#burrito gallery

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Burrito Gallery, Jacksonville Chorizo, chicken, beef tacos w/ chips and salsa 4/11/18

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burrito gallery burrito by oliver.dodd on Flickr.

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Jax Truckies Food Truck Rally 6/9 at Burrito Gallery

I took part in Jacksonville's first 10-truck food truck rally on Saturday at Burrito Gallery's parking lot downtown. (I was even on First Coast News at 8 a.m. in a segment with Chris Dickerson from Corner Taco!) Food trucks aren't permitted on public property (or private property, really) downtown or at Jacksonville Beach, however the demand for food trucks around the country is skyrocketing. Cities like Los Angeles and Santa Monica host food truck lots. When I vacationed there earlier this year I made it a point to visit the two big lots in LA for their Downtown LA Art Walk. People line up at their favorite truck before the trucks even open their doors! (I sampled from the much acclaimed Ludo Truck - fried chicken, lavender biscuit with honey, jalapeno slaw and bernaise, Kogi BBQ, White Rabbit, Cool Haus, Slummin' Gourmet, and Komodo) Even our northwest friends in Tallahassee have a food truck hub on Thursdays! Tampa hosts regular events and there are a growing number of trucks serving all types of fare just two hours south in Orlando. So why not Jacksonville?

Eight Jacksonville-based trucks and two from St. Augustine (Sprocket's and Mother Fletcher's) joined forces as Jax Truckies collected $1 from each attendee and donated it to area food bank, Second Harvest. More than 2,000 hungry fans turned up throughout the day. Thankfully the rain subsided and it wasn't too hot. Yes, some of the lines were long but it was reassuring to see the patience and excitement in people's eyes. Food trucks...in Jacksonville? Yes. The lineup included Corner Taco, Driftwood BBQ, Gourmet Aviator, Mike B's, Monroe's on the Go BBQ, Mother Fletcher's, On The Fly Sandwiches and Stuff, 3 Moms Ice Cream, Sprocket's Food Truck and Super Food Truck. Many of the trucks cook everything to order so you know your food is fresh and delicious. There was something for everything, ranging from the creative duck confit quesadillas and warm bread pudding in a waffle cone (both from Monroe's on the Go BBQ) to smashed fried tostones topped with Puerto Rican roasted pork, cilantro slaw, Aviator BBQ sauce and spicy mayo from Gourmet Aviator. Kids loved the sweet potato tots. Vegetarian offerings ran the gamut: grilled cheese with pesto on parmesan-studded toast from On the Fly, tempeh tacos from Sprockets and Corner Taco, orzo salad with feta pita from Mike B's, and homemade falafel pita with tztiki sauce from Mother Fletcher's. Corner Taco's full menu is gluten-free, and they craft their corn tortillas fresh daily. Newcomer Super Food Truck had some diverse offerings: a green onion and dill snapper patty with cucumber, arugula and tomato on toasted sourdough bread with mango ketchup and fried orzo mac and cheese balls. Desserts proved to be a hot ticket item too: On The Fly crafted a peanut butter chocolate caramel pretzel bar that sold out fast, Mike B's had cake pops and Boston creme pie cupcakes, Driftwood BBQ had "not your momma's puddin" and Mother Fletcher's had a warm hand-held fried cherry pie dusted with sugar. (where are my Spandex pants?) Burrito Gallery served cold beverages at an outside bar and those wanting to avoid the lines at the trucks grabbed tacos and burritos inside. Can't wait for the next event!

Soon-to-be Riverside gastropub, The Salty Fig, has its food truck in the works and the Smoked Meat Militia Food Truck is outfitting its truck as I type.

If you could have any kind of food truck in Jacksonville, what would it be and what would it serve? I want a gourmet grilled cheese truck. And yes, I wish it parked outside my house. For now, "like" Jax Truckies on Facebook as they post the daily whereabouts of the trucks in town.

[photoblr]

Burrito Gallery on Flickr.

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