Off the Grid in San Mateo

There have been a few gourmet food trucks operating on the Peninsula these past few years; but until this summer, all the big events were confined to San Jose, San Francisco, and the East Bay.

Babaloo Cuban Cuisine Food Truck's mobile art

This summer, Sunset Magazine led the charge, adding a handful of the mobile eateries to their usual vendor offerings at its Celebration Weekend.  Then Moveable Feast, which organizes large festival-like gatherings, held its first monthly food truck extravaganza at the San Mateo County Expo Center, on July 1st. The event drew a few thousand people, most of whom paid to park in the giant Expo lot, and featured live music and local clothing and jewelry vendors in addition to over a dozen food trucks.  Lengthy lines pleased organizers and vendors, but frustrated some hungry attendees. The great turnout ensured its continuation through the summer months.

Next Monday evening, Off the Grid, which organizes much smaller round-ups on a daily basis in San Francisco, will conduct a soft launch of its new site, the San Mateo downtown train station. Six to eight trucks are expected to participate.  Street parking downtown gets tight; but attendees can easily walk from the surrounding neighborhood or arrive from farther afield via Caltrain. For those who love sampling food truck fare but don't like being closed into an area with crowds, this smaller gathering should be ideal.