Providence/Boston Food Truck Showdown

With 20,000 people descending on Providence Rhode Island's, India Point Park for the first ever Providence/Boston Food Truck Showdown the lines stretched clear across the grassy park for many of the 20 trucks in attendance. It was advertised that there would be 10 trucks from each Boston and Providence to compete.

According to the shows promoter Food Truck Festivals of America they had 15,000 pre-sale tickets and another 5,000 at the gate sales. The event was sold out roughly 1 hour after opening. We arrived a little early with our pre-bought tickets. The line was already pretty long. At 12:00 sharp they opened the gates to general admission. Attendees had the option to purchase VIP tickets allowing them early entry to the event for shorter/no lines.

After passing through the gates we made our way to the far end of the park and decided the first truck we would visit was Happy Taco from Gloucester, MA. I picked their fried Baja Fish Taco while Dan went the Grilled Chicken and Chris with the Braised Beef. My taco was light and delicious. the red onions and light lemony sauce was just the right balance.

Next we decided to try something different at the Uyghur Kitchen. They specialize in Turkish food. We each picked the Lamb Kebab Wrap. It included a spring mix, tomato's, pickles, feta cheese with their special yogurt sauce all wrapped in pita bread. The lamb kebabs were marinated in a mixture of onion, garlic and pomegranate juice, which added a kick of tartness to the lamb. While the sandwich on a whole was very tasty the quality of the ingredients was disappointing. In particular the lamb was very grizzly and nearly inedible with the exception of a few pieces. It was also very strange with the pickles. They added a bizarre flavor I didn't care for.

After finishing the Kebab wrap we went to the Samuel Adams beer garden to collect the beer that we got along with our entrance. Chris I enjoyed Angry Orchards while Dan go a Summer Ale. We all commented that the can's tasted a bit off and wondered if they had been sitting in the sun to long.

After a relaxing brew while listening to some music we decided or rather I decided it was time to hit the trucks once more. Unfortunately the lines had grown to ridiculous lengths and I opted for a desert waffle from Zinnekens of Cambridge. I picked the Sin which was a soft and chewy waffle made with caramelized Belgian pearl sugar covered in Nutella and banana slices. It was just the right way to finish of a fantastic festival and a full stomach.

Stuffed we went for a walk up to Thayer Street to check out all the little stores along the way It was a perfect day and a great time enjoying the sights, smells and tastes of Providence & Boston too.