San Diego Fall Food Truck Festival: Fantastic Fun Fare for All

Since the last visit to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the San Diego Craft Beer Festival in September, my buddy Mark (since upgraded from Uber driver status) and I have been eagerly anticipating more events at the racetrack.  Lucky for us the Bing Crosby season at Del Mar just started, and the Fall Food Truck Festival was storming out of the gates.  Another beautiful day in Sunny Southern California meant a quick trip down to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in blue-skied San Diego to soak up some sun, stuff our stomachs full of food, and wage a few bets on galloping equestrians.

Over 30 food trucks arrived including local favorite Carnitas Snack Shack, Food Network Food Truck Face-off winner Mess Hall Canteen, and the ever popular Cousins Maine Lobster.  These three had the longest lines as they were the most well known, but there were no lines for beer... none.  That meant that the queues were all but forgotten about by the time the last sip of brew was consumed.

We headed straight for the pork.  What's better than an ungodly combination of shredded pork, bacon, and deep fried schnitzel? Nothing, I tell ya.  Nothing.  The carnitas, its house special, was so tender, juicy, and flavorful that the bacon was barely noticeable.  The Triple Threat Pork Sandwich cannot be passed up.

In addition to the Triple Threat sandwich, the Carnitas Snack Shack also makes a mind blowing Pork Belly App.  Upon first glance it looks like nothing more than a slab of charred pork, but one bite will make you fork the pork immediately.  The sweet and spicy glaze that glistens atop the slow cooked sexiness is what pulls the entire dish together.  The salad on the side, although overshadowed, is light and refreshing.  The frisee, apples, radishes, and lemon vinaigrette were a somewhat healthy balance to the substantial amount of sinful swine that we had just ingested.

We jumped at the chance for a lobster roll and clam chowder from Lobsta Truck.  The traditional split top roll was overflowing with New England's finest crustacean dressed lightly with seasoned mayo.  There was no mistaking the fresh lobster claws.  They were pointing straight at us from within the bread saying to us... you.  You... eat me... eat me nowww.

Every so often we would exchange glances (compliments in the food world) at others' food.  One item that caught our attention was the Kobayashi fries from Chop Soo-ey.  Criss-crossed golden waffle fries with crisp fatty bacon, streams of ranch dressing, and pico de gallo made for the perfect Asian fusion.  Wait, what's Asian fusion about these fries? Nothing, I don't care.

Think we had enough? Not us.  A trip to the fairgrounds requires a funnel cake.  It's obligatory to close off an already life threatening meal with more fat, sugar, and carbs.  Ice cream? Check.  Chocolate syrup? Check.  Whipped cream? Check.  Powdered sugar? Yes, please.  And strawberries to make the funnel cake healthy.  Oh, who are we kidding...

We interspersed the bites of food with chugs of beer and horse races.  There may even have been a few shots of Maker's Mark here and there.  (If your buddy's name is Mark, the Maker's Mark has to happen.  Gotta follow the rules, man.)  The biggest bet was made on Race 5, which was when Ice Cream Truck took the win.  It's only fitting that a horse named Ice Cream Truck wins at a Food Truck Festival.  More money for food and drink now... I'd call that #winning.

San Diego Fall Food Truck Festival
Del Mar Fairgrounds
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.  Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 755-1167

ML - 20151107

Post 87: More Fried Chicken and Waffles (OC: Costa Mesa)

Continuing with the thought of fried chicken and waffles in honor of National Fried Chicken Day, I now take you down south to a waffle purveyor in Orange County.  Nestled in between boutique shops and an indoor mini mall with food related retail is The Iron Press.  The supposed restaurant seems more to me like a waffle bar or delicatessen rather than just a restaurant.  It is a simple and modern space with an open kitchen where the masters of the presses whip up wondrous waffles while the wistful waiting watch with their wandering eyes. 

The chicken and waffles was quite simple... almost minimalist even.  The buttermilk fried chicken breast was sandwiched between golden brown waffles and served with a jalapeño maple syrup.  The cole slaw that I had thought would come as a side was actually already inside the sandwich.  The chicken was not the least bit greasy, and the cole slaw was prepared without mayonnaise.  And although that may be good news for the health conscious, it may have been too progressive for me.  The maple syrup was neither spicy enough nor sweet enough.  In the world of Real Housewives, this was so very Orange County.  Atlanta Housewives has the drama of untouchable egos, extramarital affairs and extremely low blows.  Like Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken, it's a little dirty and such a guilty pleasure.  Beverly Hills Housewives has the drama of mo' money mo' problems... bling, bling, bling.  Like the ad hoc fried chicken from Bouchon, it's elegant, rich, and classy... but when you're immersed in the middle of it, it oozes bits of naughty pleasure as well.  OC Housewives, on the other hand, revolves around unconfirmed dirty looks and eating cake that isn't yours.   And like the chicken from The Iron Press, there's just not enough drama.  I ordered a side of bacon just so I could have that greasy, salty taste that I so desperately desired.

What made more of an impression on me was the burger.  With fresh ground rib eye and the bite of raw red onions, the burger waffle had much more oomph than the chicken.  The combination of juicy meat and ooey gooey cheese helped create the hearty quality of comfort food.  There is more of an emotional attachment that keeps 'em coming back for more... much like a trashy episode of Atlanta or Beverly Hills Housewives.  I wanted oil.  I wanted salt.  I wanted to say ooooh, that's good.  And I got it from the burger and waffle fries.  Oh, the waffle fries and the accompanying garlic aioli were ooooh, so good.

There are many more items on the menu, including the ham and smoked gouda waffle, the bratwurst waffle, the breakfast waffle sandwich, dessert waffles and the Guinness ice cream float... all of which have descriptions that preview a bit of tasty drama for the next visit to The Iron Press.  On the backs of the shirts that the staff wear, the Iron Press proudly exclaims, "WE LIKE BEER & WAFFLES."  Well, so do I.  Until the next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120828/20120527