The (not so) Fussy Food Truck Guide

Part I

So. Fellow wanderers. Let’s chat. We’re fortunate to live in a city where food trucks are ubiquitous, aren’t we? There’s nothing like the serendipitous joy of discovering that a favorite food truck has pulled up on your block. You can track trucks on a number of different websites and twitter feeds, but if you like the element of surprise, you can simply meander around and see what you can find. At some point you’ll come across a brightly painted vehicle serving delectable fare.

And food trucks are a unifying force. You don’t need to dress up, be an A-list celebrity or bribe a maitre’d to pick up a delicious meal from a truck. Everyone waits in line the same way. It’s a beautiful sight.

However…as unifying as the trucks might be, they’re not universally accessible to all. For those of us with allergies, mobile dining can be a challenge.

Nobody can expect food trucks to fulfill every dietary necessity. They’re dealing with limited menus, in small spaces, and there’s not a lot they can do to avoid cross-contamination if they have foods with allergens on the menu. That’s how it is. However, if we know what’s cooking in the kitchen in each food truck, we can make informed decisions about those which are safe for us to order from.

You can’t possibly go around Los Angeles and talk to every food truck, can you? Well, neither can I, but this is a start. I quizzed these food truck vendors on their menus, and tried to ascertain if they served dishes with nuts, shellfish, or soy. Those are three of the eight major food allergens listed by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. I’ve also tried to note vegetarian options when possible.

Not everyone gets it. “Of course we serve meat,” snapped one exasperated server at a café that shall remain anonymous. “And for allergies, anyone could be allergic to anything at any time.” Point taken, but some food products are more problematic than others. Fortunately, the vast majority of the vendors and food truck workers with whom I spoke did get it, and were eager to tell me about their menu items.

Standard disclaimer: While I have done my best to ensure that the information in this article is current and correct, it should be used as a guide, not an absolute. Menus and food prep techniques may change at any time. If you have allergies or other dietary needs, please, please, please, confirm and reconfirm ingredients and preparation details yourself BEFORE you eat, even with these vendors. Better safe than sorry.

Key to listings:

Nuts: May include peanuts, coconuts, almonds and other tree nuts.

Soy: May include soy-based cooking oil, soy milk, tofu, or other soy products

Shellfish: May include lobster, shrimp, crabs, clams, or other crustaceans.

Vegetarian: Does NOT have meat, poultry or fish ingredients.

Vegan: Does NOT have any animal-based ingredients at all, including eggs and dairy.

Ask for Mimi

twitter.com/askformimi

Shellfish: No; Nuts: Yes; Soy: No

Price range: $1

Ask for Mimi offers delectable, inexpensive cupcakes with interesting flavors, such as pink lemonade. “Mimi” is a Los Angeles native, and sets up her table near the apartment building where her daughter used to live. Some items, such as the German chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes, include nuts. Mimi stated that she tried to avoid nut products due to the prevalance of allergies, and that cupcakes with nuts were baked separately.