DC Slices: Review

I was beginning to think we weren’t destined to meet. I’d been waiting for these guys to come around, but for a while it seemed like when they did it was on my day off, I had other plans, I’d brought lunch, the line was long and I didn’t have time to wait, etc. Given that they serve pizza, with confirmed vegan crust and sauce, and offer Daiya, well, anyone would be all over it. So you can imagine my excitement when I got the tweet they’d be nearby the next day.

Not wanting to hold up the line by asking a lot of questions at the window, I contacted them via Twitter and asked how the vegan pizza works—as in, do they sell vegan slices, personal pizzas, whole pies, do they need to know in advance, what have you. I received an immediate response letting me know that:

“We do make 10in vegan pies to order, but at the moment we are out of daiya…but we can make ya tomato pie with lotsa veggies.”

No biggie. Daiya’s great and all, but most of the time I order pizzas without it. So many places tend to put too much on the pizza and just like cow milk cheese, it masks the flavors of the sauce and veggies. I was just going to order it because they have it, but a day without is certainly not a day to keep me away from pizza. Besides, it’s a savings on fat and calories. And "lotsa veggies" always sounds good.

My take on the above response is that all I have to do is show up and tell them I want a vegan pizza and they’ll make it. That’s what happened, but not without a bit of confusion. I get up to the window and confirm they have no Daiya, then ask for a pizza with all the veggies except for olives (because they are vile and disgusting and do not qualify as food). The order guy tells me they don't have any vegan slices. He then asks the cook guy if he would “mind” making a whole pizza. I thought that’s how I had to do it? So the cook guy asks me if I want a small/personal pizza, or a whole large pizza. Just a small one of course, and he said no problem. So there was a bit of confusion there, but nothing major. It was handled quickly and nicely.

The order guy takes my name and tells me it will be about eight minutes, and that’s precisely how long it took. I was handed a small box (which I prefer over the paper plates those ordering by the slice receive), and out of habit had to check to make sure there was no cheese before I walked away. All clear. But I was a bit surprised at how sparse the toppings were.

 

Their website claims the available veggies are: onion, green pepper, mushroom, black olive. Okay, it’s a TRUCK; we’re not overflowing with space here, so those toppings are fine (with the exception of the olives). I’m also not a fan of mushrooms, but can sometimes tolerate them in small doses, but usually only if they’re baby bellas. However, as you can see, my pizza only contained onions and peppers. They also tout fresh basil, which would have been nice, but I suppose I should have asked for that. I did a dumb thing and assumed when I said “all the veggies except for olives,” that I would have gotten the basil and mushrooms too.

On to the tasting! I’m rather picky about my crust and my sauce, and I was delighted with DC Slices on both counts here. The crust is perfect. Just the right thickness (which means THIN) and texture, and it has this rich wood-fired flavor. Not sure how they achieve that on a truck, but they do. The sauce is vibrant in color with a fresh homemade taste.

My pizza was great, it was just missing a little something that would have put it over the top. I’ll happily revisit DC Slices the next time they come around. If you go, and if it matters to you, you might want to check in advance as to whether they have Daiya on board.  

Overall it’s a good deal—a fresh hot 10-inch pie for $8, ready in about eight minutes. They also sell tater tots for $4, and they were selling a lot of them on the day I was there. Now I love me some tater tots, but even I can’t eat both pizza and tots in one meal, so those will have to wait for another day.

I would like to note that DC Slices is the only food truck that contacted me when I started this blog. Clearly they pay attention to their Twitter feed and that makes me think they listen to their customers. Perhaps if enough of us beg for broccoli or spinach they'll add that to the toppings list. Or jalapenos would be good. :) 

Website: http://dcslices.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DCSlices

Twitter: @dcslices

SOL Mexican Grill: Review

On a very sunny and record-setting warm day in early April, SOL Mexican Grill came around to my neck of the DC woods. Getting word via Twitter that they’d be nearby, I tweeted to ask what, if any vegan items they have on the menu. At this time their website is still under development, but (as I later learned) you can access the menu through Food Truck Fiesta. 

(photo from Food Truck Fiesta)

Though I didn’t hear back regarding the menu, I chanced it and figured I could ask quickly at the window. Generally, I like to know ahead of time what items are vegan and what I’m ordering so as not to suck up too much time at the window with the usual vegan barrage of questions. Part of the appeal of the food trucks is that they are (typically) a fast way for busy people to grab lunch. But really, once I saw the menu, and saw that it’s build-your-own, all I needed to know was whether the rice and beans were vegan. That seems so obvious, but as any vegan knows, a lot of places do a lot of screwy things to mess up the simplest of ingredients.

Your options from SOL are three tacos, a burrito, or a bowl. Once confirming the beans and rice are vegan, I saved a bit of calories and carbs and opted for the bowl. In keeping with my mission, I proceeded to order all available vegan options, which included black beans, white rice, pico, lettuce, and corn. There are two sauce options, red (hot) and green (medium). The more you get to know me, the less of a question this will be, but I ordered the red sauce.

The service was quick and friendly, and they provided the napkin and fork, in a brown paper bag. (I mention this because some of the food trucks do not wrap their food at all.) This made it easy to take back to the office, refill my water, and commence with the chowing. This was a tasty and filling lunch. And at $7, a great deal as well. The flesh-eaters pay an extra $1.50 for guacamole, while we herbivores have it included, which is a nice little bonus. SOL also offers Jarritos, and on this day I saw the pineapple, mango, and tamarind flavors. I’m not sure of the price as I didn’t have one.

Initially, since “veggie” is listed under the flesh options, I thought there might be vegetables to add to the dish. That’s not the case—the veggie is simply the same options everyone has, just no flesh. That’s fine, that’s the way it is at most places, though some additional veggies, or A veggie might be nice. But it’s a truck—space and time are limited. This still makes for a perfectly satisfying meal.

The rice is a tad sticky, but with all the other good stuff going on it barely matters. The beans were cooked properly; the pico and guac fresh; and the red sauce…oh the red sauce. Delicious! I’m always thrilled to find something with flavor, especially something that purports to be “hot.” This is a solid picante sauce, and I’ll be asking for extra next time.

My only complaint is that the cheese is picked up and tossed on the taco/burrito/bowl with the same gloved hand as the lettuce. I realize in a fast-paced food service environment there isn’t time to change gloves, but perhaps some tongs could be used for one or both items so as to avoid cross contamination. There was no cheese in my bowl, but still. Between the vegans and the dairy-allergic, it would be a good idea.

Overall I very much enjoyed my burrito bowl lunch. I believe it was a fair price for a good-sized portion, and the flavors and textures were appealing. A vegan can definitely get a solid and tasty meal here. Will definitely go back again when Twitter tells me they are nearby. And ask for more sauce.

Website: http://soltruck.com (under development)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SOL-mexican-grill-DC/194806723871118

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/solmexicangrill

Time to get your (vegan) street food on!

Welcome, food truck food lovers!

One of the most exciting non-political (though it did become political!) things to happen in our nation’s capital lately has been the proliferation of street food. No, not more of those icky hot dog vending carts emanating that awful smell, but actual freshly-prepared off-the-truck street food. You know, like in “real cities.”

For far too long DC has lagged far behind other major metropolitan areas in terms of its street food scene. Yeah, I realize we’re not known for our trendsetting ways. I do still see women walking around in black panty hose and white shoes, or Dog forbid—suits and sneakers ala Tess McGill. Still, it has always struck me as a bit odd that in cities all around the world there is a vibrant street food scene, but here? Nada. And no, half smokes don’t count.

Much to my delight, and clearly that of many others, that’s all changed now; and to my further delight, many of these food trucks have vegan options—some even using the word “vegan” on their website and/or menus on the truck. Most I have contacted directly have been very welcoming of my questions regarding their vegan offerings, and are happy to modify an item if needed. Some even solicit ideas from their fans on how to be more vegan friendly.

As veganism becomes more “mainstream” (well, it is), most food trucks as well as brick and mortar restaurants will have no choice but to provide a decent selection of vegan foods. Sure, there are some that don’t now, nor will they ever, but if they pay attention to their bottom line—which they have to; and to their reputation—which they should; we will see more and more vegan options from non-vegan restaurateurs.    

This blog has grown out of my love for good food, food trucks, local businesses, and that certain something I can’t quite put my finger on that causes such excitement when these things come together. I will be patronizing and contacting as many of DC’s beloved food trucks as I can, and I will share the reviews and news with you. Your own reviews are welcome, as is any information you have to share regarding vegan food truck eats, in DC or elsewhere.

So, tuck in your paper napkin and grab your plastic fork…it’s time for street food!