Baton Rouge’s best tacos, burgers and pizza aren’t just found in restaurants. Three local food trucks have won an award in Deep South Magazine’s “Best Food Trucks in the South.”
Curbside Truck, Taco de Paco and Dolce Vita all made this year’s list, which consisted of 47 food trucks from 10 states. The trucks were listed in alphabetical order; there was no numerical ranking.
“Getting this award is just further validation that we are doing something right. I think that when publications and other media sources recognize this, it is just further reaffirmation,” said Baton Rouge Food Truck Wround-up coordinator and Taco de Paco owner John Snow.
Curbside is best known for its burgers, fries and signature pork-belly preserves that add an extra kick of flavor to everything on the menu.
Taco de Paco has a variety of tacos with new specials being added to the menu every week. Past specials have included grilled tilapia tacos with guacamole, beans, cilantro, lime juice and lettuce.
Dolce Vita Pizza caters to the customer wanting an unusual twist on his or her pizza. Some of its menu items include Korean barbeque pizza with stir-fry veggies, roasted duck with sliced peaches or shrimp and crawfish au gratin pizza.
“I’m really proud to be in the same company as the other food trucks,” said Bogdan Mocanu, chef and owner of Dolce Vita. “For them to even think about giving us the award is a big honor. It’s raising the bar to make us have the best food truck possible.”
These three food trucks, along with many others in the Baton Rouge area, band together every Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon in the Baton Rouge Food Truck Wround-up.
“It’s good food and a good environment,” Snow said. “People are attracted to how novel and different it is. It is affordable and approachable.”
The Wround-up is held at a variety of locations every week and has a Twitter and Facebook that are constantly updated.
“I’m a crazy fool for the Food Truck Wround-up,” said business senior Danny McInnis. “The food trucks are filling a niche in Baton Rouge and give college students our fast food fix while also being budget-friendly.”
The Wround-up started in November 2010 and has been increasing steadily since. The trucks recently added a Saturday lunch in addition to their Wednesday night lineup. The Wround-up is an avid supporter of local businesses and has partnered in the past with Tin Roof Brewery in a collaborative effort, which gave participants a free tour of the brewery.
“Because you’re eating from a truck, sometimes people don’t expect the food to be that good,” Snow said. “The fact that these cooks are able to do this in such a small environment is really astounding. There is a lot of opportunity for the growth of food trucks, and they are continuing to add to the quality of life in Baton Rouge.”
“I think it’s good food and a good environment. I think people are attracted to how novel and different it is. It is affordable and approachable, the environment is what attracts people.”
