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Food Review: Palm Harbor Food Truck Rally
I put my taste buds to the test at the Palm Harbor Food Truck Rally earlier this month.
The first Palm Harbor Food Truck Rally held in Old Downtown Palm Harbor on July 13 truly had some delicious and original dishes to choose from. Here are some of my opinions of the trucks based on my tastings.
The name of this truck was certainly intriguing. I ordered some pot sticker dumplings ($4) at this truck. There were a number of sushi rolls on the menu as well, but I just can't bring myself to spend $6 on a California Roll, and I normally use that roll as my basis for whether to order other specialized rolls. The pot sticker dumplings were delicious, and even though they were fresh and hot off the grill, I still devoured them quickly. I would consider trying the Hibachi next time.
This seafood food truck has lots of interesting choices and reminds me of The Fish Box in Miami, including a similar truck color scheme. The Lobster Platter was interesting and Ghost Face Killa Beer Battered Mahi Tacos caught my eye as well. In the end I went with the Mahi Mahi Taco ($4), which consists of pineapple wasabi slaw and cilantro. The pineapple taste was present, but I could not detect the wasabi taste in the taco. Regardless, the tacos were perfectly cooked and a true treat. Seafood trucks are always a good thing.
I love hot dogs and personally experiment at home with various recipes to see how I can change the flavors of this simple dish. AmericanWiener had a number of interesting choices, but the one that made my head explode was their Asian hot dog ($4), which was topped with grilled onion, teriyaki, nori seaweed, pickled ginger and furanaki seasoning.
I have to say that this was the most unusual hot dog I have ever tasted. I'm not sure if I would keep the ginger, as the purpose of ginger is normally to neutralize the taste of what you eat, and the only thing that could overpower it was the seaweed. It was an interesting experiment, but I doubt I would order it again in a future visit. The Jason dog, which features mustard, onion, chili, cheese, and bacon, would be a potential future pick for me.
When you think Korean BBQ you normally think of steak of beef, but Jimmy Meatballs makes a courageous move by offering pork sliders ($3.50 each). The Korean BBQ sauce is made in-house and isn't one you can acquire at a market. It would be awesome if the truck also offered a spicy option as Korean food enthusiasts normally want that gochujang red sauce bite, while the sauce at the truck is a sweet sauce. Overall, it was a great slider and I would order it again in the future and experiment with some of the other options as well.
The trend toward organic dishes is on the rise, and Gone Bananas delivers with organic vegan frozen treats. The owners running the truck were very friendly and explained that they wanted to offer diners a healthy alternative. I tried a small portion of their banana flavor with vanilla ($3.50) and was impressed with the great flavor of an organic and vegan dessert. It's a good choice for those who love food trucks but want to stay on the healthier side. The truck is regularly at the Wiregrass Fresh Market.
If you missed the first food truck rally, no worries. The next one will be held Friday, August 3rd from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Harbor Hall parking lot, 1190 Georgia Ave.
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Did you go to the Food Truck Rally? Which food was your favorite? Tell us in the comments section below!
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Harvey A. Smith
7:57 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
With all the media attention being lavished on the "Roach Coach Rally" vehicles, little wonder that 1) Americans are becoming the most obese people in the world and 2) community-based restaurants who suffer the taxes and overhead expenses not enjoyed by the "mobile munchie-marts," are having a hard time making ends meet.
Sunde Farquhar
8:34 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Hi Harvey,
Nice to hear from you!
Palm Harbor might be an exception to your theory about local restaurants having a hard time making ends meet in connection with the attention that food trucks are getting. I was told that one of the restaurants in Old Downtown Palm Harbor had a boom in business the night of the food truck rally, and it is thought to be because of the large amount of food truck patrons who visited the downtown area.
Harvey A. Smith
10:17 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Of course, Sunde, there are exceptions. I believe Peggy O'Neill's did a great business that day! I think this subject might be a good opportunity for a Patch poll from restauranteurs in those areas where the mobile-munchie marts have appeared. Small businesses are so sensitive these days to anything that might disrupt their normal flow of customers.
Sunde Farquhar
11:45 am on Friday, July 27, 2012
Ah! Very good idea, Harvey, a Patch Poll on this topic will be coming soon! :)
The Masked Blogger
11:20 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
"Americans are becoming the most obese people in the world" - (to quote your first poster) is because our rush-rush society that's really headed nowhere, just has to stop at the local fast food drive-thru to get that quick fix burger and breaded, greasy chicken loaded with hi-fat dressing and flushed down with high calorie sweet tea to satisfy their cravings. I am one of the few people that actually agrees with New York's Mayor Bloomberg and things there should be a ban on selling Big Gulp sized drinks to save people from themselves and make them think "Do I REALLY need all this carbonated sugar at once?". Between kids being parked in front of TVs and video game consoles all summer, their lack of gainful exercise and activity combined with bad dietary choices and next to zero parental guidance, it's no wonder each successive generation is getting fatter and fatter. "Thar She Blows" - it just doesn't apply to seagoing creatures anymore.
Tracy Braga
2:50 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012
I wonder where the perception comes from that food trucks don't have overhead? We pay taxes, we buy propane, we buy LOTS of gas at $3.50 a gallon. How much gas do you think a food truck uses when its on the road? A heck of a lot. We are subjec to health inspections, fire inspections, etc. We have to pay to store our truck somewhere and we have to pay for commissary usage. After food costs, gas, propane, employee costs, taxes, etc, we are lucky to clear a couple of hundred dollars a shift, and we work just as hard as a restaurant. Some of us would love to have a "brick and mortar" restaurant, but in this economy it is not so easy to get financing to be able to open an establishment. We were able to fund the truck ourselves with a little help from crowd sourcing. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but making blanket statements that are without basis in fact is irresponsible. And there is no need to be derogatory and refer to food trucks as "roach coaches" or roach coch rallies. Our truck gets a thorough cleaning every time we use it. There is room in this world for free enterprise and last time I checked, citizens were free to choose to eat at whatever establishments they like.
The Masked Blogger
9:56 am on Monday, July 30, 2012
Thanks for setting the crowd straight, Tracy! I think you covered all bases with your reply. As far as your question, "I wonder where the perception comes from that food trucks don't have overhead?"..... come on, it's obvious where it comes from - The same crowd that says "You Didn't Build That!" because in fact, they never built a thing in their lives! (Wish I knew which truck you owned, I'd personally make it a point to steer you some business. Good luck!)
Debbie Guy
11:37 am on Monday, July 30, 2012
I agree Tracy, It amazes me how much it cost for us to do one event and hope we break even. A lot of do this for a business but on top of the business we have a passion for what we do which keeps us creative. I have not been to a Rally yet that I did not hear at least one restaurant say wow that was the best day of the year. We our bright and bold and bring a lot of attention the the surrounding area. if we could work together maybe the Cities that are struggling can come out on top. There is a reason some of the cities are struggling as they do not have an open mind. Thank Goodness Palm Harbor is not one of those close minded cities THANK YOU Palm Harbor.
Chad
11:33 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
commissary usage? Can anyone tell me of a good one in the Oldsmar, Palm Harbor area? I'm thinking about getting a truck any info would be great. Feel free to e-mail me at cwodraska@firstam.com. Please no spamers
Thanks