Trendspotting: Food Trucks

It’s happening: The food-truck trend—a culinary phenomenon that’s already exploded in Portland, Los Angeles, and New York—has finally reached the Mile High City.

For proof, track down the Denver Cupcake Truck, which started making rounds last week. A spin-off of Park Hill’s Cake Crumbs bakery, the treat mobile peddles eight flavors of cupcakes (mmmm, lemon) and ice-cold milk until sell-out. The truck changes its location daily, sometimes multiple times, and keeps fans posted via its blog and Facebook updates.

Following on the heels of the Cupcake Truck is Pinche Tacos, Spicy Pickle co-founder Kevin Morrison’s ode to Mexican eats, which Morrison hopes to have running by mid-May. He’ll peddle tacos (wrapped in warm corn tortillas) on the 16th Street Mall, at farmers’ markets, and late-night in LoDo.

Also this spring, Rayme Rossello’s (former co-owner of Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana) plans to hit the road with Comida, her Boulder truck . Her street fare is more diverse than Pinche’s, with gorditas, quesadillas, and breakfast fare, in addition to tacos—and her truck is painted a can’t-miss pink.

Later this summer, watch for Josh Wolkon (Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben’s) to rev up the Steuben’s Food Truck. Wolkon tracked down a 1978 Chevy diesel and is currently converting it into a vegetable oil- and solar-powered modern-day food mobile. The truck will make lunchtime rounds serving Steuben’s menu favorites.

Like I said, the trend has arrived and is likely to become more pervasive with each passing month. There’s even talk of the Denver Biscuit Company starting up the Biscuit Bus.