Food Truck Frenzy 2015

It's the Second Annual Food Truck Frenzy right here in Whitby. If you want to last year's event, you'll know it was a bumpy ride, but still a delicious one. They anticipated 8,000 visitors at their first event.....but 32,000 people came over the course of the weekend! HOLY CRAP! 

This time they were more than equipped. They moved it to a new venue, the parking lot of Iroquois Park; there's even a map to help you find your favourite truck. The layout is perfect and the lines are short. Since there are double the amount of food trucks, there is a lot more choice and no fear of running out of food. By the early afternoon on Saturday, over 6,500 people had come and the day had just started.  

 

My man's first stop....Meat Ventures! He cannot resist meat or something called Bacon Fatty. At first glance it's a sandwich...wrong. It's got Italian sausage, smoked bacon, crispy onions, Swiss cheese all in between 2 sexy pieces of garlic toast. Mmmmm. The Italian sausage was mild, but it was the Siracha mayo that kicked it up a notch. A meat lover's dream! 

He's on a roll. Next stop was Pappas Greek. He had a hankering for a Gyro on a pita. Pita was fresh lettuce, tomato and tzatziki were plentiful when all of a sudden...he was full; really full. He tapped out and handed me the rest; I looked at the gyro and understood why....half of the wrap was ALL GYRO. There were not just a few slices of gyro in this; there was no room for lettuce or tomato once you got halfway through. He was so happy. Silly meatatarian! 

 

My turn! After creeping on some menus I landed on Naansense. I simply could not choose. Everything on their menu looked so good, that I asked them to pick for me. All 4 people in the truck said, 'Crab cakes' at the same time. Well then, looks like I'll have the Chili Lime Crab Cakes. I had to go back and thank them for the recommendation. You get 2 large crab cakes and a delightful spinach/mango salad. The crab cakes had a flavourful heat from the chili and lime. There was no bread filler here, this was all crab, all the time. These were fantastic and I will definitely get them again.  

 

On day 2, I wasn't fooling around. I wanted ice cream. Saturday had Hollywood Cone very busy with the longest line in the place. I got there just before noon and was second in line. Giggity. I'd never been and there were so many choices! The gentleman taking orders could sense that I was new, so he walked me through. I chose a small chocolate cup with brownie, salted caramel and dipped in dark chocolate. *chocolate-gasm* There wasn't anything I didn't like. The brownie pieces were soft and fresh, the caramel pieces did not get stuck in my teeth and the dark chocolate dip was to die for. Once I devoured all of the toppings and dip, the chocolate soft serve wasn't very chocolatey, perhaps that's because I just had a chocolate overload. No regrets. 

I guess I can't JUST have ice cream; it was time to adult. Besides, I had to see what the hype was about at Fidel Gastros. I've seen numerous tweets raving about their Pad Thai Fries and how they've changed lives. That's a serious claim! I told them I wanted their life-changing Pad Thai Fries and they didn't think I was crazy; they know there's something special about them. When I received my order, I was instantly worried; the fries were bright orange. I'm not a spicy gal and these looked positively coated in a spicy sauce.....but, I HAD to try them. Not as hot as I thought....and then I squeezed some lime on there and we were in business. The heat, the lime and the bean sprouts made for some yummy fries. 

 

My next stop was Grillin' Like a Villian. Perogies topped with pulled pork were calling me. While I waited, I asked them where they've been hiding since I never see them around town. They explained that the laws in Durham Region do not allow food trucks to be mobile, so they only do special events and catering. Until they said it, I didn't realize that I actually NEVER see food trucks around town.  Ridiculous! We could be having awesome perogies smothered in tender pulled pork down by the lake or near the GM Centre after an event! Not cool Durham Region. NOT COOL. 

 

There was a particular truck, that had been calling my name since I arrived Saturday; the sign said, 'DUMPLINGS.' As I told them, I have a special place in my heart, and on my thighs, for dumplings. The ladies working there were having a great time and you couldn't help dancing along. This menu was another tough one, but there were Pho dumplings?! Don't mind if I do! I was pleasantly surprised; they really do taste like pho! Crisp and seasoned well, these dumplings made my day. After reading their menu on their website, I hope to run into this truck again! 

What a great weekend! This event went very smooth and everyone had a great time. The Rotary really listened to the feedback received last year and made this year's Food Truck Frenzy a great one! The lines were short. The variety was fantastic. The seating was plentiful. The weather was perfect! This is my favourite way to support a good cause and have a full belly. I hope this festival comes back next year! 

Lisa