Gourmet food trucks are all the rage right now in Los Angeles. Many of the trucks are operated by the city’s top chefs, and some are making unknown chefs famous. They’re a great way to get delicious, inexpensive food without paying the high prices that some of these chefs charge in their restaurants. Plus, getting breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or a snack) from a truck is always a fun, unique experience and everything is served with great love and a smile.
You can get anything from a cupcake to a kogi taco, from a grilled cheese to chinese dumplings. And these aren’t the ubiquitous taco trucks of yore that you would see at construction sites all over Los Angeles — these trucks are brightly painted, diverse, and always fun. While many people are following these trucks on Twitter, there are a few websites (see below) that enable you to find the trucks when you’re in L.A. There are also a few sure-thing spots where the trucks park at lunchtime and also at night (near nightlife epicenters).
The Brig parking lot, on Abbot Kinney in Venice, has 10 to 12 trucks on any weekend night, and half that throughout the week. Here you’ll usually find The Flying Pig, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Dimsum Truck, and Dogtown Dog. In fact, all up and down Abbot Kinney, the trucks are parked on every block.
There are many areas where you’ll find a cluster of trucks. One is near the Los Angeles County Museum, in the area called Miracle Mile. And if you’re downtown, you can find parked trucks at the California Plaza — it’s like a modern food court! Rarely will you see just one truck parked, there’s usually three to five. Typically, you’ll find them anywhere where there’s a group of office buildings, like along Olympic Blvd between Centinela and Bundy, or near the CNN building on Sunset (at Cole) . Sometimes you will just come upon them when driving down the street, and it’s always worth a stop. UCLA and USC are sure-fire spots, too but the truck finder websites (below) are the best way to plan ahead. Food is usually $2 to $8 for an entree portion, and always unusual and fantastic.
Some good sites for finding food trucks at any time of the day:
http://www.findlafoodtrucks.com/
http://www.mobilecravings.com/los-angeles-food-trucks/
–Lesley Bracker
[Photo Credit: Mark Krynsky]
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