Eat Wonky Food Truck

The food truck extravaganza continues with a dish inspired by our neighbors to the north. The Eat Wonky food truck is dedicated to introducing poutine to the DC area.

Poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec and is now popular throughout all of Canada. It consists of fries slathered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. I have been fortunate enough to have tried this delectable and gluttonous dish when I visited Quebec a while back. Although I cannot vividly recall this experience I do remember enjoying it.

There are also variations of poutine in the US with the most notable example being Disco fries, also known as Elvis Fries which are wildly popular in New York and New Jersey.

(Picture Brought to you by Yelp)

I was introduced to Disco fries by my college roommate from New Jersey who ate them religiously. We happened to find a couple of places in DC including The Diner in Adams Morgan as well as Pizza Bolis on U St.

Needless to say they are slowly growing in popularity with several spinoffs at restaurants which tend to substitute the original ingredients with more "American" ones such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc..

The Eat Wonky truck offers you a simple menu with both the traditional poutine and their own take with the former being their Wonky fries and the latter being a Wonky dog. They also offer both plain fries and hot dogs as well as a grilled cheese sandwich and whoopee pies that come in a variety of flavors.

(Photo Brought to you by Yelp)

My first experience with the Wonky truck came after a night out on U St. Being a tad bit inebriated at the time I had a natural inclination toward eating some fast food but decided to skip that and go home. On my way I discovered a food truck parked next to Solly's, I decided to take a peak at the menu and was elated to discover that this was something that wanted to try.

(Wonky Fries)

I decided split a order of Wonky fries with a friend and head home. While I don't vividly remember every detail of that particular night I can say for certain that I did remember every facet of that meal. From the friendly individual who took my order to the foodgasm that pursued and the longing for another order that terrorized me for days.

From that point I decided to follow them on Facebook in order to relive my past experience. My luck with food trucks is low mainly because I work near Georgetown where none of them seem to venture. But last week my luck was turned when I saw that they would be serving their food near George Washington University in Foggy Bottom.

On this day I decided to go solo and pack an appetite as I was preparing to tackle their monstrous Wonky Dog. I approached the truck and fearlessly ordered a Wonky Dog and Coke which set me back $7. Once it arrived I both myself and the people behind me looked in awe at this behemoth meal and I asked myself if I could really finish this.

I initially tried tackling this meal standing up which was completely wrong because my knees buckled when I took my first bite.

(Wonky Dog)

Somehow I managed to finish my meal and was forced to use the utensils given to me because of how messy it got. The poutine was pristine and the hot dog added an extra dimension to go along with the sweet and savory undertone of the meal. The standout of the dish had to be the bread which was of high quality and lightly grilled in a similar fashion to a panini. The low light to me was the hot dog which was good but would have been great if it was split in half and grilled instead of simply being boiled.

All in all my experience with the Wonky truck was great. The service is fast and friendly, the prices are very modest, and the food is scrumptulescent. So if you have an utter disregard toward your cardiovascular system or love to try something new I would give this place a shot.

Side Note: The lines can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes from my experience and they DO accept credit cards which is a huge plus because some trucks don't. As mentioned above you can track their location on Facebook or you can follow them on Twitter.

Cafe La Ruche

French restaurants in Georgetown are a dime a dozen, yet each one seems to offer something special. Cafe La Ruche provides their patrons with their own spin on Southern French cooking as well as the dining experience.

Located on a niche spot between K and M streets Cafe La Ruche, which is means beehive in French has been serving up contemporary French cuisine since 1979.

The quiet and relaxed outdoor patio is reminiscent of a European style cafe and is the perfect example of what the Georgetown area has to offer. This setting is ideal for just about any setting, whether it be a quick lunch time meeting or a quiet meal by yourself with a book in hand.

(Picture brought to you by Yelp)

The first time I came here the weather was too cold to sit outside so I was forced to skip the outside patio experience and stay inside. On most cold days I decide that a soup is a necessary part of my meal and that was no different on this occasion.

I started off with traditional Southern French fish soup with bread and butter. The soup was flavorful with a good combination of spices, vegetables, and a generous portion of fish. I have had this type of soup before but with different spins on the ingredients, needless to say I was satisfied with what I had purchased.

(Soupe De Poisson)

I continued my meal with a crab quiche which has received rave reviews both Yelp and Urbanspoon. While I did enjoy both the flavor and texture of the quiche, in the end the bitterness of swiss cheese became so overwhelming that I could not finish my meal. The salad that came with it was simple and refreshing. The whole meal cost me $20 including a tip which isn't too bad for restaurant style food for one.

(Quiche Au Crabe)

On my next venture I decided to stick to my roots and order one of my favorite soups. French onion soup is a staple of French culture, enjoyed by both the rich and poor. It was severed in it's traditional form, in clay pot with french bread and topped with melted swiss cheese.

The soup was delicious as is the case with most places that serve it. The mountain of oozing cheese coupled with soaked bread and onions yielded yet another foodgasm of eminent proportion.

(Soupe A L'Oigonon Gratinee)

For the next part of my meal I decided to try pate for the first time. This specific pate was made with duck and cornichons which is very popular in both France and Belgium. It is usually severed with crackers so I was a bit surprised when I did not get any. The taste of the dish resembled it's presentation, dull and poorly put together.

(Mousse De Canard)

While I did enjoy the experience of trying something new, I left feeling cheated by my introduction to pate. I am also aware that it is usually an appetizer to be shared with several people so having that much to yourself may have skewed my judgement. Regardless I did enjoy my overall meal which came out to $14 including tip.

After I paid I went to the front to check out their renowned desserts which you can see below. I am not that much of a sweets person so I did not try any but intend to in the future.

(Picture brought to you by Yelp)

All in all I did enjoy this quiet spot. This is my ideal spot for a summer lunch with my coworkers or an afterwork snack. It was never full but that doesn't really say anything since I do tend to take later lunches. The service was good and the prices are reasonable. I would recommend anyone with a passion for French cuisine to give this place a chance.

TaKorean

The first part of my weekend adventure led my sister and I to the TaKorean food truck to take part in a food truck cook-off at the National Museum of American History. My primary motivation for attending this cook-off was to try these wildly popular tacos.

This was the first of a two-part tasting that took place this day, the second being the Fry Captain (see link for post). I took my place in a daunting line comparable to the the Lobster Truck, which can have up to 200 people. Regardless of the length of the line I was determined to wait as long as I had to on a slightly frigid day to taste the intuitive fusion of two popular meals, Korean BBQ and Tacos.

(Line after waiting about 30 minutes)

The wait took no more than half an hour but I was disappointed by the revelation that they did not accept credit cards. Luckily I had some spare cash, enough to split three tacos with my sister. The tacos come with your choice of Bulgogi Steak, Tangy Chicken, or Caramelized Tofu and are served with either Spicy Kimchi or Napa-Romaine slaw and some additional toppings (see menu).

Since I was short on cash I only chose two Bulgogi Steaks, each with a different slaw, a Tangy Chicken with the Spicy Kimchi slaw, all with the works. Immediately after devouring them I regretted not having more cash on hand to order another round. The quality of the meat as well as the combinations of spices fully produced a scrumptious dish that lived up to the hype.

(2 Bulgogi Steak's and 1 Tangy Chicken both with the works)

Surprisingly enough I ended up enjoying the chicken even though Korean BBQ is known for its beef. Although I did not get to try the Tangy Chicken with the Napa-Romaine slaw I think this could easily be the best taco they had simply by trying both the meat and slaw on my other tacos.

I would definitely recommend trying these tacos during lunch or on the weekend, the latter of which seldom happens. You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook or look on their website for their weekly schedule. Lines tend to be long as this is a very popular food truck so plan to wait a bit for your meal. Remember from before, they only accept CASH so make sure you are carrying some.

Three tacos cost you $8 which is a good bargain and with fast and friendly customer service you will surely want to go back and have seconds. The one bad thing I would have to say about this truck, aside from them not taking credit card is that they seem to have the same weekly schedule which is unfortunate for those who are not able to access it. I am not 100% sure of this but it just seems like they go to the same general areas each week.

Aside from that this was a great meal that I intend on having several times in the near future. I would recommend everyone who is a fan of food, especially Korean BBQ to give this and all the other trucks I have sampled a try.

Fry Captain

My food truck tour continued this past Saturday when a number of trucks convened in front of the National Museum of American History to serve lunch to tourists and residents alike.

The trucks in attendance included Curbside Cupcake, Red Hook Lobster Truck , TaKorean, Sweetgreen, and the Fry Captain (pictured below). My initial motivation to attend this gathering was to try the Korean tacos that have received rave reviews.

While waiting in line for the tacos, I thought about what other truck I was going to try today. Having already completely sampled the Red Hook Lobster Truck (see link above) and tried a single Curbside Cupcake, my options were limited. My sister recommend we try the Fry Captain truck which was unbeknownst to me at the time.

I decided to give this truck a chance after we finished our Korean tacos. The first thing that came to mind when inspecting this truck was it's layout and atmosphere which reminded me of a dive bar. Their menu is laid out in front of the truck with their side sauces and milkshake flavors written on paper attached velcro which are removed once one runs out.

The truck serves fries (either a single or double order) and milkshakes. Fries include one seasoning (i.e. sea salt, old bay, etc.) and a dipping sauce, they can also be cooked in duck fat for an extra charge.

Both my sister and I had a single order of fries cooked in duck fat and seasoned with salt, side sauce and a bottled Coke (pictured below). The meal cost $11 which is a little pricey in my opinion, especially since it's more of a snack. Regardless of the price I was pleased with the purchase I made. Adding the duck fat gave the fries a little extra flavor, which at times made me skip the sauce.

(2 Single Orders of French Fries in Duck Fat with Chimichurri Mayo and Srirache and Sesame Mayo Sauce)

I enjoyed both sauces but heavily preferred srirache mayo that my sister chose. Our sauce options were limited due to the fact that we arrived to the even a little late. I would recommend giving this place a shot not only for the experience that a food truck gives you (let alone a dive food truck) but also because the food was solid.

Fry Captain is ideal for a mid-day snack or an after diner dessert especially during the summer. So for anyone who likes fries and shakes I would suggest you try this place.

Side Notes - the lines weren't too long, the service was fast, and they only take cash. You can follow them on their Twitter page or visit their website for a weekly schedule.