DELECTIBLE DINING
Swing on over to Thirst-eze on Monday evenings to enjoy the Food Trucks
The Food Truck Roundup Has Hit Spanish Fork
Folks all over Utah County are seeing an evolution in the food truck business and if you haven’t experienced a food truck roundup, find one and go.
Provo has a huge gathering on Thursday nights; Orem and Pleasant Grove have scheduled days and Spanish Fork is now set up for a dining experience without walls.
Our group of eight met at the Spanish Fork roundup, currently at Thirst-eze at about 600 South and Main. The location will most likely change because of popularity – both with vendors and customers.
“We get approached weekly,” said Dave Allen, owner of Dawgs & More. He coordinates the gathering in Spanish Fork on Monday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. “We have about eight trucks but more want to come.”
Pulled pork sandwiches, corn dogs, shrimp and corn, mac and cheese, burritos, dogs and refreshing shave ice were offered the night we visited. We happily shared tastes and I advise diners to do the same – get a variety and share.
Tim MacCourtney has a truck that feels as if it has made a cross-country trip from the bayous of the south. He brought out a tantalizing “shrimp boil.”
“That’s what we call low country cookin’ in the high country,” Tim said. “And the seasonings are all natural; we use sea salt.”
Many in our group once lived in Texas and have experienced shrimp boil – it’s pert near the tastiest thing around.
“This is really nicely seasoned,” said Riley Nelson, a former Texan with a hankering for good shrimp.
Tim also served us an Alpha Dog – an all-beef hot dog he gets from Duchesne, not Costco.
“Too many people hide dogs under condiments,” Tim said. “We offer the dog and you can add stuff if you want.” It didn’t need anything to up the flavor ante.
We ate hot fried mozzarella sticks and a wonderful corn dog from the Corndog Commander. Again, this was not a freezer-section kind of dog. The crust on it was thick and appealing.
“You don’t normally see this kind of thick casing on a corndog,” said Dave Parker. John Bennion weighed in. “The tasty cornmeal will erase your bias against corn dogs,” he said.
Dave Allen owns Dawgs & More. We ordered the Mesquite Chicken Veggie and the Avocado Mango Salsa Dawg. I’ve drooled in my sleep remembering both.
Karla Bennion was lucky enough to taste the chicken un-sandwich in a cup.
“It has a nice blend of chicken and coleslaw,” Karla said. “And a few hot peppers in it!”
We each tried a bite but I finished it off when others weren’t looking. And I’d do it again. Our other choice was just as lip smacking.
“Mango and avocado should be friends more often,” John said. Indeed. Those flavors meld together over the all- meat dog on a soft yet crusty bun.
The Sweeto Burrito truck is a favorite in the valley and we could taste why. The “White Chick” got all thumbs up. It’s a soft flour tortilla wrapped around marinated chicken, pepper Jack cheese, rice, lime, black beans, salsa, sour cream and cilantro sauce. The “Sweeto” is similar but with pork. Both burritos were tangy and hard to set down. Riley liked the “zing” the Sweeto had.
The food kept coming. We had bacon and corn covered mac and cheese from the Macarollin’ truck - homemade, not the boxed, powdery cheese mess some people think passes as mac and cheese. This was hearty and plentiful.
“This would easily feed a family,” Jera Parker pointed out. We had two large bowls between all of us and still took some home. It was creamy and hot with a wonderful crusty topping. You can also order it with lobster. Really, you can.
Kendall Stookey of Stooks BBQ is dead on with his offerings.
“This is really great dry rub pulled pork,” said A. Todd Smith. A blend of dry seasonings are rubbed into a roast before it is smoked, hence the name.
“It’s anything BUT dry,” commented Amy Leah Nelson Smith. A true Texan at heart, she found it tender and flavorful.
We were bursting at the seams but Dave Allen brought out his “Nutty Dawg” – a hotdog with a peanut butter/ mustard sauce, bacon and onions. My, oh my. Even bursting we downed two dogs. Don’t let the combination put you off – it’s unique and appetizing.
None of us had eaten at a food truck roundup but we’re now hooked.
“So far this food truck business is sumptuous,” Amy said. We’ll soon be rollin’ down the road in search of our next roundup.