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Signs of Spring: Bring on the Food Trucks

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

By Julia Furlan : WNYC Culture Producer

Stream m3u

After a wet, chilly start to spring, New Yorkers are ready to revel in something they love: food trucks.

Though Mister Softee is the mainstay of chilled treats, the gourmet food truck craze now includes a plethora of upscale alternatives like smoothies, slushies—is there a difference?—and frozen yogurt with toppings.

What's your favorite food truck in New York City? Let us know by posting a comment below. You can also listen to voices at food trucks this week and check out a slideshow of what's for sale below.

The Joyride truck was parked at 26th and Park and fast to tweet about it. There doesn't appear to be a gourmet food truck in the city that doesn't rely on social media to get the message across.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
The Joyride truck was parked at 26th and Park and fast to tweet about it. There doesn't appear to be a gourmet food truck in the city that doesn't rely on social media to get the message across.
Colleen Nicosia received a taste of Joyride's buzz flavor, a frozen yogurt with a bit of caffeine for the after-lunch slump.
Julia Furlan
Colleen Nicosia received a taste of Joyride's buzz flavor, a frozen yogurt with a bit of caffeine for the after-lunch slump.
Hard not to recognize the most traditional (and ubiquitous) player in the food truck movement: Mister Softee.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
Hard not to recognize the most traditional (and ubiquitous) player in the food truck movement: Mister Softee.
Five-year-old Pedro Correa took a break from daycare with a sno-cone at Mister Softee at 26th Street.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
Five-year-old Pedro Correa took a break from daycare with a sno-cone at Mister Softee at 26th Street.
Students from a nearby high school called their Mister Softee break a
Julia Furlan
Students from a nearby high school called their Mister Softee break a "field trip." From left: Angel Vaughn, Jason Maris, Will Borden, Zihan Vaughn and Andrew Jansen.
This passerby seemed to be color-coordinated with the Taino food truck, parked on Hudson Street.
Julia Furlan
This passerby seemed to be color-coordinated with the Taino food truck, parked on Hudson Street.
For the smoothies and falafel sold here, it's all in the name, apparently.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
For the smoothies and falafel sold here, it's all in the name, apparently.
As Taim truck looks on, competition in the form of the Rickshaw dumpling truck pulls into the neighborhood. Common practice among food truck employees is to exchange food.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
As Taim truck looks on, competition in the form of the Rickshaw dumpling truck pulls into the neighborhood.

Common practice among food truck employees is to exchange food, so some, like Rickshaw dumpling's Lauren Byrne, enjoy the company.

Julia Furlan/WNYC
"It gets up to 120 degrees in here in the summer," said Lauren Byrne (left). "But it's better than the winter."
Julia Furlan/WNYC
"That dumpling truck over there is on the money," said a local employee on her lunch break. "But usually I stay cheap and bring my own."
David Rodriguez is employed by a Taste of Korea food truck to mind the lines that are sometimes 50 people long.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
David Rodriguez is employed by a Taste of Korea food truck to mind the lines that are sometimes 50 people long.
There's sometimes competition between food trucks.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
There's sometimes competition between food trucks.

"I've had some problems with falafel vendors before," Adam Ruhl, co-owner of the crepes truck said. "They park in front of my truck, then I have to move my truck back and forth, then we start yelling. It's a whole big thing."

On Fifth Avenue, two trucks work side by side. Kelvin (left) sells specialty slushies while on the opposite side of the street, crepes can be found in a custom-made truck.
Julia Furlan/WNYC
On Fifth Avenue, two trucks work side by side. Kelvin (left) sells specialty slushies while on the opposite side of the street, crepes can be found in a custom-made truck.
The Coolhaus New York truck sells gourmet ice cream sandwiches. Starting Thursday, 4/28 through Sunday 5/1 they will be on the street in NYC serving frozen treats for free.
Courtesy of CoolhausNY
The Coolhaus New York truck sells gourmet ice cream sandwiches. Starting Thursday, 4/28 through Sunday 5/1 they will be on the street in NYC serving frozen treats for free.

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Comments [4]

Steve DiMarco from Manhattan

Best cart with incredible service and the goods beyond all other trucks, is the Sweetery cart, the other trucks could learn a lot from these people they know how to it right.

Apr. 28 2011 10:27 PM
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andrew from sunset park, bk

Do Brooklyn's Chinatown food carts count? Because if they do, then you must try the noodle cart on the north west corner of 57th and 8th Ave in Sunset Park. Order the steamed fat rice noodles with the cook's sauce mix. Awesome!
For meats, try the grills on the corner of 55th and 8th or 61st and eight. For 5 bucks you will be STUFFED and smiling.

Apr. 27 2011 05:19 PM
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Otto Arigato from New York

I love Joyride truck's frozen yogurt! I'm so happy it's spring so I can revel in its delight again.

Apr. 27 2011 10:07 AM
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Jessica

Hands down - The Calexico Cart. No one can do a burrito better than these guys.

Apr. 27 2011 09:12 AM
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