Eating street food is a huge trend these days. As evidenced by lineups at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market, which opens today, we’ve become a food truck city.
The kitchen-on-wheels concept really exploded in the last decade. Part of its popularity is that food mobility cuts through social dividers such as race, class and ethnicity and puts everyone on a common ground.
And there’s no better place to meet neighbours and strangers than standing in line sharing tidbits about your favourite cuisine.
Ranya Abu Jaib and husband Tarek Selek, the operators of Dedo’s Food Truck have discovered their Syrian-Lebanese recipe for shawarma is a big hit around town.
“Food trucks bring lots of life to a city. People line up at festivals and it’s fun. While they wait in line, they chat with people they may never see again. What I love about Canada is the mixture of cultures and traditions. Every time you stand in line, the person next to you can be from a different country and culture. But when you talk, you are one,” said Abu Jaib.
Richard Millns, who up until last year was part of the Fat Frank’s franchise, is back as an independent hotdog operator under the moniker King Richard’s.
After 12 years at the market, he’s developed a practical philosophy on the broad appeal of food trucks.
“It’s a real reflection of summer – being outdoors to enjoy the weather. For a lot of people, it reminds them of camping. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other foods. And it’s a different environment,” Millns noted.
Stacey Abadiano, of Aussie Tucker, added that her clients are attracted to the fresh, organic ingredients she uses, and Aaron Farlinger, of Bodie Brothers Root Beer, believes the diversity and unique recipes attract crowds.
St. Albert’s Farmers' Market offers everything from ethnic to fusion to ice cream and sweets and everything in-between. So join the estimated 2.5 billion people in the world who eat street food every day.
King Richard’s
Named after four generations of first-born Richards, this jumbo hot-dog food truck serves a world-class seven-inch, dog – that’s about a quarter pound. The menu, made from Schneider’s specialty food sold only to vendors, also lists veggie tofu dogs, junior chicken dogs and hamburgers.
Aussie Tucker
Now in its sophomore year, Aussie Tucker presents visitors with a dose of Australian down home cooking. There are Aussie works burgers, chicken chippies and pulled pork cooked with wattle spice and bush tomato spice. There’s the Kondalilla burger, named after a rainforest in Queensland, as well as meat pies and assorted Oz-styled desserts.
Bodie Brothers Root Beer
A pure St. Albert concoction, the root beer is served off a vintage truck. Recipe inventor Sean Bodie, a former teacher at Paul Kane, created an old-timey root beer recipe made from the original sarsaparilla root. Less focused on sugar and more on flavour, it is similar to what cowboys in the west used to drink at the local saloon.
Lemon Quenchers
Operated by the same folks that run Two Babas and a Stove, Tim and Angie Wiltzen’s Lemon Quenchers is a market mainstay going on seven years. Made from freshly squeezed fruit, the food truck offers four citrus drinks.
Dedo’s Food Truck
The St. Albert family partnership offers great tasting beef/chicken shawarma and Philly steak using a combo of 12 spices. Also on the menu board is a hybrid shawarma poutine, fattoush salad, baba ganoush and gluten free/vegetarian options.
ShugaShak
A sweets food truck, ShugaShak sells prepackaged novelty ice cream shaped as animals in a cone, and special ice cream cups. This year, the polka dot, six-foot trailer is also adding popcorn to their snack assortment.
Fab Food on Four
Starting its inaugural year at the market, Fab Food introduces entrees with original family sauces and marinades. There’s the mouchaca torta, a Mexican dish with roasted beef, sautĂ©ed fresh peppers, salsa and guacamole. These four wheels also offer German spaetzle, roasted pork with cabbage, kubie burgers with honey-jalapeno sauce, barbecue pulled pork and tacos in a bag.
DaVinci Gelato Originale
German-style gelato and Dutch adapted pancakes are the foundation of DaVinci Gelato. The fluffy mini pancakes are dipped in sugar and butter and served with a scoop of ice cream. The food truck offers seven basic ice cream flavours: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, amarena cherry, mango, lemon and stracciatella.
Hot Hot Grill
A long-time market staple, this food concession offers peameal bacon sandwiches, bratwurst, smokies and Italian sausage, pop and water.
Perogy Princess
A regular standby, Perogy Princess provides traditional Ukrainian comfort food by way of perogies, cabbage rolls, kubasa and borscht soup.
Kastelen Sausage
While the name leads visitors to believe it’s a sausage stand, it has a broad variety of eats including fruit smoothies, elephant ears, chicken strips, mini-donuts, breakfast sandwiches, corn dogs, onion rings and more.
Spice Rickshaw
A new East Indian food truck, Spice Rickshaw specializes in selling frozen Indian and Thai food. Its mini kitchen delicacies are Sriracha perogy sunrise, curries with rice and egg wrappers with meat.
Deli Coffee
Specializing in coffee bean beverages, Deli Coffee serves cappuccino, latte, Americano and coffee with ice cream, as well as chocolate, chai latte and Italian soda.
