Rochester Food Truck Rodeo!

I'm taking a quick detour away from my usual product reviews to blog about another passion of mine: food!  Food trucks have become incredibly trendy as of late, and I'm so glad that they have because I love them.  There's something about walking up and getting something amazing out of a truck--it seems like the two things should be mutually exclusive, but they most definitely are not!  This past week I went to the monthly Food Truck Rodeo that my city (Rochester) holds and I sampled an old favorite along with a few new fares.

I have been to the rodeo twice, and Le Petit Poutine is by far the most popular truck there.  Their line is always the longest, and everyone I've ever talked to has always raved about their food.  If you're unfamiliar with poutine, it's an amazing concoction consisting of a french fries base, gravy, and cheese curds.  It's a Canadian thing, and living so close to the Ontario border, I'm glad it's one that's made its way over to the States!  Above is a photo of the ladies who run it inside of their beacon  to foodies that is the green poutine truck.

And here's the poutine!  This was my second experience with Le Petit Poutine; I had previously tried their food at a different festival.  My friend Linze is the one who introduced me to them, and I had high hopes because I knew how much she loved it.  My first experience was great--the poutine was delicious and the service was fast, despite it being busy.  This time was not so wonderful.  I ordered the Bacon poutine, and as you can see in the photo above, there is no bacon.  I honestly wouldn't have even minded, except for the fact that I was charged $3 more for the bacon ($8 total for the cup, plus a $1 tip).  I went back up to the truck and explained what had happened, and was met with less-than-stellar customer service.  I ended up getting the bacon, but I was a little disappointed with how the situation was handled.  For now I'll chalk it up to just being busy (even though I'm sure they're always busy, so that isn't really an excuse).

But what about the poutine itself?!  I can't say it was as great as the first time I tried it.  It still was yummy and had great flavor, but the fries were soggy.  I really need crunchy fries to balance out the smoothness of the gravy.  I also wish that the cheese curds were a bit smaller and more spaced out instead of just on top of the fries.  It doesn't melt as well and the chunks are too big.  I want a good cheese to fries ratio without having to work for it, since I'm eating out of a takeout carton.  I'm not giving up on Le Petit Poutine after this, though, because they really do make a good product.  They have some other reviews on yelp that echo the sentiments I've expressed, so hopefully they are able to continue to improve!

Next up is this heavenly dish from Macarollin'.  I LOVE macaroni and cheese (who doesn't?!), so I was eager to try out this truck.  I had passed on them at the August rodeo because their prices seemed steep and there were others I wanted to try more, but I'm so glad I gave them the benefit of the doubt this time around!  This mac was so. damn. good!  I got the Classic mac for $9, and as I was waiting for my order I couldn't help but think, "for $9 this mac had better be life changing!"  I was not disappointed in the least.  There was no one in line besides me so the service was fast, but according to their yelp reviews they are always pretty quick at churning out orders.  I waited only as long as it took me to think out the aforementioned thought.  The first thing I noticed was how heavy the order was!  It was served in a large takeout box and I swear it was at least a full pound of macaroni (maybe more?).  Once I actually took a bite, I was transported to a very happy place.  It had four cheeses, regrettably I do not remember what they were, and breadcrumb topping.  There was also a strong pepper taste.  The noodles were just the right texture, the cheese was amazing, and overall this was just fantastic and well worth the price tag!  I will be ordering from them again for sure.

I had $1 left after the poutine, mac and cheese, and a can of soda I picked up at Macarollin', so I used it to get an Apple Cider donut from Duke's Donuts.  Their stand was across from the table I ate at, and the whole time the aroma was wafting over and filling me with longing.  I had also read rave reviews for their donuts and was surprised at how reasonably priced they were, so of course I had to get one.  This was not a bad decision.  This was the best donut I have EVER had!  It had raised sugar and a good apple cider taste.  The texture was what really got me, though--so perfectly crunchy on the outside, while being melt-in-your-mouth buttery smooth on the inside.  My boyfriend was with me and he had a little more cash left over, so I'm regretting the fact that we didn't take a dozen to go!

I love you, donut.  Just look at that sugar!  I looked up Duke's immediately when I got home and found out that they don't have a shop and are from Buffalo (about an hour away from Rochester), so I don't think I'll be able to treat myself to their buttery goodness as often as I'd like to.  But there's going to be one final rodeo of the season in October, and come rain, shine, or snow (yes, it is 100% possible that we will have snow here in October), I will be there with plenty of money to devote solely to donuts!

Bottom Line: Food Truck Rodeos are always a good time, and even if you're never going to be anywhere near Rochester, New York, I bet there are some great trucks in your area.  Let me know in the comments if you've tried any of your local trucks, and what kind of food they serve!