stomachache

What are the odds that two things I really like would be combined? Well when they are movie sets (with Danny working on them) and trailer park eateries, the odds aren't great. What are the odds that two things I really do not like would be combined? When they are pork rinds and anything else edible, one is too many. Both happened Friday night.

 

Twitter, again, came to my aid in planning an exciting evening. Once I confirmed that the movie set wasn't closed to the public, I sent the email out to my faithful followers (you can be one too! just shoot an email to trailertrashandtreasures@gmail.com) with the details of the evening and BAM! We had a plan for a fantastic Friday night at the East Side Drive In.

 

 

Walking up to the lot of trailers can be intimidating under normal circumstances, but when there is expensive-looking movie equipment and people rushing around watching other people in brightly-colored leotards dance, it's crazy nerve-wracking. Glad not to be alone, I met up with Sheena and Alisha and we made a loop around the perimeter to check out the offerings. We saw Eat, The Vegan Yacht, Heros Frozen Treats (but they were closed), Pig Vicious, Pueblo Viejo, Bits and Druthers, Love Balls, and The Local Yolk. On our trip around the park, we stopped in front of Pig Vicious where we scoped out what the guys at the near table were munching. The guys were really nice and talked to us (instead of shooing us away) and turns out that one of them is my Twitter hero, Tony (@FoodTrailersATX)! I embarrassed myself by getting too excited/nervous, but luckily my calm, supportive friend Sheena stepped in and acted casual (normal). She told him about the blog since I was incapable of rational thought (due to both nervousness and extreme hunger at this point) and he seemed interested! Maybe my proudest moment as a blogger thus far. Followed closely by the @mention shout out from him later that night to ask what I ended up eating. Oh boy, was I excited!

Enough about that, we still needed to eat. Tony said the fish and chips from Bits and Druthers were some of the best he'd ever had, so Sheena and Alisha quickly settled on that. Around that time my new roommate, Rikki, and her friend, Weston, joined our party. They walked around and chose to order at Pueblo Viejo. I still could not make up my mind. I circled the trailers like a hunting predator, but could not for the life of me commit to anything. This is not my finest quality. I even walked up to order an egg sandwich from The Local Yolk, but at the last second reconsidered (fatal mistake). Finally, after at least 20 minutes of hesitating, I walked up to the menu of Pueblo Viejo. I wanted a tamale and a taco, but which of each? An interesting character walked past me and overheard my struggle to choose and lavished praise on the chicharron taco. Grateful for any advice at this point, I pounced on it. I asked the lady working the window if it was good and she nodded. She asked if I liked pork with a look of concern on her face which I didn't understand, and I quickly said yes. I also ordered a tamale, but the only ones they had left were the cheese and jalapeno. Sure! I'll take one of those. Throw in a Dr. Pepper, why don't ya. That was my meal, and I was excitedly hopeful it would be as delicious as the friendly service suggested.

After I got my food (since I was last...), we found a table out of the movie shot and sat down for a nice meal. My first bite tasted alright, but there was a strange texture that I was completely not expecting. It was crunchy like something fried, but then also strangely chewy. I couldn't identify what was going on in my taco. Weston coincidentally asked what taco I had gotten at that exact moment, so I informed him it was the chicharron taco. He asked, "Isn't that pig's ears?" And I initially panicked, but then I thought, "well, that's what I get for trusting the advice of an old crazy-looking hippie man." We Googled it, it's actually pork rinds. Both Sheena and Alisha wanted to try a bite and I did not feel the least bit sad to see those bites vanishing from my plate (because it meant I didn't have to eat those parts). I took one more bite myself, before relinquishing the remainder to Alisha who really enjoyed it. Guys, I can't tell you enough how much I hated that taco. I feel the burden of most of the responsibility for ordering it without knowing what it was, but it was gross. I wasn't a huge fan of the corn tortilla to begin with. It wasn't very tasty and was too dry. The flavors in the taco were okaaaay, but not memorable. And the texture.... ugh. I seriously hated it, but at least I had my tamale... right? The cheese part of the tamale was more like a cheese stick that was stuck in the middle with an inch of cornmeal surrounding it, and the jalapeno part was more like a quarter of a pepper in a long slice sitting next to that cheese stick. I'm a fan of cheese so I liked it, but it was pretty spicy still. I ate it, but I've definitely had better tamales (like at the Barton Creek Farmer's Market). Plus, for the $3 I paid, I want more than what I got. And what I got was a stomachache. Probably because of the combination of my taco's strange texture, the hunk of cornmeal with cheese, the fish and chips I sampled from Sheena's plate (DELICIOUS btw), my entire can of Dr. Pepper, and the anxiety of the conversation we were having about the potential of this blog. Blah.

It breaks my heart to say anything bad about these great establishments, but I trust that you understand this is only my opinion and is not shared by everyone. Heck, Alisha finished my taco for me! She obviously didn't have the same problem with the pork rinds as I did. So, with that in mind, I give Pueblo Viejo 1.5 out of 5 trailers because they still had lovely, although slightly misleading, service and they are located in an excellent environment, but I probably won't eat there again with so many other trailers offering better things so close. Guess this makes it the first "trash" for this blog.

Guest Reviews (in the order that I received them):

Here's my review of the night of fame, tamales, tacos, cameras and pigskin.

The tacos al pastor were pretty tasty.  Deliciously seasoned pork with pineapple is always a good combination in my world (almost anything with pineapple is a good combo in my world.)  And, always a plus, tacos served with two tortillas for the taco splitters- thank you for your generosity tacoartists.  (pound it on the tacos)

Jalapeno and cheese tamale... interesting combination.  I would never say that I think tamales are something you should think outside the box on, they are too authentic and wonderful to need to be changed.  I can't say it was more than average... and it is a little wierd to run into a clump of cheese in your tamale.  I shouldn't compare because its not quite fair, but these could never rival the ones that my soccer teams parents make me.  (wouldn't quite pound it on the tamale, I might give a little head nod or something)

Rik

East Side Drive-In: Bits and Druthers

I always enjoy when something I eat evokes memories from my past, especially when it’s a memory that places me in a difference place at a different time. Bits and Druthers at the East Side Drive, reminded me of my summer abroad at Oxford, eating fish and chips and enjoying a nice cold Pimm’s cocktail. Even so, I think Bits and Druthers have done it a little bit better. I got the Fish Supper, which included large fish-in-chip, coleslaw, tartar sauce, lemon wedge and a cornichon, pickle. The fish was served piping hot with a crunchy crust sprinkled with malt vinegar. Trust me, this fish needed no additional condiments. It was seasoned to perfection. It literally melted in your mouth, that’s how well it was cooked.  Furthermore, I paired my fish with Druthers’ coleslaw. It was so light and so fresh. Their menu says that it’s made with celery root, cabbage, and caraway seeds, and you can tell that it’s made fresh.  It wasn’t soggy, it wasn’t too creamy, and it was just a nice accompaniment with the fish.  This dish truly recaptured my summer abroad adventures some five years ago when I was hanging out with friends, discussing British Literature, and enjoying some delicious fish-in-chips. Funny how food can trigger such fond memories...

Shee

Bits and Druthers (Thumbs Up):

Wrapped in a paper bouquet, the fish ‘n chips at Bits and Druthers were hot, crispy and delicious. The fish was light, fluffy and served with a homemade, creamy tartar sauce. If you’re in the mood for coleslaw, I recommend you try this one. It was pleasantly different and the fresh, cool ingredients are the perfect pairing with your fish and chips.

Pueblo Viejo (Thumbs in the middle):

After spending a summer in Mexico, I am a picky about my tacos. Pueblo Viejo was good, but forgettable.  The menu was a little vague and didn’t really spike my interest. If Shalyn had not purchased the tacos, I wouldn’t have thought twice about this place. The Chicharrón taco was juicy and crispy, but I’ve had better.  I say this place if you’re really craving tacos, if not, I suggest trying something else. 

Alisha

Pueblo Viejo Review:

I love me some Tex-Mex. For a guy that lacks many taste buds, this food actually makes my mouth pop. I got the tacos al pastor and cheese/jalapeno tamale at PV. At first glance I was a little disappointed in the size of the comida. I am a big guy and can put down some Tex-Mex. 

For such a poquito plate, the flavor hit the spot. There is just something about Al Pastor that makes me feel alive. The combo of seasoned meats and mango whisks me away to the islands....and I never want to leave. And I will say that the cheese jalapeno tamales had the slight kick with a punch of cheese that made my night golden.

If you are looking for something not to heavy, but bursting with some sabor.....check PV out!

Weston

it's hot.

It has been hotter than Hades this last week in this capitol city and I'm sure everyone is trying to find a way to stay cool. Coolhaus is a relatively new (less than a year old) and awesome ice cream sandwich trailer that boasts some fantastically interesting flavor combination possibilities that will satisfy your sweet tooth while simultaneously chilling you out.

If you know me, you know I'm a nerd. My nerdiness has only been recently multiplied by my fascination with Twitter. I have had an account for some time now, but only in the last few weeks has it become an obsession... and that is all to blame on this blog. I have discovered that even food trailers tweet! And it's glorious for someone who wants to fully embrace the culture such as myself. So, Coolhaus has a very active twitter account and I really enjoy and apprecaite their updates. I have seen them tweet about their location for the day, and this past Sunday I was determined to pay them a visit. Danny, my trusty companion on this mission, had faith in my judgement and twitter-sense and allowed me to drag him to the Mueller Lake Park to get a tasty treat.

We located the tiniest, most adorable food trailer I have even seen and immediately started sampling their ice cream flavors. The sign says to start by choosing your cookie preference, followed by your ice cream but we like to be independents so we opted to go the other direction in the process. Honestly, we just got distracted by the insanely awesome ice cream names/ingredients. Bacon in ice cream?! Real mint leaves?! Red wine reduction?! The guy working the truck (Chance) was so patient with us! He even let me take his picture (multiple times) and got excited when I told him about this blog and my newfound hobby of eating. I could have stood there all day and continued to marvel at the tiny spoonfuls of cool surprises, but we had to get down to business. Danny made his mind up before I did (this is exactly how it always goes... I can never make up my mind about what I want to eat!) and went with the ginger cookies and the brown butter and candied bacon ice cream. He kindly let me have a bite and it was fantastic, but I'll let his review tell you more about it. 

I finally settled on my favorite flavor of ice cream: Lambrusco (the red wine reduction one that has a tricky name), but choosing a cookie was too much for me. Since the ice cream description said something about cinnamon, I just went with the snickerdoodle cookies. Chance hand-scooped the ice cream and sandwiched it nicely between the cookies and boy! was it a handful! I couldn't fit my mouth around it to take a bite, so I resorted to the childlike licking-and-biting-around-the-edge method.  It worked perfectly while also helping me to feel slightly nostalgic, as melty ice cream treats eaten at a park on a hot summer day can do.

I absolutely loved the ice cream part of this sandwich. The variety of flavor options and the incredible quality of each of the flavors will keep me coming back for more all summer. I am, however, very spoiled when it comes to the cookie part of the sandwich and I was kinda disappointed. The snickerdoodles and the ginger cookies were more on the crunchy side than I would have preferred. It made it hard to get a solid bite because of the contrast of hard cookie to soft ice cream. The ice cream just moves out of the way (and out of the embrace of the cookies onto your hands). I licked up every bit of the ice cream, but ended up not finishing a few bits of cookie due to a combination of fullness and unexcitement about the cookies themselves. This is obviously only my opinion on texture, they still tasted great and the experience was overall very positive. I'm excited to go back and try other combinations and see what new wacky flavor of ice cream they can create next!

 

This trailer gets 4.5 trailers out of 5 because of thier mobility and use of Twitter to update customers on their location, their exrtra friendly staff (Chance chatted with me for the longest time about the company), and their outstanding innovative and delicious ice cream falvors!

Guest Review:

Coolhaus Shmoolhaus

Kidding. I just really wanted to say that. Coolhaus totally lived up to it's name...wait a second...no it didn't. Sure it was cool, but no way was that thing a house...haus*.

Woah, woah...we're gettin' way off track here. Let's get away from the name for a minute and get to the "meat" of the subject. If you don't see how that pun is relevant in a review of a trailer that sells Ice Cream sandwiches, then by golly, you haven't been to Coolhaus, the best damn ice cream sandwich trailer, nay, the best damn ice cream SANDwich in town. (Sorry Tiff's Treats). Man, this place has some killer options for you. All homemade, they can pair up any ice cream with any cookie. That's a whole lotta options: they've got your chocolate chip cookie with a lump o' red velvet; a couple o' snickerdoodles squishin' a scoop o' dirty mint chip (made with real, fresh mint leaves!); Always dreamed of having your Mascarpone & Balsamic Fig leaf ice cream slammed between two soft oatmeal cookies? Fine. Good. No sweat bucko'. This place will turn the dirty insane into the insane tasty like nobody's business, and they'll do it with a smile.

Our particular dessert barista, Chance, was a delight. He gave us free tasters of all the crazy flavors and sold me on my sandwich choice; 2 ginger cookies became the floor and ceiling to my cool Haus treat. and what furnished the inside you ask? A heaping scoop of Brown butter w/ Candied Bacon ice cream. What? That's crazy! You can't put bacon in ice cream!! You better bet your bacony buns you can. And they did. Mmmmmm...I'm still salivating over that delicious treat. Sweet, savory, creamy, chewy, a bit o' crunch from the cookie. Ugh, you guys nailed it Coolhaus.

If it's cold and creamy you're looking for this summer, Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches has got you covered. Check 'em out online to find the whole menu and truck locations each day: http://eatcoolhaus.com/

Till the next trailer, this is Danny. out. 

discounts, ideas, and excitement

Has anyone else ever heard of a Foodie Card? I think I might need to get one for the rest of my trailer adventures this summer... **Except that I just learned that Foodie Card is no longer in business. :( Also I just installed the Clip! app on my phone and am excited about the savings possibilities! AND, this app has been helpful in coming up with ideas for trailers to visit in the future. In addition to all that, I downloaded the Go Local app too. Has anyone bought the card? Is it useful? I'm interested. There are also a lot of great food trailers to follow on Twitter... if anyone is intersted, let me know and I'll post some links or something.

I'm just so dang excited that I'm STILL pumped about this (and that my friends are too)! I spend way too much of my time thinking/researching/etc. food trailers and I REALLY apprecaite it when other people share their ideas with me too (cough, Sheena's the best, cough). :)

Foodie love to you!!

hello, 25

I am a very lucky girl. This past Tuesday (May 31) was my 25th birthday and I invited my friends to join along in the trailer adventures to celebrate. I was honored when so many people were there with me to enjoy an Austin original food cart in the SoCo Food Trailer Park called The Mighty Cone. This idea came to me after my beautiful roommate, Danielle, left me an article from this month's Austin Monthly Magazine about the trailers at 1600 South Congress Ave. and how they will be forced to relocate later this summer because a hotel will be built where they currently reside. I wanted to visit those trailers before they moved and checked online to see if most of them would be open for dinner Tuesday, but apparently the world wide web lies and only The Mighty Cone was open to serve our savory cravings. This has been the most frustrating part of this new hobby of mine. By nature, these trailers have the ability to open/close whenever they wish and aren't necessarily set to a defined hourly schedule which poses a challenge to me when I'm trying to plan a visit to taste their delicious offerings. Luckily for our birthday group, both Austin Frigid Frog and Hey Cupcake! were also open for our trailer dessert needs. My friends all maintained positive attitudes and were excited to try the cones deemed mighty and we still had a fantastic experience.

  

 

Walking up to the row of trailers can seem intimidating at first, but since The Mighty Cone was the only dinner-food option, the choice was made easy on us. I have actually eaten at The Mighty Cone previously, so in the spirit of trying new things, I opted for a slider instead. It was a bold move to branch out and I genuinely wished I hadn't. The tiny burger-in-a-cone comes with a side of fries, which was nice, but I would have preferred the fried (or as they say at Mighty Cone "deep sautéed") yumminess of the chicken and avocado cone. Lesson learned. I was grateful that Danielle had eaten a snack before we came and shared her cone with me, the birthday girl. :) My friend, Eddie, was also in the sharing mood and let Sheena and I eat one of his fried pickles (they were SO hot, but delish). Anyway, don't get me wrong, the slider was still good eatin'. If you for some reason dislike deep sautéed foods then the slider is an excellent alternative, just not what I was in the mood for that evening. The Mighty Cone also has a variety of beverage options and I had to go with the classic Sweet Leaf Peach Iced Tea. It was perfect. The sassy service of the window girl just added to the festiveness, so overall the experience was very positive. The trailer even shares some of it's profits with local organizations doing amazing things in the city, so when you eat there you can feel good that you're giving your money to people who recognize the importance of supporting community.

 

My rating for this trailer would be a 4 out of 5 trailers because of the excellent location (sadly, this will change), unique & superb food offerings, and their commitment to making a difference with their business.

Guest Reviews (in the order I received them):

Mighty Cone: I'm from Dallas and we Dallasites know a little bit about unique foods that are easy to take on the go, (e.g., Texas State Fair), so, I will excited to try Mighty Cone and see if it held up to my festival food standards.  The Hot and Crunchy Chicken cone is a delicious crunchy chicken fillet, topped with coleslaw, and wrapped in a tortilla. It came out piping hot and it smelled wonderful. Taking my first bite, I loved how the creaminess from the slaw and the crunchiness of the chicken meshed well together and paired with a Mexican Coke it was a nice little meal on a summer day. However, I have to admit that I did get bored with my meal. Although, there was a lot of different flavors going on, I wondered if there was anything more to it. Yes, it would be the perfect companion to any Austin Festival (ACL, SXSW, etc...), but as a far as me craving Mighty Cone and going out of my way to get it, meh! I don't think that's going to happen. It was nice to try but I've definitely had better when it came to festival food.

Try: The Fried pickles with a lovely spicy avocado sauce.
Sheena

The trailer area on south congress is one of my favorite parts of Austin. The line of food trailers adds even more character to an already unique and fun part of our city. I chose to eat at The Mighty Cone, a place with a reputation even outside of Austin. I ordered the chicken and avocado deluxe... which combines lots of my favorite ingredients: fried chicken, tortilla, good sauce, and avocados (also fried!). The ancho sauce is the real star here. It adds a good flavor and helped out the chicken which was a little dry. It was a little tricky to eat- the food comes served in a cone... so I'm not sure if i should just take it out and make a burrito, or eat it with a fork. I ended up doing a weird, messy hybrid of the two. All said though, the novelty of it was worth any trickiness in eating it. I'd definitely go back with some friends and have a nice meal outside on SoCo! Plus, you can walk right over to Hey Cupcake and have dessert. Or go across the street to Lucy In Disguise and see some crazy costumes (They have a sweet Michael Jackson jacket I need to get).
Alex