Return to a favorite - Piko Street

Piko Rice Bowl - rice topped with chicken, ribeye, porkbelley and veggies.  Topped with egg, because they will.

Piko was one of the first stops on this Odyssey, as you can see in our post from August 2015.  That post has a picture of food truck adventurers Susan and Kurt who inspired this journey and the blog.

If you have a 42nd floor spot to eat your food truck fare,
and it is a cold blustery day...well, you don't stay of the street.

Caribbean Bowl from La Cocinita

The La Cocinita came to Columbus Drive.  Here is the lead to their story on their web site (Link):

La Cocinita (“The Little Kitchen”) serves contemporary Venezuelan-inspired Latin American street food. The fresh, gourmet cuisine ranges from traditional Mexican tacos and tamales to less familiar Venezuelan fare such as arepas and cachapas. With one food truck in New Orleans and another in Chicago, owners Benoit & Rachel Angulo are excited to open their first restaurant location in Evanston.

 

Cuban-style black beans & rice topped with pulled pork (Eric), mojo-braised chicken (Kathryn).  Spicy salsa verde, purple cabbage slaw, cotija cheese and crispy plaintain chips.

Smoked meat sandwiches, like they say

Mike's Revenge Food Truck gave us a record third for the week, making up for a three week hiatus from the odyssey and giving us real concern for our health: too much rich food!   Next week, one truck!




Kathryn had the Rueben.  The meat was photogenic, but some of it was tough, truth be told.

Cubano for Eric.  He earned Kathryn's derision for asking Mike to hold the pickles.

Bruges!!!

Chicago's Food Truck Fest brought goodness to Daley Plaza but we had eyes only for Bruges Brothers.   (See Food Truck Fest dates from the post about our first brush with the Fest, a few weeks ago Link)



Braised Oxtail Poutine. Oxtail slow-braised in Red Wine and Thyme, rendered into a gravy, then poured atop our frites with Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar, Oxtail gravy and crisp leeks.



Croque Madame. Griddled Ham Off the Bone,  Swiss Fondue, a dash of Dijonnaise, topped with (BAM!) a Sunnyside Egg and a some buttered breadcrumbs.

Cajun Connoisseur

More than a year had passed since our previous encounter with the Cajun Connoisseur truck (it was March, 2016), but Kathryn was drawn again to the shrimp and grits.  I see I went for the  Shrimp po boy sandwich last year but today it was the jambalaya bowl that got my attention.   "Tickling your taste buds with a Cajun kick" indeed!!

Shrimp and grits

Jambalaya

sss

5411 Empanadas and the Food Truck Fest

 After a year's respite we enjoyed fare from 5411 Empanadas on Friday.  It was an eerily warm mid day, and Daley Plaza filled with trucks and foodies at the start of a series of meet ups at Daley Plaza and Pioneer Court (by Tribune Tower).   Last year's report on this blog:  March 2016   


Food Truck Fest dates:  
Daley Plaza:
March 24, 31

April 7, 13, 21, 26
May 2, 12, 17, 24, 31
June 9, 23, 30
July 7, 12, 21, 28
August 2, 11, 18, 25
September 1, 6, 15, 22, 29
October 6, 13, 20, 25
Pioneer Court:
March 29
April 12
May 10
June 8
July 19
August 16
September 12
October 4



It felt like a summer day at Daley Plaza



Bag of goodness

Lining up for empanadas



Chorizo and potato



Dates and cheese? Have to check
the Empanadas 5411 chart to understand
the folds...

 



 

Bowl with brisket - a delight from La Cocinta

Friday's outing was just a few steps out into cold to the La Cocinta truck for their "bowl" with rice, beans and brisket.   The previous visit to La Cocinta was in more pleasant weather, Sept. 2016 (Link)

That's snow on the ground, and a howling, cold wind