Food on the move

Andrea Brown serves up Mexican fare from her cart, Slow Taco in Bloomfield.

Food trucks expand culinary choice in the County

Prince Edward County has already developed a reputation for a selection of high-class, gourmet restaurants with a focus on farm-to-table goodness. Throughout the summer, the surge of tourists means not one local restaurant is accessible without a reservation.

The traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant industry might be booming in the County, but another trend, one that has been a worldwide tradition for centuries and has recently gotten a hipster boost in North American cities like New York and Toronto, is starting to emerge.

They can be carts, mobile vehicles or trailers, but they are by no means the standard chip truck. Food trucks of all flavours are popping up all over the County, from Carrying Place to Cressy.

Just this month, Barney’s BBQ opened in Black River, offering nitrite and gluten-free sausages, Reggie’s Mediterranean Food Truck fired up at Cape Vineyards with classic middle-eastern fare, and the gateway to Trenton is getting a veritable outdoor food court with Tabersnack opening beside Lala’s Perogies and Sprenkel’s Meat Market, affording locals a taste of Quebec.

Reggie Filhaber recently launched his Mediterranean Food Truck.

Of course, the traditional chip truck isn’t going anywhere. Mark’s Chip Truck sometimes seems to pull in more customers than its neighbour, Canadian Tire. And the first food truck that comes to mind around here is Duffer’s Chip Wagon, which has been present at the Picton Fair for ages.

But it is nice to see something a little different.

“In North America, we have the hot dog stand and the poutine truck, and that’s all fine and dandy, but it’s nice to have other options. It’s nice to have better quality food that you can get on the go. And I’m a huge supporter of farm-totable and local artisanal producers and farmers. So I just love that idea of changing the menu with the season,” says Rebecca Hunt, who owns Picnic PEC.

Hunt says it’s not surprising to see more food trucks, since they afford owners more flexibility to experiment, and also because in a tourist economy, they afford a flexibility for hours. With a restaurant, the building must be rented or paid for 12 months in a year, but a food truck can be parked and stored when business is low.

It’s what gives Andrea Brown, who owns Slow Taco, the chance to enjoy her food cart.

A selection from Goin’ Coastal in Picton.

“This was a very digestible way to get my foot in the door,” says Brown.

To her, the seasonal food cart is a way to connect with her friends and neighbours. “Being able to feed people food that you put everything into, and seeing that appreciated and enjoyed, and your best friends who just had a baby walk on by, and the breeze—that’s hands down, I would not trade any sort of high-paying, crazy lucrative job for that experience.”

Chantal Jeffrey, who just opened Tabersnack two weeks ago, is offering local, handmade food. The winner of last year’s chili cookoff, Jeffrey delights from her customers’ surprise that her food actually tastes good.

“I had a family from Toronto yesterday, they could not believe what we’re offering,” says Jeffrey. “I’m hoping that people can understand that it’s not because you’re going to the chip truck that you have to have only greasy fries and hotdogs. I want people to see that everything is made from scratch.”

Reggie Filhaber, who just opened Reggie’s Mediterranean Food Truck with his wife, Kristen, says the trucks are popular because people want authentic food, and they don’t necessarily want to sit down at a restaurant for it. “In New York, it’s become very popular. There is a whole street there just for food trucks. I think it’s becoming popular because people just want to stop on the way, have good food and keep going. It’s perfect,” says Filhaber.

Even food trucks serving the more traditional hot dogs and fries are finding their own unique way. Gord Groulx, who owns Barney’s BBQ, is very picky about his sausages and buns, offering gluten-free options and several dozen condiments, which allow customers to create a theme.

Goin’ Coastal, a food truck in Picton fittingly situated en route to Sandbanks, carries the type of food a seaside chip truck might offer. The standard burger and fries are served alongside fish and chips, clam strips and, of course, lobster rolls—an East Coast favorite.

For Jeffrey, this trend is made possible because customers are becoming more adventurous, and willing to try new things more than ever before.

“I think it’s just that people, now they’re experiencing more. I think that’s why they’re so willing to stop at food trucks,” she says.