Fried alligator with poblano salsa, pulled pork sandwiches and fried catfish topped with crawfish etouffee cream sauce are expected parts of Louisiana’s food culture.
 
But chefs preparing these meals Wednesday night didn’t use five-star kitchens. They served the cuisine from seven of the Capital City’s newest mobile restaurants during the first Baton Rouge Food Truck Showcase.
 
“Food trucks aren’t just an Austin or Baton Rouge thing,” said Ryan Vivan, an LSU Law alumnus who is originally from the Texas capital, where scores of food trucks feed hungry patrons across the city. “People will gravitate to good food, which is why you see so many people out here.”
 
Hailee McCumsey, salon coordinator at 1699 on Perkins Road, said several of the trucks often park at her business, and because the store is open late on Wednesday nights, salon employees and food truck vendors decided to coordinate and host the event there.
 
“It’s amazing Baton Rouge has taken to the food trucks so well,” McCumsey said. “There’s people of all ages here. They appeal to a really diverse group.”
 
Curbside Burgers, Go-Ya-Ya’s Crepes, Kickers BBQ, Latte e Miele Gelato, Ninja Snowballs, Taco de Paco and AllStar Catering all crowded under the Perkins Road overpass, where more than 200 people formed lines by 7 p.m. to sample the variety of vittles.
 
“It’s a very harmonious balance between price and quality,” said Spencer Harbin, a history senior who ordered Korean barbecue from Go-Ya-Ya’s Crepes.
 
Some of these food trucks use social media like Twitter and Facebook to update patrons on the constantly moving locations. From the University area and Tigerland bars to BREC parks and business districts, they’re serving innovative food across the city.
 
Jared Loftus, who co-owns both Ninja Snowballs and Taco de Paco with different groups of people, said it “makes sense” to open these trucks in Baton Rouge, where food is deeply embedded in the culture.
 
“Our long-term goal is to have multiple trucks in this market,” Loftus said. “I’d like to see us have 10 different kinds of trucks within the next 18 or so months.”
 
Charles D’Agostino, executive director of the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, said food trucks in Louisiana have historically served employment sites with pre-made sandwiches, salads and pastries. He said the new trucks must comply with Board of Health and safety regulations as well as have proper permits and licenses while paying regular taxes.
 
“They should have minimal impact on the local economy as they cannot serve large numbers of people,” D’Agostino said in an e-mail.
 
Mike Sutter, a restaurant critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas, said the nearly two-year-old trend has paved the way for about 1,000 mobile food trucks in the city. He said the trucks are perfect fits for adventurous eaters, and the young, college and “hipster” crowds fueled the trucks’ success.
 
“Baton Rouge is one of the best food towns in the country,” Sutter said. “Think about the kinds of deep, authentic Cajun food that would come out of those places.”
 
Rob Balon, who reviews restaurants on Austin TV and radio stations as well as his website Dining Out with Rob Balon, said most of his city’s food trucks are not mobile but instead are anchored in a location truck owners lease. The city has at least 15 “major trailer clusters,” a type of truck food court.
 
“The trailer was a low-cost alternative for people who desperately wanted to have a restaurant,” Balon said. “Right now in Austin, out of every 10 restaurant openings, eight of them are trailers. It’s really wacky, but I’d bet money that within a year, you’ll see fixed-location trailers in Baton Rouge.”
 
 
 
 
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Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]