Whoever came up with the idea of bringing lunch wagons/food trucks together in one central location had a stroke of genius. Most of us in Hawaii find these trucks to find at their regular street stops or by accident during lunch. By having them in one place is like having a mobile food court and is the perfect place to find some late afternoon "grinds" after work or pick up some dinner on the way home.
What probably started as an experiment is now a monthly event taking place on the last Friday of each month at locations to be announced. I attended the Eat the Street that took place on September 30th in a parking lot in the Kakaako area between downtown Honolulu and the Ala Moana shopping district.
Themed "Eat Local, Drink Local" the 39 food trucks and vendors offered at least one dish that included a locally grown or raised ingredient. Attracting local food enthusiasts and visitors alike, last month's event attracted a crowd of over 5,000. The only issue is that deepening on the location and the time when you plan to visit, parking can be limited. The event runs from 4pm-9pm.
The ETS event included food trucks and vendors as varied as Koi 808, Elena's Restaurant, Extreme Tacos, Ono Pops, Simply Ono, Chimney Cakes and Soul Patrol. Visit streetgrindz.com for more info about upcoming ETS events. As much as I wanted to try as many dishes as possible, the portions offered are not tasting sized so I was full by the time I hit my third food truck. That's not a bad thing. In Hawaii the more food the better. Keeping the event hopping is live music to entertain the crowds. One tented section of the parking lot was exclusively set up with tables and chairs for diners.
Eat the Street is brought for your eating pleasure in partnership with Kamehameha Schools and Nonstop Honolulu. Streetgrindz.com is a resource to Hawaii residents and visitors who are looking for an alternative to the colorful and eclectic food scene in the islands that promotes Hawaii's mobile food industry as an untapped dining experience. Prices can top at $10 for a full plate meal or around $5 for single serve dishes. Just bring lots of cash if you bring an empty stomach.
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| From Inferno's Wood Fire Pizza: Guava smoked pork slice. Served hot and juicy and full flavor. (photos: TheHopefulTraveler). |
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| Zsolie's Chimney Cake Hawaii: These twisting funnel treat in various sweet flavors (mine had cinnamon and sugar) actually would be better with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or milk. Eat it while it's hot. |
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| Soul Patrol: It's hard not to go wrong with bacon mac and cheese. Delicious. |
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| Before heading home, stopped by the Liquid Pleasure truck to pick up a refreshing banana smoothie. |
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| A parking lot that takes up an entire city block was taken over by Eat the Street on September 30, 2011. |
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| If you head out early you'll likely find good parking but the afternoon sun was still beating down on diners. |
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| Lines and decision making. One of the commons sights at Eat the Street. |
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| The tent under which were tables and chairs filled fast. Cocktail tables set up nearby were open. |
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| These lucky trucks and foodies had the shade of a nearby condominium to keep them cool. |
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