It's official. Food trucks are having their moment in Seattle. These days, there are roving eateries on every other street corner slinging kid-approved edibles ranging from oversized biscuits to schmancy grilled cheese sandwiches.
There's no question that kids love eating street food. But for parents, a lot of prep time can be involved in order to get everyone out of the house and into the car for what amounts to a fast meal. If you're going out, why not make a day or night of it? Here, three kid-approved food trucks meet their match when they're paired with a family outing that extends a quick bite into an extended weekend activity.
Friday
Dinner: Where Ya at Matt?
Outing: Parking lot gathering at Chuck's Hop Shop
Hood: Greenwood / Central District
If you live in Greenwood, you've probably driven past the Chuck's Hop Shop parking lot on Friday night and seen the crowds of couples and families noshing on po' boys from the New Orleans-inspired food truck, Where Ya at Matt? Every Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., Where Ya at Matt? brings southern soul food to Chuck's, a beer specialty store-meets-mini mart on 85th Street. As the packed weekend scene attests, in recent months Chuck's has become more neighborhood gathering place than craft bottle shop. Parents can enjoy a pour from one of the more than 30 taps while kids settle into a table and take in the scene, which most always includes a few friendly pups.
For dinner, kids can't go wrong with the muffuletta sandwiches filled with thinly sliced meat, olives and provolone ($9). The slightly spicy jambalaya with andouille sausage ($5/$8) and plump shrimp and grits ($5/$8) work best for kids who can handle a little heat. Chuck's hosts a different food truck most days of the week, so be sure to check the website before you go for details. Here's some good news for families living south of the Montlake Cut: Chuck's has a second location in the Central District.
Saturday
Snack: My Sweet lil Cakes
Outing: Story time at Elliott Bay Books
Hood: Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill may be filled with packed bars and restaurants on Saturday nights, but the mornings belong to the growing numbers of families populating the neighborhood. Every Saturday at 11 a.m., children sit at the base of the giant play castle in the kid's section at the back of Elliott Bay Books for a laid-back 30-minute story time. Afterwards, new food truck My Sweet lil Cakes awaits further down Pine Street for a late-morning snack.
Proprietors Jesse and Sheena Lee dress in vintage-inspired attire and play danceable swing music over the din of the truck's generator. The soundtrack makes waiting for made-to-order, piping hot sweet or savory filled cakes-on-a-stick with dipping sauce a little more bearable. Not to mention a couple of cups of homemade "hush-hush" chai with butter crisps ($4).
While everything on the menu is good, the blueberry lemon ricotta sweet cake with honey-lemon sauce ($5) sings with zesty flavor. The blueberries fatten until they've almost burst, and the batter is so flavorful you really don't need the dipping sauce. While the Capitol Hill truck is staying put, Sheena Lee confirmed that My Sweet lil Cakes has signed a contract with STG. Look for red velvet buttermilk cakes with cherries and cream cheese dipping sauce outside events at the Neptune Theatre in the coming months.
Sunday
Lunch: Garden Sushi
Outing: Ballard Farmers Market
Hood: Ballard
There's nothing that gets kids hungrier than looking at food, and at the year-round Sunday farmers' market on Ballard Avenue, produce, flowers and sundries are on full display. After browsing bouquets and sampling artisan cheese, head a few blocks east to Seattle's first-ever sushi truck for a healthy meal.
When Garden Sushi shared the news that it had to vacate its popular location at the now-defunct Shell Gas Station in Ballard, the neighborhood held its breath. Thankfully, they quickly reopened in a new nook in Ballard at 17th Avenue and 54th Street, just across from Swedish Ballard. While sushi isn't the first (or fourth) food genre that comes to mind when you think about food trucks, sushi maker Tsering (Leon) Lama's hand rolls and Nigiri are heads-and-tails above what's served at most proper sushi restaurants around town. Even though he's lightening fast at preparing kid-approved orders, including red mango rolls ($4.50) with cooked shrimp, red pepper, fresh avocado and cubes of mango, Lama accepts call-in orders. Give him a ring ahead of time (206-495-3099) and the dad of two will have your order waiting for pick up.
An Indiana transplant, Sara lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids. She writes about family, food and culture for a variety of local publications.
