Chubby Chickpea Review: Falafel On Wheels – NEW & UPDATED!

The Chubby Chickpea food truck offers cheap Middle Eastern dishes for the mobile food lovers of Boston.

Chubby Chickpea lacks some of the glamor you’ll see at other food trucks, but it still stands out with its mustard shading.

UPDATE:
During my first visit to Chubby Chickpea back in March of 2012, I was a bit disappointment w/ our buddy Chubs.

They were out of a lot of food, including essentials like tabouli, and I wasn’t in love with the falafel. Despite my negative first review, I continued to hear good things about Chubby Chickpea, so decided to give them another shot.

This blog post is my new and updated review of Chubby Chickpea food truck.

Chubby Chickpea’s Falafel Plate

I tried the Chubby Chickpea’s most popular dish on the menu, the falafel plate. The falafel plate comes with hummus, pita bread, and Israeli salad, which is a mix of diced cucumbers and tomatoes.

This time around, the falafel was much improved from my last visit – a nice, crumbly outer layer with a moist, warm inside.

The serving sizes at Chubby Chickpea are very generous – heaps of tabouli & hummus, and plenty of falafel. Chubby Chickpea is a really great value – at $5-6 a sandwich and only a dollar more for a plate, it’s remarkably cheap for such huge servings.

For me, the star of the Chubby Chickpea meal has to be the tabouli – absolutely delicious with a unique taste. I asked Chubby Chickpea food truck manager Avi and he let me in on the secret ingredient – mint! I’ve never heard of mint in tabouli, but wow, it is GREAT!

Chubby Chickpea Review: 4 out of 5 forks

With giant portions of grub at a great value, Chubby Chickpea is an excellent choice for those in the mood for Mediterranean.

Avi explained to me that back in March, they were still getting a hang of the food truck biz, and have greatly improved since then. I absolutely agree! Check out Chubby Chickpea food truck next time you are in their area.

Compliments Food Truck

Compliments food truck is one of the new Boston food trucks with locations in Brookline.

Although there were originally some Brookline residents concerned about noise and rabble rousing that might be caused by the food trucks (Boston foodies are known trouble makers), the six-month Brookline food truck pilot program launched in April has been extended, showing a promising future for Brookline food trucks.

I caught up with Compliments at their Brookline location at Englewood (Green C Line on the T).

Compliments food truck is owned by the charming dynamic duo, Bobby & Kim.

They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, sharing stories with me about their process of buying a truck off of eBay, driving it across the country in tumultuous weather (there wasn’t even a passenger seat – Kim had to buy an ottoman at Ikea to sit on during the road trip), and then converting it to a food truck themselves. They were a real ball to chat with.

Compliments Video Visit

Hear what Bobby & Kim have to say about their Boston food truck – watch my video visit with them below:

 

Compliments’ Menu

Compliments food truck serves several kinds of sandwiches, along with some tasty sides. Their menu might vary a bit depending on the day and what they have available.

Sandwiches

• Work Well Together: Grass fed beef sliders
• Sea Ya Later: Tuna melt
• Lil Bit of Cheezey: Grilled cheese
• Falling in Love: Goat cheese with apples and honey
• Wrapped Around My Finger: Tuna bibb lettuce wraps

Sides

• Pretty Eyes: Fried pickles
• Waited All My Life: Hand cut fries
• Apple of My Eye: Deep fried apples
• So Fresh: Friend onions
• Soo Sweet: Sweet potato fries

The sandwiches are mostly in the ball park of $7 which isn’t cheap, but you are getting top shelf ingredients and good quality.

I sampled the grass fed beef sliders. The three sliders were served on perfectly toasted and buttered bread, which Compliments gets from the fabulous Clear Flour bakery in Brookline. I thought the $7 sliders were a bit on the small side, but that’s probably fair considering it’s grass fed beef.

The sliders tasted delicious. I don’t often treat myself to grass fed beef, so it was a real treat. Nothing like healthy conscious/eco-friendly eating.

Compliments food truck makes their delicious food with a tender heart. From the hand picked apples in their “Apple of My Eye” dish, to their earth-friendly beef, Compliments food truck’s whimsically amorous dish names match their sweet and friendly nature.

Be sure to stop by to give them a taste and a shout.

You can check out the Compliments website for where to find them around town.

Also be sure to “Like” our new Boston Food Truck Blog Facebook page – you’ll find bonus photo and video content, plus you can stay informed with the latest food truck news and happenings.

Have you visited Compliments food truck? What is your favorite dish? Leave a comment and let us know.

Frozen Hoagies: An Ice Cream Truck for the Ages

Frozen Hoagies ice cream truck offers dishes of ice cream, but their claim to fame is the awesome ice cream cookie sandwiches, which come in a normal and mini size.

These ice cream sandwiches were absolutely fantastic, pleasing the heart of this ice cream junkie. Frozen Hoagies provides a great selection of different cookies and ice cream to match with.

peppermint ice cream sandwich

Frozen Hoagies Cookies:

• Chocolate Chip
• Peanut Butter Cup
• Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• Oatmeal
• Nutella
• Red Velvet
• Pumpkin

Frozen Hoagies Ice Cream:

• Vanilla
• Pumpkin
• Cow Tracks
• Maple
• Caramel Apple
• Espresso Swirl
• Sweet Cream
• Cherry Chocolate Chip
• Peppermint Stick
• Chocolate Chip
• Coffee Heath Bar Yogurt
• Chocolate Caramel
• Nutella

Frozen Hoagies Review

Frozen Hoagies gets their ice cream from Chilly Cow, a small batch creamery in Arlington, MA. You can tell these guys really make quality ice cream – the pumpkin ice cream was divine.

pumpkin ice cream and cookie sandwich

If you’ve never tried pumpkin ice cream, please for the love of heaven and earth, try it ASAP! Nothing says fall in New England quite like pumpkin ice cream (and pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, etc. Sorry to get all Ms. Autumn Woman on you readers).

The cookies were soft and ideal for sandwiching. Mary, owner of Frozen Hoagies, bakes all the cookies herself, and boasts some awesome cookie flavors.

I snatched a mini ice cream sandwich with chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin ice cream at the Somerville Riverfest last month. The mini was a generous size, very reasonably priced, and plenty satisfying for this sweet-obsessed cookie monster.

Frozen Hoagies Story: For the Love for Desert

Mary’s story is pretty cool. A long-time baker, Mary had become accustomed to preparing delicious deserts for her family. One day she decided to take her passion for sweets to the next level, and bought a 1976 ice cream truck off of Ebay. Mary made the truck her own with some pink paint, got her hands on some dreamy dairy, and stocked the truck with her homemade cookies.

Since July 4, 2011 she’s been spreading some sweet cream lovin’ around Boston, and boy are we thankful for that!

Mary notes that “Our cookies are the product of a labor of love and family recipes,” and that sentiment truly shows in the high-quality of their delicious ice cream cookie sandwiches. No ninja-turtles with gummy eyeballs here (we love you turtle power, but you just can’t compete with the hoagies).

Frozen Hoagies Rating: 5 out of 5 Forks!

They have pumpkin ice cream? Isn’t that enough?

Boston Super Dog

On September 15 I headed out to Somerville Riverfest.

The festival was partnered with Assembly Row and featured live music, activities, bouncy castles for kids, and, of course, food trucks! It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to try some new Boston food trucks.

Hot dogs are one of those foods that people can get pretty passionate about.

Loads of people will tell you how terribly processed they are, but I think many of us harbor a soft spot in our hearts for this disturbingly oblong childhood staple. Nothing brings comfort and evokes the American spirit quite like a ballpark frank.

 Boston Super Dog Review

Boston Super Dog (formerly known as Boston Speed Dog) isn’t the cheap mystery-meat hotdog of your toddler years. The Boston Super Dog is the overlord of all hot dogs.

For one, it’s absolutely humongous. They should be calling this thing a wolf dog. It’s one of those lovely foods you stare at for a few minutes as you develop a plan of attack.

These 8 inch hot diggidy dogs are made fresh with 100% all beef and come with an assortment of homemade toppings of BBQ, chili, mustard, onions, and cranberry relish, made by Chef Greg himself.

How to order your dog: Get it loaded. The toppings make the dog, and you’ll be missing out if you don’t get it with everything.

Boston Super Dogs Takes “Top Dog” Title

Boston Super Dog has won Best Hot Dog by “Best of Boston 2012″ and also earned the title of “America’s Top Dog” by Wall Street Journal, making it a must-taste on the lists of travelers visiting Boston.

What makes the Super Dog king of the wieners?

The toppings naturally set it apart, but Boston Super Dogs are also soaked in an apple cider and brown sugar marinade, giving the meat a unique flavor.

Don’t Forget the Fried Pickles!

Although I abhor cucumbers, I go nuts over pickles, so of course I couldn’t pass up Boston Super Dog’s deep fried Grillo’s pickles. Amazing! Pickle fans everywhere, rejoice!

 Boston Super Dog: Rating

Boston Super Dogs are fantastic without a doubt.

At $8 a dog, they are probably one of the most expensive hot dogs you’ll ever eat, but then again, this is a delicious wolf dog we are talking about.

 Boston Super Dogs gets 4 out of 5 Forks.

Boston Super Dogs prove that hot dogs can no longer be labeled as strictly child’s food. A bit cheaper would be nice, but perfection can be pricey. Do not miss out on this champion of Boston food.

Clover Food Truck

I got the chance to try the Clover Food Lab food truck during my SoWa visit a couple weeks back,

If you’re a Bostonian who hasn’t hit up SoWa yet, you’re missing a wonderful experience. The SoWa open market (South Of Washington, for the curious) is an awesome venue where one can spend Sunday afternoons browsing local crafts and artwork, shopping at the farmers market, and a variety of those oh-so-awesome food trucks.

The creation of MIT graduate Ayr Muir and chef Rolando Robledo, Clover was one of the first Boston food trucks of the higher standard (selling something besides hotdogs and ninja-turtle head ice cream with bubble gum eyes), opening way back in 2008.

For a long time Clover food truck mostly catered to the MIT crowed, fine tuning their menu and learning from their food truck experience to add more trucks to their fleet and ultimately open a brick and mortar restaurant (the ultimate goal of many food trucks) in Cambridge.

Clover Food Lab is well known for their incredibly fresh and vegan-friendly food. I mean honestly, the vegetarians just won’t shut up about it. Meaties like me are going crazy over Clover too.

Clover promises to use only the freshest local ingredients (often times organic as well), and this commitment shows in their food.

The chickpea fritter sandwich I ordered looked like a piece of art with its lush purple and green veggies. The cool vegetables combined with the warm fried chickpea and soft pita bread, alongside generous heaps of hummus, created a sandwich truly worthy of admiration.

In addition to mind-blowingly amazing sandwiches, Clover also offers rosemary fries that people rave about. I wasn’t all that impressed with them, but maybe I’m the odd one out.

Clover Food Lab also offers drip coffee hand-dripped. What does that mean? It looks a bit something like this:

So fancy—it’s like you are in Paris!

Boston’s Clover Food Truck vs. Cucumbers

To understand how amazing these sandwiches are, I want to digress a little. As you may have seen from past blog posts, I do not like cucumbers. In fact I despise them. Even the smell of them makes me gag.

So when I unwittingly encountered cucumbers in my Clover sandwich, I was crestfallen. Can I ask them to send it back? I thought. But then something amazing happened—I decided to try it. And you know what, it was all right. Heck, it was good! So thank you Clover, for getting me to eat cucumbers for the first time in approximately 18 years. A word to the cucumbers: don’t push your luck pal.

Food Trucks Boston Rating: Clover Food Lab gets 5 out of 5 Forks

Delicious sandwiches made with the freshest veggies for $5 a pop? Does it get any better (I know—cow, bacon, poultry—but other than that)?

Chicken and Rice Guys

When I first found out the Chicken and Rice Guys (CnRG) were coming to Boston, I was thrilled. C&R Guys are inspired by a similar halal food card spoken of with reverence on 53rd and 6th on NYC.

So far the Chicken and Rice Guys have had odd hours, mostly only serving on weekends. But last Wednesday, as I was cruising Boston Gov’s food truck schedule for some mobile dinner, a small miracle happened—Chicken and Rice Guys popped up.

Serendipitously, that Wednesday was the first Wednesday of Chicken and Rice Guys’ new Back Bay location outside Prudential—which happened to be directly outside of my office building. Yes, the gods were smiling on me that rainy day as I skipped out to meet the Chicken and Rice Guy’s big yellow truck.

After the stories I’d heard, I was surprised to find no line—we were the only rainy day customers at the moment. In fact, the menu hadn’t even been put up yet.

Then again, you don’t really need a menu with the Chicken and Rice Guys. It’s simple: Do you want chicken? Do you want lamb? Do you want both? This was another godsend for me, Miss Clinically-Indecisive.

Your choice of meat comes with heaps of rice, some lettuce, and pita bread. Then come the sauces. C&R Guys once again keep it simple with three sauces:

• White Sauce: Light, creamy, yummy—the obvious go-to

• Red Sauce: Hot sauce! And boy howdy is it hot! Tread with caution

• Barbecue Sauce: It’s barbecue sauce. That’s all there is to say.

A dish piled with meat, rice, lettuce, pita bread, and as much sauce as you can handle comes at an economical steal for $6.

I got my dish and squirrelled myself away in a food court corner to eat my chicken, lamb, and rice in peace. Truly incredible—insanely generous portions of good quality meat, well-cooked rice, mixed in with some crunchy lettuce made the perfect dinner. I mostly stuck to the fabulous creamy white sauce, adding a pinpoint of hot sauce here and there for some kick.

The meal was huge—it could have been three. Somehow I managed to devour it all, unable to resist the delicious lure. It was no easy task though—you certainly won’t leave Chicken and Rice Guys hungry.

Food Truck Rating: Chicken and Rice Guys get 5 out of 5 Forks

Chicken and Rice Guys offer awesomely large portions of quality meat and rice at a great price.

Chicken and Rice Guys isn’t gourmet—nothing fancy, just heaps of great meat and rice at cheap prices. C&R Guys remind us that you don’t have to be gourmet to be great.

Paris Creperie Food Truck: La Tour Eiffel

As an established crepe lover, I’ve visited the Paris Creperie cafe in Coolidge Corner several times in the past, always astounded with the wonder of their crepes.

Paris Creperie’s La Tour Eiffel Crepe Truck

I was overjoyed when I found out they were embarking into food truck territory with their pink La Tour Eiffel crepe cart.

In true Parisian fashion, La Tour Eiffel is stylin’ with artistic silhouettes and French postmarks, reminding us that a crepe is more than just an super-thin-pancake-sandwich (as us crass Americans think of them)—it’s a part of French cuisine culture.

Paris Creperie’s La Tour Eiffel food truck is so stylish that its design has been awarded top prize in Mobile Cuisine’s Best Food Truck Graphic Design Contest.

Paris Creperie Food Truck Crepe Menu

La Tour Eiffel crepe food truck is more than just a pretty face though—the truck offers up some of the Brookline location’s best menu dishes, including:

Savory Crepes

• Rosemary Chicken Crepe: rosemary infused crepe with melted brie, garlic sautéed mushrooms and onions, sundried tomatoes, and chicken. $8

• Ham & Brie Crepe: tarragon infused crepe with melted brie, ham, and spinach. $8

• Lili’s Love Crepe: scallion infused crepe with chedder cheese, garlic sautéed mushrooms and onions, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach. $8

• Mediterranean Crepe: tarragon infused crepe with gruyere cheese, turkey, sautéed mushrooms, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and spinach.

Sweet Crepes

• Brie & Apples Crepe: cinnamon infused crepe with melted brie cheese, cinnamon covered apples and pears, & honey. $8

• Nutella Crepe: everyone’s favorite chocolate and hazelnut spread. $5 (add bananas, strawberries, or blueberries for $1)

• Butter & Brown Sugar Crepe: crepe with soft butter and sweet brown sugar—an old classic! Try adding lemon juice for a kick. $5

Smoothies

• Nutella Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie: the ever-popular blend of skim milk, frozen yogurt, and heaps of Nutella.

• Mango Smoothie: tangy blend of mango juice, strawberries, and peaches.

Paris Creperie Food Truck Review

Stopping by on my way home from work, I nabbed a rosemary chicken crepe which was packed with chicken, sundried tomatoes, and soft brie cheese.

The crepe batter was fantastic, cooked to just the right consistency between crunchy and soft.

The Paris Creperie food truck, La Tour Eiffel, brings fabulous crepes and a little piece of France to Boston.

Paris Creperie Food Truck Gets 4 out of 5 Forks

Check out the La Tour Eiffel schedule and try the crepes for yourself! What do you think?

What is your favorite crepe?

How does it stack up against others?

The Taco Truck

On a warm summer day, there’s nothing quite like a good taco. That’s why Boston’s new food truck, The Taco Truck, timed their recent debut perfectly to start serving up tacos during Boston’s best season.

The Taco Truck(TTT) radiates fun and good vibes as its bright orange colors glisten in the sun, while jamming out latino-esk tunes, grabbing the attention of the passersby.

You’ll never guess what The Taco Truck serves…hot dogs! Ha, no. They serve south-of-the-border cuisine with tacos that are small works of wonder, as bright and colorful as they are delicious.

The origins of the Taco Truck began in Hoboken, NJ, when co-founders Jason and Shachar Scott were inspired during their gallivants about Mexico and California to bring authentic taquerias to the East Coast with food trucks!

The Taco Truck found great success in Hoboken, and has grown since, branching out to NYC and now our beloved Boston. They hope to open a brick and mortar spot too, and with Boston in need of authentic taco joints, they will be a welcomed addition.

The Taco Truck Review: Tacos, Glorious Tacos!

Visiting The Taco Truck, I was greeted by manager Jake. He showed me the truck and introduced me to the TTT gang.

I got try the “aguas fescas” (fresh fruit water) of the season, which was wonderfully refreshing pineapple water, perfect for the hot summer afternoon.

The Taco Truck offers some great selections: not just tacos, but also tortas (Mexican sandwiches), ensaladas, and al lados aka side dishes of tortilla chips, seasoned beans & rice, and platanos fritos (fried plantains, not so different from fries).

I tried the carnitas michoacan (braised pork taco w/ onions, cilantro, green salsa) and the pescado taco (crispy catfish w/ red cabbage, pico de gallo, Mexican tartar sauce, and chipotle salsa), each with a healthy dollop of guacamole.

You can tell that these tacos were made by folks who love Mexican culture—the tacos taste deliciously authentic. And with purple cabbage, soft yellow corn tortilla, and bright green guac, they are more than easy on the eyes—they are the (young) Harrison Ford of tacos.

Taco Truck Rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

The food is fabulous, and at $5 for two giant, loaded tacos, the prices are fantastic too. Definitely take some time to stop by Boston’s newest mobile taco joint—the taco truck will serve you up a little piece of Mexico.

Momogoose

Momogoose. It’s a fun word to say, but how does it stack up in the Boston food truck circuit?

The first thing you may notice about the Momogoose food truck is the line. When I visited it was pretty long. Usually in the food truck world, a long line is a good sign.

Momogoose specializes in healthy Southeast Asian cuisine. There’s something for the vegan, vegetarian, and meat lovers alike.

Momogoose’s food truck menu offers you a choice of baguette, rice bowl, noodle bowl, or salad bowl.

Tofu folks can get any one of these entrees for only $5, while carnivores pay an extra dollar for a choice of:

• Koran BBQ

• Ga Nuong

• Bulgogi Beef

• Spicy Daeji Pork

You can also choose to get Momogoose’s daily curry that comes with chicken or tofu, or a thai peanut dish.

Momogoose also offer some side dishes: fresh (veggie) rolls, crispy (meat?) rolls, and an assortment of tasty drinks like Mint Lemonade and Spiced Thai Tea.

Momogoose’s Masaman Curry w/ Chicken

Momogoose Review: Masaman Curry

I have a pretty gaping weak spot for curry, so I went with the Masaman Curry, the curry of the day.

The curry was fantastic with extremely generous portions that could easily pass for two meals. Huge heaps of chicken, fresh veggies, well-cooked rice, and a delicious sauce at a great price.

Food Truck Rating: Momogoose gets 4 out of 5 stars!

Momogoose and Bon Me no doubt compete for the same fresh Asian-cuisine loving customers, with similar choices of rice bowls, noodle bowls, and sandwiches, so I can’t help but compare them.

As a regular Bon Me customer, (they’re outside my office nearly every day) I have a preference for the yellow truck over the red, but from an objective view, I can tell you both trucks are superb. They are equally matched in pricing, and both offer extremely large portions.

Great work Momogoose. You’re doing it right.

Have you guys tried Momogoose? How does it compare to Bon Me? What’s your favorite dish?

Momogoose’s Masaman Curry w/ Chicken

The Dining Car

The Dining Car serves up great sandwiches on fresh focaccia bread, with a rotating menu to match the seasons.

If you spot The Dining Car’s bright orange truck, it’s worth stopping by to see what they’re serving.

Currently you’ll encounter some pretty fantastic-sounding items on The Dining Car’s spring menu, such as:

• Honey Truffle Goat Cheese Sandwich – Marinated goat cheese spread, honey truffled walnuts, and greens with  sherry vinaigrette on French bread
  

• Grilled Chicken Sandwich – Grilled chicken breast, avocado, sliced cucumber and wasabi aioli on a crusty baguette

• Kielbasa, Peppers, Onions and Potato Sub – Smoky kielbasa with peppers, onions, potatoes, olive oil and garlic

• Crispy Cauliflower – Fresh cauliflower florets lightly fried, served with curry aioli

• Slow Roasted Australian Spring Lamb – Cooked low and slow with garlic, rosemary and thyme. Served warm with goat cheese and greens dressed with pomegranate vinaigrette.

The Dining Car Review: Grilled Chicken Sandwich

that’s one handsome sandwich!

I had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich minus cucumbers, which I can’t stand. The sandwich was decent, with the wasabi aioli adding a nice kick. The avocado didn’t do much for me, but I’ve always thought avocados are a bit overrated. I mean, they don’t really taste like anything–why do so many people go bonkers over them?

They are certainly high quality sandwiches, with fresh ingredients and wonderful breads.

Once again though, the price seems a bit steep for truck food. At $7-8 a sandwich, they aren’t cheap. Originally I wanted to get the goat cheese sandwich because I’m head over heels in love with goat cheese, but $7 seemed like too much for something that didn’t even have any meat in it.

In addition to the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, I also tried the Strawberry Shortcake, which was ridiculously delicious. Definitely try it if you stop by.

delicious strawberry shortcake

The Dining Car gets 3.5 out of 5 forks!

If you don’t mind the somewhat above average prices, you can certainly enjoy some great sandwiches here, and some really exceptional deserts.

I’ve also heard awesome things about Alex’s Ugly Sauce, but I completely missed it when I was there. Had it at SOWA last weekend and it’s great – try a dollop on your Dining Car sandwich and tell me what you think. Just beware the dragon.

What do you guys think of The Dining Car? Are the sandwiches worth the price?

Also, there are a number of food truck contests happening:

• Vote for Paris Creperie in Mobile Cuisine’s Best Food Truck Graphic Design contest–they’re the only truck in the contest from New England, so be sure to vote for them!
• Boston A-List is also hosting a contest for Best Food Truck in the Boston Area, so be sure to vote for your favorite food truck.

Are you attending the Boston Food Truck Festival at UMass Boston this weekend (June 10th)? I’ll be there, maybe I’ll see you?

delicious strawberry shortcake

that’s one handsome sandwich!

great chicken

grilled chicken sandwich

aerial view

suits waiting in line