Eat First: Food truck roundups in Syracuse

The Syracuse Food Truck Association launched in 2015 with three members: Nick Sanford of Toss & Fire Pizza, Dennis Souva and Cindy Baker of The Chicken Bandit and Pat Orr of PB&J's Lunchbox. In four years, the organization has grown to include nearly 30 mobile food entrepreneurs.

In Syracuse, it has been a bit of a rocky road for them. In the past, the city used a lottery system that gave the trucks standing locations on city streets. At one point, expensive licensing and permit fees drove many of the trucks out of the city. Fortunately, Syracuse Common Councilor Michael Greene introduced legislation this year that reduced the cost for food truck operators to set up shop -- and gave them the green light to set up on a first come, first serve basis on certain blocks downtown.

The city also dedicated a day to weekly food truck round-ups in Clinton Square. Judging from a visit on a recent Wednesday, the Clinton Square Food Truck Rally is a success -- and a great lunchtime addition to downtown. And Wednesday isn't the only day the trucks roll in. You can enjoy lunch from local food trucks most Fridays at the Everson Museum of Art and have a food truck supper on some Fridays at the Syracuse Inner Harbor, to benefit In My Father's Kitchen.

Food trucks contribute to a vibrant local food culture -- and are a fun and affordable way to experience different cuisines. August is upon us. Be sure to check out these seasonal events.

Clinton Square Food Truck Rally

The Clinton Square Food Truck Rally continues from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays into the fall. Six food trucks are on site each week and the spots rotate among the nearly 30 members of the Syracuse Food Truck Association.

On the day I visited, Wolf's Patio Pizza, Cluck N Burger, Cue-Dogs, Skippy's Ice Cream, Byblos Street Grill and the Papa Gallo Taco Truck were present. I was torn between wood-fired pizza and tacos but the tacos won. From a menu of about 10 tacos and burritos, I ordered the Pollo Verde street tacos ($10) from the Papa Gallo truck. These featured seasoned chicken, corn, black bean and red pepper salsa and a cheese blend stuffed inside three warm flour tortillas. Two people could easily share the tacos -- and something else from another truck.

Food Truck Fridays at the Everson Museum

There are just a few Fridays left to catch this event, held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. most Fridays on the plaza at the Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St., Syracuse.

Four food trucks are on site each week, offering everything from barbecue to Middle Eastern food to waffles and ice cream. Also on hand is the Syracuse Farm Fresh Mobile Market, which brings fresh produce at reasonable prices to accessible locations around Syracuse. The mobile market is a project of the Southside Interfaith Community Development Corporation.

The final Food Truck Fridays of the season are scheduled for August 3, 10, 24 and 31. Click here to see what trucks will be there.

Food Truck Friday Roundup at the Syracuse Inner Harbor

Two of these popular food truck gatherings remain: August 16 and September 20. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Proceeds benefit In My Father's Kitchen, a non-profit that offers assistance to the homeless and refugee community through street outreach. Diners are encouraged to round up their tab to the nearest dollar, five dollars, 10 dollars, etc., and support a great cause. Parking is available in the Aloft lot on West Kirkpatrick Street, across from the Inner Harbor location.

At the first event of the season, we finally had the opportunity to sample specialties from two food trucks we've been wanting to try: Bold Coast Lobster Co. and Conundrum (foods with a cone under them). The New England style clam chowder from Bold Coast ($6 for a cup) was full of flavor and clams and the Connecticut-style lobster roll ($18) was served with drawn butter only (no mayonnaise), on a toasted New England-style roll. Lobster and butter -- what's not to love? The roll was absolutely delicious.

From a menu of about six items at Conundrum, we decided on the Ginger Pig Cone ($12; seasoned shredded pork, cooked in coconut milk, with ginger, garlic, lemon, basil and honey and served with a slaw of red cabbage. All of the above ingredients were stuffed in a waffle-style cone. I feared it would collapse -- so we turned it on its side on a plate and ate it with fork and knife. The cone was a somewhat sloppy symphony of flavors.