Moveable Feast: Food Truck Frenzy in Palo Alto
Up until about 5 years ago, most people would never consider planning an outing to purchase lunch or dinner from a food truck. But thanks to the growing popularity of street food truck ‘rallies’ and the unique culinary delights created on these ‘kitchens on wheels’, what was once deemed the ‘roach coach’ has made a revolutionary comeback in many cities, including Palo Alto.
With its resurgent roots based in Los Angeles circa 2011, food trucks became the “incubators of culinary innovation” for novel yet inexpensive and fast cuisine. Food truck vendors would use social media to ‘announce’ to their followers their location and voila!, food truck rallies were born. The concept has caught fire with entrepreneurs and even eateries that have brick and mortar establishments and was even the plot of the movie Chef starring Jon Faveau.
Since then, food truck popularity has moved northward to the Bay Area with one of the most prevalent being Moveable Feast. This nomadic caravan of eclectic and simply scrumptious food trucks sets up at various locations around the Silicon Valley each week and Bay Area residents of all ages flock to grab a bite to eat from their favorites, which might be one truck or many.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, the chefs that participate in the Moveable Feast never disappoint. Authentic Mexican, Korean or Texas BBQ, Asian noodles, Indian or Mediterranean, lobster rolls or creamy bowls of chowder, classic burgers and hotdogs are all among the mouth-watering items available. And for you dessert lovers, there are plenty of options as well, including cupcakes, ice cream and churros to name but a few.
Moveable Feast sets up shop on Tuesdays and Thursday from 11am to 1:30pm in Palo Alto Square located at 3000 El Camino Real at Page Mill Road. Although definitely not fancy (seating is often upside-down 5 gallon buckets), prices are reasonable, the variety is impressive and the food is truly delicious. The most difficult thing is trying to decide which vendor’s food most appeals.
Their pet-friendly street food rallies also occur in other locations around the Bay Area, including the popular Friday evening dinner events that include live music and game areas for kids. The classic Moveable Feast bucket seating is available at dinner rallies but die-hards bring their own chairs and settle in for an evening of fantastic food, socializing and people watching. For a complete list of locations, click here and for a gallery of all the participating food vendors, click here.
