Daily Marauder

FOOD TRUCKS IN THE WILD: THE GRILLED CHEESE TRUCK

Last night in Silverlake here in Los Angeles, I made up my mind to track down The Grilled Cheese Truck after consulting with @thirteenny and convincing @kw to come with me. I located the cheesy goodness on Twitter and made my way down to MOCA to sample the wares.

After driving around for 20 minutes trying to locate a spot, I gave up and parked my car with the hazards on. There was no way I was walking away without a grilled cheese sandwich in hand, even if I had to cry in front of a parking attendant to get one. Out-of-state plates are so useful in times of need.

After a quick read of the menu, the combinations were a bit less than inventive. They could learn something from a quick study of S’Mac’s menu in the East Village, NYC. Mac & Cheese yes but stunning combinations of cheese all the same. All the same, a good classic is a good classic. I was ready to get this cheesy party started.

I went with the Cheesy Mac and Rib because really, isn’t it double the carbs, double the fun? Now, paying $7 for a grilled cheese sandwich isn’t something I’m in the habit of doing but what the hell, a girl’s gotta eat.

Photo Credit: Zach Behrens/LAist

The sandwich left me with several highs and a few low notes. On the upside, the cheese was perfectly melted and the sharpness of the cheddar perfectly paired with the sweetness in the BBQ pork and caramelized onions. The induced sad face came from the clump of BBQ pork aggregated in the middle of the sandwich rather than spread around for evenness. I expect a little extra on a $7 sandwich. Of course, I’ll pay $15 for a Katz’s Pastrami because I know it will be perfection every time.

In the end, as I shivered on the street while watching my illegally parked car like a hawk and downing melted cheese, I was satisfied with my melted goodness. That said, I won’t be as intent on tracking the truck down in the future.

The trucks’s chef Dave Danhi hails from an impressive list of restaurants from the Water Grill, Roxbury Supper Club, Habana, and Georgia. After a pre-melt in the Farmer’s Market, the truck launched to the masses on October 27^th. The power of the launch was strengthened by Danhi and partner Michele Grant’s twitter feed launched 2 months earlier to spread the buzz. That goal was certainly attained as I don’t know single Angelino who hasn’t mentioned the truck in the past week. At this point, food trucks and twitter feeds are almost synonymous with each other. If you’re looking for a Twitter list of food trucks in your city, check these out:

LA

NYC

SF

As I drove home to West Hollywood full of toasted cheesiness, I passed countless Mexican food trucks and began to ponder. Yes, there is a food truck craze in full tilt. Yes, we love them. But what about the trucks that started it all? On my next commute home, I’m stopping there and getting a $3 taco. I’m pretty sure I’ll be even more satisfied.

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