I have not visited/written about any food trucks in a LONG time. I still love them and think they're a great concept, but my time has dwindled and I haven't had much of a chance. I decided to embark again on trying all the ones in the Orlando region, and started by attending the Apopka Food Truck Roundup on 12/6/12. I had attended the monthly Apopka event once before, last year, and now that I live closer to that area and haven't been in a year I thought it was a good place to renew my Food Truck Adventures.
There are SO many new food trucks! All different types of cuisines are represented, from diner food to Italian to Thai and beyond. I noticed there's a new seafood truck (TJ's Seafood Shack - excited to try them soon), plus many many more. Attending this event were old favorites such as the Yum Yum Truck, Treehouse Truck, Monsta Lobsta, C&S Brisket Bus, The Crooked Spoon, Korean Taco Box, and The Crepe Company. The three trucks I had heard of recently but hadn't eaten at yet included Simply Divine, Curbside Chef, and the Mangia Mobile.
While I would have loved to try all four trucks I hadn't been to yet, I had a bit of a time truck and would only be able to eat at one. I chose the Mangia Mobile, because that's the one I had heard the most about, and I've been really excited to try an Italian food truck after seeing them on shows such as The Next Great Food Truck Race.
As always at the Apopka Food Truck Roundup, there was live music and I wish I could have stayed longer because I really thought the band (Jeffery Lareau and The Waverlys) was doing an excellent job and playing a lot of songs I liked. It was very festive for the Christmas season, with Christmas lights everywhere. This event is family-friendly, and I noticed there was a troop of police officers and EMT's standing by to make sure everyone had a safe and fun time. Kit Land Nelson Park, which is where this event takes place has plenty of table and chairs so you can sit and enjoy your food, and you can alos bring your own if desired. Another big plus is that there's plenty of parking. I really recommend attending this event if you get a chance.
Another great thing about this event was that they were accepting donations for toys to be used as Christmas presents for children in need, in the welfare system around central Florida. As someone who works in the social services industry, I'm always in support of events that give children a chance at a better life.
But back to the Mangia Mobile! It is a very cute truck, and Christmas lights adorning it. There was a good list of dishes they were serving including appetizers, soup, pastas, and desserts. Everything sounded good, and I would like to go back to them soon to try their soup, alfedo, and desserts.
Appetizers included fried ravioli, french fries, stuffed rice balls, and cream of potato soup. Pastas included marinara, alfredo (to which you had an option to add chicken for $1 more), shrimp alfredo, gnocchi, and a special pasta that had sundried tomatoes, alfredo sauce, and sounded pretty yummy. Dessert choices were cheesecake and tiamisu.
I went for two appetizers (again because I was in a rush) that sounded good and one was something I've heard a lot about but had not tried yet. The first was the fried ravioli, which were round cheese ravioli that are breaded and deep fried and served with marinara sauce. The second appetizer I ordered was stuffed rice balls which you could get stuffed with either beef or cheese, I chose cheese. These were also served with marinara.
Note to self, as I get older, do not get only fried food for dinner, it's not so good for my stomach even if my mouth enjoys it!
The fried ravioli were done well. The breading was crisp and flavorful, but the pasta was still tender, just the way you'd want it. Sometimes when I order fried ravioli out they are cooked too long and are too tough. Not these, they were done correctly. The cheese was a standard ricotta filling, and the ravioli, paired with a nice fresh marinara would be a good start to a meal.
The rice balls are interesting. They are leftover rice formed into balls and have cheese stuffed into the middle. They are then dredged in breadcrumbs and fried to a golden perfection. They were crispy, creamy, and cheesy all at the same time, with added texture from the rice. I enjoyed the cheese, although I'm not exactly sure what kind it was because it tasted slightly different from the mozzarella I was expecting. The marinara also made a good accompaniment to these.
I would definitely try the beef stuffed rice balls the next time I vist the Mangia Mobile. I'm also looking forward to trying their alfredo as well as their gnocchi, and I would also like to give their desserts a try.
As always, the Apopka Food Truck Round Up was a good experience. I highly recommend attending.
You can find more information regarding Apopka's event at Apopka Food Truck Round Up on Facebook.
To find more information on the Mangia Mobile, visit Mangia Mobile website and keep in mind you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter, the links to these are on their website.
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