Today my family and I went to enjoy the day with my in-laws (Nana & Papa). When we left Rhode Island and headed north of Boston the skies were gray and the air was brisk. We decided to check out the Food Truck Festival of New England being held for the 2nd year at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts (my personal first). The place is a horse track so it was slightly dirty and smelly (of smoke, luckily no horse poop), but actually fairly well maintained for the occasion. The set up inside was a bit lacking. There were no more than a half dozen companies selling their products or distributing free samples piled close together. We sampled some juices from Nantucket Nectar & Snapple and Jim managed to score a sample of black lava salt and we moved on. As we walked outside, the day began to clear - big puffy white clouds in a blue sky and the weather warmed up. The vendors were lined up around the park and the majority of them were from Massachusetts although we did see Del's representing Rhode Island and maybe a couple of places from New Hampshire. Food trucks in Rhode Island have grown in popularity, but on this occasion they were scare - not surprising, as I have met Rhode Islanders who have never left the state, let alone go to Boston. The event sold tickets that you used to purchase food ($13 for 10 tickets or $25 for 20 tickets). The event website recommended walking around to view all the trucks before making a selection, which we did. After we walked across the park we decided to indulge in dessert first to avoid the appearance of my son's alter ego, Rhys the Beast. Dessert was red velvet with white chocolate chunk cookies (3 tickets for 2 big cookies-fairly priced) from The Cookie Monstah (Boston, Mass.). In one word - yum! The cookie was soft, moist and almost cake-like. The flavor combination was a delicate balance of sweet perfection. They left Rhys the Beast satisfied and asking for more.
Next we walked back across the park to Captain Marden's Mobile Cuisine (Westwood, Mass.). My husband and I split the the New Enlgand style clam chowder and the seafood stuffed potato and enjoyed both. The chowder was the perfect thickness and had a good amount of clams & accompaniments. The flavor was creamy and oceany and the clams were tender with no grit. The Beast ate some oyster crackers. The seafood stuffed potato was served hot, plentifully stuffed and topped with cheese.
After taking a breather, we tried to purchase some mac n cheese for our son Rhys (Big Moe's M&M Ribs; 3 tickets for small container - overpriced). The dish came in a styrofoam container with a plastic lid. I was hoping for something a little more homemade or innovative tasting and I definitely have a preference for healthier, more eco-friendly packaging. Some of the other plates that came out looked okay. The truck was meat dominant and I do not eat land meat. I think this one is a pass for me next time.
We still had a few tickets remaining so our quest for food continued. We hit up our next spot, Boston Super Dog (Roxbury, Mass.), specifically for the pickles. Grillo's Pickles was founded when Travis Grillo began selling his family's homemade pickles to the public. The pickles grew in popularity after opening a pickle cart in Boston Common. Grillo nows partners with Whole Foods as a primary means of distribution. My first experience with Grillo's Pickles was at a Whole Foods in Bellingham, MA when they were beginning to expand. We sampled and were hooked. My husband, Jim, enjoys anything fried -so this was perfect. When we first walked by the pickles were 2 pickles for 3 tickets...then they were bumped to 2 pickles for 4 tickets. Should've stayed with 3! They were good (and so was the mustard on the side). If you ever spot the truck and you do eat meat, my husband mentioned the pastrami sandwich looked great and in his words "was the size of a football."
We used my in-laws remaining tickets and each household took home a whoopie pie from The Whoo(pie) Wagon. Ours was pumpkin and frosting - brought me back to childhood immediately with a more modern twist. The appearance, taste and texture to a T.
To all my Foodie friends - Keep your eyes peeled for next year's event! And yes this event is child friendly. There is plenty of food they would enjoy, green space to run around and airplanes & horses as other points of interest for any little boy or girl.
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