The hottest food craze in decades, food trucks are starting to put it in park and go brick-and-mortar. Stay tuned as we feature three truck timelines to see the roads they traveled, starting with…
EL NARANGO of Austin, Texas!
March 2010
After moving to Texas from Oaxaca, Mexico, chef Iliana de la Vega opens El Naranjo Mobile in Austin. Customers line up for tacos al pastor, tacos carnitas and her killer weekly mole specials.
December 2010
El Naranjo is the only truck to make Texas Monthly’s roundup of the state’s 50 best Mexican restaurants.
May 2012
Just after de la Vega turns a 100-year-old house into El Naranjo the restaurant, The Austin Chronicle publishes a glowing review.
Find out more: elnaranjo-restaurant.com 85 Rainey St., Austin, TX
—Andrew Kaplan
Fancy comfort food (artisanal jumbo pretzels for the win!) has been popping up on menus lately—and that’s no coincidence! Comfort food is just one of a bunch of interesting trends that are emerging in both food trucks and brick and mortar spots. Here are some of our other favorites:
- PORK is so hot right now—but really! Bacon is still (and always will be) a major player for foodies, but other pig delicacies, like the mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches from the Maximus/Minimus truck in Seattle, are becoming just as sought after as their crispy cousin.
- HAND-PREPARED DISHES are also on the up, whether it be fresh-cut fries, made-to-order salads or the classic techniques of pickling and preserving. We like our food with a lot of hard work and love behind it.
- Locovores rejoice! LOCALLY SOURCED AND GROWN, farm-to-table food has become very appealing. And this isn’t just a trend for produce, but seafood, meat and more—people want to be more in tune with what they’re putting in their bellies.
- Score one for the more sensitive eaters: GLUTEN-FREE AND FOOD-ALLERGY CONSCIOUS FOOD are becoming way more popular and widely available. Chicago’s Vinci has gone so far as to offer an entire gluten-free menu. This has to be my favorite, hands down!
Have you noticed any other food and restaurant trends on the rise? What are some of your favorites?
—Morgan Gibson, Editorial Assistant
