Chi-Towns Chuckwagons

A new side of the Windy City’s culinary scene is gaining speed.

Chicago is a latecomer to the food truck trend that has the nation’s other foodie capitals aflutter. The reason? An embarrassingly draconian ordinance that prohibits onboard cooking. But the law couldn’t stall the growing fleet of mobile chefs who hit the pavement anyway, steering clear of trouble by serving gourmet prepackaged fare from their tricked-out rides.

I set out to discover if the city’s burgeoning four-wheeled food purveyors can sustain one hungry man for 48 hours. Armed with nothing but a hearty appetite and a Twitter account, I aim to find out.

DAY ONE:

At “Big Blue,” the in the-know handle for the cutesy Flirty Cupcakes truck, I try the Curious George, a banana-chocolate cupcake with salted caramel buttercream frosting that, I rationalize, can be considered breakfast because it contains fruit. It’s rich and delicious, like a decadent piece of banana bread, and the sugar rush sustains me for most of the morning. That is, until I learn that the 5411 Empanada truck is due to arrive a few miles away in mere moments.

By the time I catch up with the sky blue former UPS truck, there’s a line down the block. I wait it out and am rewarded with three perfectly puffy baked pastries.

I fall in love with the dough’s pleasant chew and the super-fresh fill ings: creamy sweet corn, garlicky beef and moist ham and cheese.

During the evening commuter rush I track the Gaztro-Wagon, a postal truck-turned-“naan-wich” slinger, which nestles ever-changing fancy fillings (duck confit, lobster salad) between freshly baked Indian flatbread. I snatch up the last lamb gyro, savoring every last bite of the sandwich’s juicy, flavorful ribbons of meat and caramelized vegetables.

DAY TWO:

If a cupcake can be con sidered breakfast, then so can a whoopie pie. I start with a visit to Sweet Ride, a pink truck adorned with adorable racing flames. None of the passersby appear to be judging me for starting my day munching on addictive, heart-shaped red velvet cake sandwiches.

For lunch, I catch the Tamalli Space Charros truck. Its signature masa tubes showcase Mexican flavors like spicy, cochinita pibil-style shredded pork — a yummy take on the traditional Yucatan dish — as well as more refined options like the earthy (and tasty) roasted beet and goat cheese.

Even more fun than the tamales, which are fantastic, are the sombrero and Mexican wrestling mask-clad gentlemen who take your order. According to their Twitter feed, which announces every land ing of their “tamale spaceship,” the truck was inspired by the “stridentist move ment.” I have no idea what that means, but I do know that this is hands-down my favorite food truck.

For my final meal, I track down the no-frills Haute Sausage. The menu deftly balances regional classics (the cheddar topped Sheboygan brat nails every detail) and exotic fare like the beef and lamb boerewors chakalaka with South African spices. After thoroughly enjoying my streetside brat, I chat up owner Rich Levy, who explains that his “Afro-Midwestern” sausages honor his current address, as well as his former home in South Africa. “This is my life story, done through encased meats,” he says. Much like the story of Chicago’s rise as a food truck player, it’s a tale I plan to devour over and over again.

Flirty Cupcakes
@FlirtyCupcakes

5411 Empanadas
@5411empanadas

Gaztro-Wagon
@wherezthewagon

Sweet Ride
@SweetRideChi

Tamalli Space Charros
@tamalespace101

Haute Sausage
@hautesausage