I’m no rookie when it comes to eating at the Jalopy Rotisserie and Press.  The giant truck parked just north of downtown has been sitting pretty sliding out some amazing sandwiches since day one.  The menu is diverse, chock-full of homemade sauces that push the boundaries on what a sandwich shop should be doing, but that sort of inventiveness has been baked into the Jalopy since day one.  And it’s that same sense of “don’t get too comfortable” that drives the owner, Nic, to keep trying new things.  And that’s exactly what warrants a fourth blog post on the same trailer on this blog.

On my latest stop at the big rig on 15th St I craved spicy so the Folletto was a no-brainer.  It’s loaded with pickled peppers and a pepperocini vinaigrette.  As it was being assembled by Nic himself I learned that they were trying out some new bread for all their sandwiches.  First reaction: uh oh.  I’m a huge fan of their bread, which was baked and delivered by Whole Foods.  Nic then came to the window and showed me the giant ball of dough for the new bread and tore a piece off for my sandwich.  That’s right, bread baked to order.  Suddenly I was feeling much better about the bread swap.

I love watching my sandwich come down the 8-foot slide.  It’s always piping hot, forcing me into a game of hot potato every time.  Once unwrapped I was greeted with, well, a wrap.  Rather than the classic sandwich (e.g., bread, stuff, bread) it more closely resembled a gyro.  My first bite of bread reminded me of pita.  Turns out the bread recipe is based on naan, so I wasn’t far off.  Everything inside the bread was exactly what I wanted and expected: hot, spicy, fresh.  The bread was soft and chewy, but still a little too doughy.  They’re still working out the exact recipe.  For me I’m excited to see the final product, but if I had the choice I’d take the old bread.

What impresses me most is the Jalopy’s seemingly endless desire to innovate.  After thoroughly enjoying my wrap sandwich I learned that they are actively reworking most of their sauces to make sure the consistency jives with the new bread.  The ultimate goal is to phase out the old bread entirely and use the homemade stuff exclusively.  It’d be easy enough to slide down the same old sandwiches, resting on early success.  It’s refreshing to see one of Austin’s favorite trucks continuing to take chances and reinvent itself.