Usually you have to travel to Seattle for food truck nirvana, plus find a parking place.
This weekend, the food truck feast is coming to you.
About 20 food trucks will serve it up at the Everett Food Truck Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Colby Avenue between Everett Avenue and 25th Street.
It’s like a food court on wheels.
But it’s more than meal. Make a day of it. There will be kids activities, music and a beer and wine garden.
Food trucks have come a long way from the “roach coach” image.
The trucks are gourmet mobile kitchens. Fare ranges from comfort food to fusion.
The chefs are social media savvy. Most have websites, Facebook and Twitter feeds with their menu and schedule.
“I’m on the road all the time,” said Snohomish County resident Jerry Dixon, 46, owner of the Seahawks themed Big Dog’s food truck.
Dixon said he was inspired by the movie “Chef,” about a chef who loses his restaurant job and starts up a food truck.
Dixon worked for the county, but he was inspired anyway. He bought the truck used and wasn’t sure what his specialty would be until he pulled off the vinyl wrap.
“It was Seahawks blue,” he said.
Bam!
As for the speciality hot dog menu? “We sat around drinking beer and tried different hot dogs. That was the R &D.”
For more about the festival, visit www.everettfoodtruckfestival.com.
Who’s coming
Food trucks at the Everett fest also include:
Tokyo Dog: Japanese style hot dog that uses German style bratwurst and sausages with Japanese toppings such as nori, furikake, shichimi and miso; www.tokyodog.com.
Ezell’s Express: Wheeled extension of Ezell’s Famous Chicken; www.ezellschicken.com.
Where Ya’ At Matt?: New Orleans soul food: gumbo, catfish, grits, red beans and rice, po’ boy submarines, pecan pie; whereyaatmatt.com.
My Sweet Lil’ Cakes: Hotcakes made to order, stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients, served on a stick; www.mysweetlilcakes.com.
Fez on Wheels: Flatbread, hummus, falafel; fezonwheels.com.
Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff: Burgers that pack a flavorful punch by a female-owned food truck that’s an expansion of the gourmet hot dog and sausage cart, Charlie’s Dog House, named after a little Yorkshire terrier named Charlie; charliesbunsnstuff.com.
Jemill’s Big Easy: Cajun cuisine; jemilsbigeasy.com.
314 Pie: Savory meat, fruit and veggie pies made with buttery crust; www.314pieseattle.com.
Express Rolling Grill: Mexican fare; www.facebook.com/pages/Express-Mexican-Grill.
Lumpia World: meat, veggie, lemon grass, sweet potato lumpia with sauces; www.lumpiaworld.com.
Food truck dining tips
Be patient. Many items are cooked fresh.
Know what you want in advance. Menus are posted. This saves time at the window.
If you’re in a group, have everyone pick a truck, order a bunch of food and eat family style.
Bring cash. Most take plastic but some only take cash.
Leave some green in the tip jar.
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