Should she open a food truck or a restaurant? The choice was easy for Elisa Valera. Running a mobile eatery meant limitless places where she could serve her food. It meant a chance to introduce the cuisine from her native Cuba to as many people as possible.
And on a steamy evening this past August, her truck had a wide audience. Elisa’s Cuban Coffee and Kitchen was one of about a dozen restaurants-on-wheels parked at the Food Truck Round Up at the Rowe. Three times per year, about 1,200 diners regularly flock to Perkins Rowe for a taste of everything from barbecue to Caribbean-style mojo chicken. This summer’s 100-degree temperatures didn’t stop the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
“The commitment is unreal,” says Perkins Rowe marketing manager Chelsea Thibodeaux. “At times there have been so many people, you couldn’t even move.”
|
|
|
In fact, Thibodeaux says the Friday evening events have gotten so popular, she keeps a waitlist of eager vendors. She thinks people are drawn to the Round Up because of the diverse mix of menus. It’s an opportunity to try a wide range of dishes in one night.
That diversity is perhaps why food trucks have had such staying power locally. Nearly two decades since mobile eateries became a national trend, Baton Rouge’s food truck scene may never look like Austin’s, with Airstream-filled food truck parks on every corner. But in the past couple years, our city has settled into a healthy, steady landscape of new and longtime offerings.
On weekdays at lunchtime, handfuls of food trucks congregate in busy neighborhoods like downtown or LSU. They camp outside of office buildings and schools. But the city’s true sweet spot seems to be in events. Trucks are now driving beyond city limits for new monthly and annual food-truck roundups in nearby Port Allen, Gonzales and Denham Springs. It’s allowed for a culinary cross pollination of cities and regions, while simultaneously giving budding food entrepreneurs a chance to dip their toes into the industry.
|
|
|
We dive into it all in this month’s cover story, a guide to Baton Rouge’s food truck landscape in 2023. Also in this month’s issue, we’re exploring the impact of Baton Rouge General’s “Protect Your Pumpkins” campaign; showcasing how tiny NICU babies celebrate Halloween; and sharing our food critic’s review of the buzz-worthy Library Wine & Provisions.
Flip through our October issue below, or find it on newsstands around the Capital Region. Happy fall!