Street Vendors have been serving up cheap bites on the streets of New York and Los Angeles for decades but in the past couple of year's there has been a growing number of gourmet street vendors popping up across the USA. Well-priced, high quality dishes served out of vans and mobile shacks is what typifies the gourmet street vendor.
This trend has a fairly short history: started by chefs and foodies looking to do something new in a saturated market, or simply looking to offer a different dining experience, street vendors gained experience and popularity at farmers markets and cultural festivals around the Country. These vendors are conscious of local, seasonal food and how to use online media to their advantage to draw in big crowds. It’s fair to assume that a poor economy and a population with a growing sense of culinary adventure have helped to sustain this vibrant market.
The joy of modern street food is about how much can be achieved when the vans are kitted out with the right kitchens and passionate cooks. Grabbing a burger on the go no longer means compromising on flavor and craftsmanship. Take Latin Burger in Miami: hand-prepared chorizo, chuck and sirloin patty, with melted cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos and red pepper mayo. Or the grass fed steak burger with bacon jam, fresh arugla and blue cheese at Skillets in Seattle. These two locations couldn’t be further apart, but like many other street vans, they're driven by the simple pleasure of offering great food that’s affordable to the mass public.
In 2009 a who’s, who list of the greatest chefs in the world were clambering to get behind the steamy window of a street van to cook for charity, publicity and the simple joy of being part of a growing trend for honest, good food. If, like me, you’re keen to try all of the vendors on offer then head for one of a growing number of festivals dedicated entirely to street food. Celebrity and glitz aside, there’s something delightfully unlady like about eating in the street; wrestling with your warm dish of food, the smell of cooking in the air, people eating around you, napkins going awry as sauce trickles down your fingers. It’s enough to make me thrown out the linen napkins and get behind the wheel of my own Airstream trailer. Laziness prevails however, so I’ll log onto facebook, check out the location of my favorite gourmet truck and hit up the streets for an unbelievable meal! Fancy some more info?
Gather crowds through online media - Twitter from Chef Shack, MN, USA or Podcasting from Vendr TV for the lowdown on street fare
NYC trucks - Gourmet Magazine's top food trucks
Vendy Awards for best street fare in NYC
Great street vendors:
Latin Burger Miami
Skillets Seattle
Food Shark Texas
If you know a great street vendor then let me know!
Damn! I'm so jealous! Wish we had street food that good over here. I remember when Singapore used to be a street food haven *sigh* No more..no more :(
ReplyDeleteSome of the best food that can be eaten comes from street vendors. The food is often simply prepared and authentic. Awesome!
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