craze taking over DC (as well as the weather warming up!) I've decided to visit as many of these trucks as I possibly can.  And thus begins my new "series" of tasting various trucks around the city.

A few weeks ago I was walking by McPearson Square and noticed a pink and white truck parked on I Street...it was Sweet Bites, the Cupcake and other fabulous baked goods truck.  This was a particularly cold and windy day, but once I spot a cupcake-eating-opportunity, I cannot resist.  DC has seen it's fair share of cupcakeries popping up around the city, but a cupcake AND gourmet food truck? Be silent my heart.... 

To preface this entry, I have to say that I am very picky about my cupcakes.  I actually do not like Georgetown Cupcake (gasp!) and prefer Baked and Wired.  So when I stepped up to the truck, I had my critique face on and was ready to judge.

 

On this day, I thought their sophisticated Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache cupcake with a dollop of vanilla buttercream on top sounded tasty.  The cake is made with dark chocolate (which I cannot resist!). However, being a baker myself, I know that it is difficult to cook with dark chocolate.  The moisture level is much lower with dark chocolate versus a milk chocolate, so it is difficult to make a moist cake.  I have to say that their attempt at keeping the cake moist with the ganache topping fell just shy.  HOWEVER....the vanilla butter-cream icing on top was BRILLIANT. It helped to add moisture that was missing from the cake to each bite.

Not to be one to judge a restaurant by it's first tasting, I went back last week and obtained the Chocolate Coconut Cupcake (pictured below).

This cake held redemptive powers for Sweet Bites.  As I bit into the cupcake, I found it to be more moist than the bittersweet chocolate cupcake.  Their butter-cream icing is silky smooth and not too thick. I still think Baked & Wired is my favorite bakery in DC, but that does not mean I won't be heading to McPhearson Square today because it is again what I have now coined "Cupcake Truck Thursday"...What can I say, I'm a sucker for cupcakes.

If you check out Sweet Bites' website, you can see exactly where the truck will be that day. Or, you can  follow their tweets on Twitter. Most food trucks now tweet where they are located to let people know when they open. I do not have a Twitter account, but most of these trucks also post on Facebook, which makes me a happy camper!  So check out Sweet Bites' site to see when they are coming to a square near you.

Review: CapMac

My lack of refrigeration has lead to many outings for food this week.  One of my friends at GWU said that I HAD to try the new food truck, CapMac.  I was intrigued since the food truck popularity and quality have been on the rise in DC.  There's the burrito guy, the pizza guy, and even the Korean BBQ Taco guy (yes, you read that correctly, and I will be visiting him soon...).  I checked CapMac out on Facebook (since they don't have a website yet) and found that their prices are pretty reasonable.  The original CapMac'n Cheese is $6 while the Chicken Parm Meat Balls or Beef Bolognese are $8.  They also offer daily specials of soups, salads and desserts.

I walked the 3 blocks from work to their Franklin Square location and found a line of about 10 people.  This line was consistent the entire time I was waiting for my food (which was no more than 5 minutes, really).  Obviously CapMac has made a name for itself and I was excited to try it.  Since I am currently lacking in the financial department, I decided I would get the original mac and nothing more...although stepping up to the window to order almost changed my mind.

To preface this, I am one of those people that likes to decide from an online menu what I am going to order before stepping into the establishment.  This might not be what I decide to order in the end, but I go in with a good idea of what I may select.  Stepping up to the window I knew what I had come to order, but their special dessert that day was a rice pudding with caramalized bananas and nutella...oh my if I had had a few more bucks on me, I would have bought it!  But like most food trucks, cash is all that is accepted, so I purchased my mac & cheese and walked back to work.

I could hardly wait to open the small brown box I received.  At first I thought the portion size was tiny, however by the end I found that what I was given was just the right amount!  The original CapMac'n Cheese has your usual components (macaroni & cheese) but with pimento and Cheez-its cracker crumble on top.  Now, when I first read this on their menu, I thought, ewww.  Pimento? Cheez-its? However, after I took my first bit I knew this combination worked!

The Cheez-Its on top were a great surprise and a genius idea.  Why hadn't I thought of putting cheese crackers on top of my own cheesy macaroni goodness?  This is definitely something I may experiment with in the future.  The pimento was not immediately apparent, but definitely added something to the dish.  So for a short walk and six bucks, I was able to eat some great comfort food and enjoy the one day that the DC weather decided to cooperate.  Since CapMac is a truck restaurant you can spot them in multiple locations around the city.  They post daily their location on their Facebook and Twitter pages, so check them out!