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Finding New York City's Best Food Trucks

September 7, 2010 at 11:31 AM | by | Comments (2)


The Van Leeuwen Gourmet Ice Cream truck beats a regular one

This Labor Day Weekend, we stayed in New York City for a major event: the PARKED Food Truck Festival held on Governors Island, which promised 10 of the tastiest trucks all together on an island in the middle of New York harbor. Sadly, it seems everyone else shared the same idea, since the lines to get the free ferry were over an hour long, and then word was that so many people had turned out, that the trucks were running out of the food hours before closing time. We gave up and took the free ferry to IKEA instead, for Swedish meatballs.

Nonetheless, the city is still hungry for food trucks, and the new Food Channel show The Great Food Truck Race has only whetted the appetite of tourists as well. Whether or not you made it to Governors Island, we've gone to the hassle of tracking down the ten featured trucks. Get their daily specials while they're hot, because they will sell out...

· Jamaican Dutchy Truck
Jerk and curry chicken...from a truck? Yes, it's totally possible it happens almost every day at locations around the city, thanks to the Jamaican Dutchy Truck. Follow them on Twitter @Jamaicandutchy for daily specials and their parked location. You'll usually be able to spot them in the thick of the midtown lunch crowd at West 51st Street and 7th Avenue.

· Red Hook Lobster Pound
With a boast like "6 Hours From the Lobster Boats to your Table," you just can't pass up the Red Hook Lobster Pound truck. Lobster rolls, lobster tails...you name it, you can find it where they park, which is typically in Brooklyn. Follow them on Twitter @Redhooklobster for the latest news and location.

· Rickshaw Dumpling
This beloved truck has a date this Friday night. Find them for sure outside of the Helmut Lang store on Washington Street and Little West 12th, or just follow them on Twitter @RickshawTruck for locations and specials, like Watermelonade and Peking Duck Dumplings. OR just visit the home of the Rickshaw Truck, the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar at 61 West 23rd Street.

· Kelvin Natural Slush Co
This truck, which specializes in , has the simplest location system of all. Just call their "Slush Phone" number—1.646.200.5083— and it'll tell you where the Kelvin truck is just then. Or of course you can follow them on Twitter @KELVINSLUSH for locations and specials. The Kelvin truck will actually be parked out Bergdorf Goodman at 5th Avenue and 58th Street this Friday night, Sept 10.

· Green Pirate juice
Because you have to have a beverage to wash down the eats from other food trucks, there's Green Pirate Juice. In addition to promoting their fresh fruit and veggie juices, this truck is all about yoga and cleanses, Of course it's typically parked in Brooklyn. Find it on Twitter @juicepirate and occasionally updated locations here, too.

· Van Leeuwan Artisan Ice Cream
This is the NYC food truck that gets around the most. One night we'll spy it in front of The Standard Hotel, and the next night it'll be in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This is because they've got multiple trucks running and they stay open pretty late for those after-dinner gourmet ice cream cravings. Discover their many locations on Twitter @VLAIC, or find them in the ice cream sections of selected Whole Foods, or even at their own Greenpoint, Brooklyn store: 632 Manhattan Avenue.

· The Cinnamon Snail
This one gets the award for weirded, most possibly unappetizing name. The Cinnamon Snail is a vegan food truck that isn't kidding around. A sample entree: "Jalapeño red quinoa fritters with tomatillo salsa, mashed avocado, cilantro roasted garlic cream, arugula and peppered red wine reduction." Typically this truck likes to park itself near the Hoboken waterfront, but just to be sure, track them on Twitter @VeganLunchTruck.

· Hallo Berlin
This was the truck we wanted most to try. The Hallo Berlin truck began as a street corner vendor, but when the original owner died, it took a break. Now, after it's been resurrected as a roving tent and table, called Hallo Berlin Express. Unfortunately there's no easy way to track down Hallo Berlin Express, but they do have a few permanent locations. Check those out here.

· Joyride Truck
Frozen yogurt and gourmet Stumptown coffee is the name of this food truck's game. Although they were unable to make it to the PARKED festival over the weekend, you can typically find them churning out the froyo at either East 52nd Street and Lexington Avenue or West 67th Street and Broadway. For updates on their location, follow them on Twitter @joyridetruck.

· Hermelinda Mexicana/ Calexico
Although it's rumored that this Mexican food truck serves goodies like Tostadas and Agua De Sandia (watermelon juice), we can't find any info on it anywhere. So instead, we focus on the awesome Calexico truck, which wants to participate in the next season of The Food Channel's The Great Food Truck Race. You can vote for them here and find out where and what they're serving up on Twitter @CalexicoCart.

Although they weren't at the PARKED food fest, you also shouldn't miss out on these NYC-area food trucks: Heartschallenger, Dessert Truck, The Krave (Korean BBQ in Jersey City & a personal favorite), and Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

[Photo: SpecialKRB]

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Yum yum

Love me some food trucks in NYC (and anywhere else for that matter). Great list. Here are some of my favorites as well: http://www.thebrooklynnomad.com/new-york-food-trucks-and-street-food-guide/

New York street food

If you want to find the best street food in New York, go to (duh!) newyorkstreetfood dotcom. They even have an app so you can find the best trucks and carts while walking around the city. http://tinyurl.com/38nbggd

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