Arabian Knife Food Truck, South Miami/Sweetwater

I like the “dive-y” feel of food trucks, it doesn’t matter how clean or presentable they look, it just reminds me of cookouts and family time.  Some people are over the whole trend but I think they are still relevant.  Especially when you stop at the restaurant you looked up online (Spice ‘N Curry Indian Restaurant), wake your toddler up from the back seat and carry him in, only to realize that the restaurant part of the store closes at 4pm.  4pm?  On a Friday?  What restaurant closes that early?

Needless to say, I was starving, I had a cranky toddler in the back and I was an hour and a half into a trip that should have taken 30 minutes in light traffic.

Just passing FIU, going south on 107th, I saw a food truck out of the corner of my eye.  Thank goodness!  It was middle-eastern and my taste buds were screaming.

I can always find vegetarian options at middle eastern/Arabic restaurants because there are so many choices like Tabbouleh or Babaghanoush or hummus, falafel, etc.  I ordered the usual falafel wrap and waited about 10 minutes (there was no line in front of me) so I was little apprehensive about how it would taste.  I also asked for baklava so the cookie would be satisfied till I got him some nuggets because they didn’t have anything for him- the menu is a little short as most food trucks are.

One falafel wrap and two small bakalava’s was about $11. It was worth it though, that pita had tons of little falafel balls, a nice lemony taste, pickles (I love pickles on my falafel wraps) and just the right amount of dressing.  The cookie even had a few bites of the falafel and asked for more – he never tries anything new.

If you live near FIU or find yourself wandering the back streets of west Miami, check them out: Arabian Knife Facebook

A Cosmo In Your Freezer (and other delicious combinations), Pop Lab Brings It!

 

On Thursdays, at Whole Foods, there is a great little Farmer’s Market happening in Pembroke Pines.  We found homemade nut butters, soaps, vegan Jamaican food, pie in a jar (amazing), gluten free nut free sugar free desserts and much much more.

I also found this great “Pop Lab” ice pop bar.  Delicious, all natural and they do parties!  This pop was literally coconut milk and a chai latte- kind of spicy and creamy at the same time.  It was refreshing and the Chai latte was an interesting twist to your regular, boring ice pop flavors.  They do have milk and non-dairy options available and you can have them shipped.  They also have some pretty delicious combinations like banana milkshake and dulce de leche for those of you that just have to have some dairy.

But these guys don’t stop there, no!  They are the THE people to go to when you want to throw a party, if you know what I mean.  They have Sangria, Cosmos, Watermelon Mojito, even a Bloody Mary popsicle.   So, sit back, relax by the pool and let them bring the party to you in the form of a delicious, ice-cold popsicle.

For more information, go to www.poplabusa.com.

Desserts Galore!!

I think I’ve been eating way too many sweets this week.  I figured I might as well put it out there and let you know what I think about them, maybe something good will come of an expanding waist size!

This amazing little moon pie was found at a the SW Ranches Farmers Market on 5150 S Flamingo Road (a really cute little organic market in West Broward).  It was DEEEELICIOUS!  It’s huge, don’t let the packaging fool you because it’s like an inch thick.  I’m sure it’s tons of calories but I didn’t feel a bit guilty.

Unfortunately, the only thing I could find online was located in Wyoming so it may be that the farm itself produces these.

Either way, they are worth the drive for this wholesome treat and Sheila, who runs the store, is so friendly and offered us a taste of her sweet blood oranges.  My first time trying them and they were so good and fresh but I have to admit I felt a little carnivorous.

I also took a picture of my Sweet and Sarah Brown Rice Crispy treat and another little chocolate and almond butter treat from a company I have not previously heard of but the file has gotten lost in space.  I will tell you that the S&S treat tasted exactly like the original-super sweet and sticky goodness!  The other one was tasty but more like something I could make at home and not have to pay almost $5 for.  

For more info on S&S go to http://sweetandsara.com/products.php

And finally…..I’ve been wanting to post this review for a week because I had the most exciting, delicious Gelato the other day at the Food Truck rally in Plantation Woods Park!  OMG spicy!  It was Mexican chipotle gelato dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in pistachios (my own concoction).  I love that this food truck allows you to choose the dip and the crumples for your gelato and it’s the first time I’ve had gelato in bar form.  So much fun to eat and it tastes amazing! HipPops is the name of the truck so please follow them wherever they may lead you! http://www.hippops.com/

Have your cake and eat it too!  Just make sure you work out afterwards.

The Best Portobello Burger I have EVER Eaten!

Ok, so that’s a bit of a “fantastic” claim but it’s the honest truth.  I am in love with this burger and I have driven twenty miles out of my way, twice, to eat it.

The guys on the “Bite” food truck have a great assortment of burgers, including this vegetarian one called The Tree Hugger (I love that vegetarians are seen as tree huggers, why not animal huggers… but I digress).  This burger has a full port0bello  mushroom, a delicious sauce and some great veggies on a toasted bun.  This is a seriously delicious burger.

So, if you want the best burger in town….follow the Bite food truck and try it out! http://www.facebook.com/bitegastrotruck

Veggie Xpress Food Truck!

My husband and I made a trip to the Pembroke Pines Art Festival this weekend.  It was very small so it was a quick trip but nice to walk around with the baby for a little bit.

They had a few food trucks there so we decided to get a bite to eat.  The hubby had an ice cream from a cute little ice cream truck that was run by a really nice older gentleman.   I felt like I had won the lottery because I saw a truck that had “Veggie Xpress” written on it (there are very few vegetarian/vegan food trucks here in South Florida though many regular trucks do have great veggie options).  I thought the prices were a bit high as the “veggie burger” was $10.  I ordered it anyway thinking maybe it came with fries, nope.  It was a homemade bean patty on pita with a light dressing, spinach and tomato.  I have to say it was really tasty and my husband even liked it!

However, a bean patty on a pita is not worth $10 and as almost everything on this truck is about the same price, I probably won’t be going back.  If you’re a Vegan, on the other hand, this truck is going to be a good option for you since there are so many vegetarian options on other trucks but very few vegan foods.

For more information, or to follow them, go to theveggieexpress.com.

Follow the Food Trucks!

by Jessica Michael

Unexpectedly, after church on Sunday, we were told that there would be food trucks coming.  My first reaction was, “oh disgusting, a bunch of grease traps on wheels”.  My husband’s first reaction, “Oh yeah, Baby, we’re staying for lunch!” Needless to say, I lost out so our lunch on Sunday was from a food truck, albeit a rather glamorous one.  I can’t say that it was entirely healthy but I can say that it was delicious.   The Goat Cheese Veggie Philly (the vegetarian “Philly Cheese Steak”) looked fresh and smelled amazing, I had my doubts that there would be any vegetarian options.  The only negatives were that the sandwiches were on white bread that looked similar to overgrown hot dog buns which turn into sugar once it goes down and the veggies on the sandwich were just a tad overcooked. However, it was eons better than expected and fun to eat; though my husband did down half of my sandwich before I had my first bite.

All in all it was a great experience.  One person I met there asked if this was my first time with the food trucks and I had to ask her, “you’ve done this before?”.  She filled me in a little on “food truck mania”, she had been to an event at a catholic church a month or two before, in the evening.  They had spread out a blanket, brought their friends and family and had a great time.  Churches seem to use food truck events  for collecting donations for mission teams, etc. but it can be pricey paying for both the donation and your food.

I do recommend doing a food truck event at least once, it’s an experience that ranks up there with buying a knock-off in China Town.

Next up- a Petition for a Vegetarian/Vegan food truck!

They get four carrots for fun and three for healthy options (but let’s face it, you’re not there for the health options).

You can follow the food trucks at http://www.miamifoodtrucks.com to see where their next event will be.

Update! The food truck event I went to was in the SunSentinel today! http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/miramar/fl-cn-foodtruck-0619-20110618,0,6256911.story