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Dinner just tastes better when it’s eaten al fresco with the sound of a generator humming along in the background. Food truck fare has made a triumphant return this summer alongside the revival of Manitoba’s festival circuit.
Mobile food businesses, which rely on large crowds and busy locations to turn a profit, had a tough go during the first two years of the pandemic. In 2020, I spoke with several owners who were forced to park their businesses — literally — until major events picked back up. After two years, the industry appears to be coming back from the brink.
In fact, a food truck guide published by Tourism Winnipeg earlier this spring counted more than 50 trucks on the road this year — only a slight decrease from 2019. By that metric at least, it seems like the mass exodus predicted early in the pandemic hasn’t come to pass.
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I really do love food truck dining — the noise, faint smell of gasoline and chaotic service only adds to the appeal. So, in addition to listening to some world-class music while reporting at the Winnipeg Folk Festival last weekend, I was equally excited to explore the on-site food options.
There were less vendors this year and longer lines as a result. For the first time in 40 years, the Whales Tails stand was empty; its owners, who travel to Birds Hill Park from British Columbia every year, made the difficult decision to pull out of the festival amid pandemic-related business challenges. Sukhothai — and their life-giving curry dishes — was also missing-in-action, the result of supply chain issues. Despite the omissions, I was still able to indulge in some nostalgic bites.
I’ve been attending the folk fest for most of my life and food has always been part of the experience. When I volunteered, it was the excitement of lining up backstage for a meal at La Cuisine and now, as a low-maintenance camper, it’s the thrill of dining out at a different (temporary) restaurant every night.
The gyro and fries combo from Santa Lucia Pizza got me through a marathon writing session on Friday and a signature Chosabi sushi burrito gave me life during a relentlessly hot Saturday. The savoury yam and chicken crepe from Kawaii Crepe and the veggie curry plate from India Palace were both must-dos and I’m still working my way through a bag of Gramma’s Kettle Korn.
I’m always impressed with the long-time vendors that have developed a system for working through long lunch and dinner lines quickly and efficiently. Some opted for cash-only sales (a decision put in jeopardy during Friday’s prolonged Rogers outage), while others engaged in carnival barker-style crowd management. Serving thousands of plates of food out of a small or makeshift kitchen truly is an art form.
What wasn’t so tasty? The astronomical prices. The most economical meal was a $5 slice of pizza, with a plate of fish and chips going for more than $20. I don’t want to be too harsh here because food inflation is affecting restaurants in a major way, but there has always been a tendency to bump up the cost with a captive audience. Festival food always comes at a premium.
If, like me, you’ve been craving food served from an idling truck, there are plenty of other opportunities to get your fix this summer. The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is underway this week, with food vendors and a beer garden stationed at Old Market Square until July 24. ManyFest, which features a food truck competition, runs Sept. 4 to 11, and you can usually find a truck or two set up at most farmer’s markets in the city.
Do you have a favourite local food truck? Let me know!
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