Zea May’s Kitchen uses vegetarian ingredients common to Native American cuisine.
Grabbing a quick bite from an eatery on wheels would seem to be the epitome of “fast food,” but more and more food trucks have been looking beyond the implied greasy junk fare.
Tonight, Slow Food Philadelphia will team with World Cafe Live to present a Slow Food Truck Stop, featuring a half-dozen local food trucks that adhere to the local and sustainable mission of “slow food” – while still cranking out a good bite at a fast pace.
“Everyone involved in this event buy from local suppliers or have been involved in some way with slow food,” says Joseph Brandolo, president of Slow Food Philadelphia. “The trucks buy from local purveyors and local farmers, or the meats are provided by humane, sustainable farms.”
The one exception to the “buy local” aesthetic is the Made in the Shade fresh-squeezed lemonade truck, for obvious citrus-inspired reasons, though they do use fresh ingredients and local produce whenever possible. The other trucks involved in this event are Lucky Old Souls Burger Truck, which uses black angus beef from Lancaster County; Zea May’s Kitchen, which uses largely vegetarian ingredients common to Native American cuisines; Kami, offering street food versions of Korean dishes; Farm Truck, which sources its contemporary American food from local suppliers; and Sweet Box, an artisan gourmet cupcake truck.
Brandolo has witnessed a major shift in the food offered curbside in recent years.
“If you go back 10 years,” he says, “most food trucks were either ethnic food made by immigrants who found it an easy venue, or your basic hot dogs and kielbasa. Now there’s a lot of young culinary people who have gotten tired of working in kitchens and want to start their own business without making such a big investment. A lot of them want to support the sustainable food movement, so they’re conscious of where they’re getting their ingredients from and are very concerned about putting a quality product together.”
Slow Food Truck Stop
Aug. 22, 6-9 p.m.
Outside World Cafe Live
31st Street between Chestnut and Walnut
No admission, $25 sampling tickets, 215-222-1400
www.slowfoodphilly.org
