We know what you're thinking. Phoenix has terrific food trucks. And you are right. We could not agree more. From Hey Joe's Filipino finery to Torched Goodness' creme brulee-- with a Short Leash hot dog tossed in for good measure -- this city goes the distance when it comes to the trendiest way to sling hash.
But a girl can dream, right? And today we're obsessed with the meals on wheels we've been reading about in Heather Shouse's new book, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels. Shouse traveled the country (though she didn't include Phoenix in her book, shameful!) looking for the joys of food truck cooking. Here are five trucks we've love to see swing by our metropolis.
Get the list after the jump.
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck Okay, how can you not like a food truck called Big Gay Ice Cream Truck? (Don't answer that.) This is what happens when a bassoonist buys an ice cream truck from a flutist (only in New York, right?) and puts his own twist on soft-serve. We want to try the Bea Arthur: a vanilla cone with dulce de leche and crushed vanilla wafers. The olive oil and sea salt sounds really good, too.
2. Lulu B's Vietnamese banh mi from the back of a truck? Austin's Laura Bayer traveled to South Vietnam to perfect her lemongrass pork sandwiches and avocado milkshakes sweetened with condensed milk. Color us happy to not have to drive all the way to Lee's Sandwiches.
3. All Fired Up
Soul food from Chicago -- all the fried goodness (catfish, chicken) and ribs smoked on the spot.
4.Maximus/Minimus Yes, the yin/yang menu is a snappy idea (maximus = spicy pulled pork and coleslaw hot with radish and chipolte, while minimus = sweet pulled pork and slaw cooled with cranberry and honey mustard, and even the drinks follow suit) -- but what we really want is our own pig-shaped food truck. Why should Seattle get all the fun?
5. Curry Up Now
Indian meets Mexico in this San Francisco food truck, where home-trained cooks wrap chicken tikka masala in flour tortillas and call it success. They also serve up chaat (Indian street snacks) taste-tested and approved by the family patriarch.