Hill Country Pierogi, a trailer near and dear to us all, just celebrated it’s half year-versary. That’s right, they’ve been spreading pierogi love to Austin’s locals and visitors for six months! To celebrate they broke out the booze, pulled off a guest appearance by Coolhaus, and threw a delicious party for all to enjoy.
Update: Sadly Lembas is permanently closed.
With my recent switch to gluten free eating, I’ve become much more aware of how pervasive the g-word is. Well just two days after making the jump, a new trailer hit the pavement with a menu free of grains and gluten! Fear not, it’s not just serving celery with a side of beef. No, the menu makes eating gluten free feel more like just eating. I submit to you my trilogy of visits to the one trailer to rule them all, Lembas.
Do you like dumplings? Of course! How about ravioli? Who doesn’t? Kolaches? Duh! And empanadas? Yes. Get to the point. The point is, every culture has its own take on dough filled with something delicious and then cooked. Well the Polish have something pretty fantastic known as pierogi and they’re taking Austin by storm. A couple (Brit and Rob) from New York City NEW YORK CITY!? yes, New York City, are showing Texas a thing or two showcasing traditional recipes and modern twists of a understated delicacy.
On my third (and likely final) visit to Odd Duck I’m prepared to write about my experience. It’s not your typical food trailer that hits a niche market (like vegan ice cream, frozen bananas, pizza, or any other single-focus mobile eatery). No, rather it’s effectively a gourmet kitchen placed in a gravel parking lot, propped up on wheels, and enclosed by wood panels and screens. The short version: amazing. The long version: keep reading.
And unfortunately due to Daylight Saving Time, the lighting does not accommodate cell phone camera pictures, so you’ll have to use your imagination (and some pictures from the wide world of the Internet).
In the land of endless Tex Mex, true Latin food is hard to come by. Sure, there are a handful of restaurants that serve South American cuisine, but only one trailer (as far as I know) that specializes in Latin-Cuban food. Don Churro has a menu full of Cuban goodness including sandwiches, churros, and other traditional fare that sets it far apart from the other trucks in town.
Let’s be honest here: fish and chips is not something I ever crave, want, think about, or even recognize as real food. For one, it’s English and nothing great has come from England since, well, America. Second, chips are what you eat with salsa, queso, or out of a mustachioed cylinder. They’re called fries because you see, we’re in America (a.k.a. England 2.0). And third, fried food hasn’t really been my thing, including, but not limited to, fish. That is, until I went to Bits and Druthers over in the burgeoning East Side Drive-In food trailer park. That’s when my whole world was flipped on its bonce.
On Friday my very typical 8am-5pm job shifted my schedule to 3pm-11pm. I know, lucky me. Who needs Friday nights anyway? Don’t despair! I took full advantage of my weekday off hitting up quite a few trailers all over, including SoCo, South Lamar, downtown and near campus. The lucky vendors? The Mighty Cone, Bananarchy, Patika Coffee, and Conscious Cravings. How’d each of them stack up? Spoiler: Wonderfully.
