Dockside Donuts in Nova Scotia: Donut Poutine!

During our recent vacation in Nova Scotia, we stayed one evening at The Inn at Fisherman's Cove, located on the waterfront in Eastern Passage. I was excited to stay here because it meant I was very close to Dockside Donuts, a mini-donut food truck which I raved about last year. 

It's a simple idea, and I continue to wonder why a similar truck doesn't exist in the Boston area. Fresh, hot mini-donuts are prepared to order, and you get your choice of toppings for your donuts. They also serve freshly squeezed lemonade, in a few different flavors. Who wouldn't enjoy such a food truck? The truck is generally open from 1pm-8pm, so these donuts aren't made for breakfast, though you could save them for the next morning. 

The Mini-donuts are available as a 10-pack, with your choice of two favors, for $6, or a 36-pack, with four flavors, for $18. Since last year, the price of the 10-pack rose $1, and the 36-pack rose $3. That is a very reasonable increase considering inflation, and the rising cost of ingredients, fuel, etc. The increased prices are still good values considering the quality and quantity you receive. You should also consider that a 10-pack is roughly equivalent to 3-4 full-sized donuts for $6 is really a bargain.  

There are about 16 flavors available to top your donut, from Bananas Foster to S'Mores, Chocolate with Toasted Coconut to Boston Cream. Above, is the Old Fashioned Plain and the Death By Chocolate. New flavors get added all the time when inspiration strikes and they decide to concoct a intriguing new flavor. The donuts are also hot when you receive them, so you'll want to start eating them as soon as you receive them. At a regular donut shop, it's usually rare to find hot donuts. 

To accompany your donuts, you can get a Freshly Squeezed Lemonade (24 oz/$3.50), in flavors including Regular, Strawberry, Blueberry and Peach. I tried the Peach Lemonade and was delighted by its bright peach flavors, some tartness, and only a mild sweetness. Very refreshing and I would definitely order it again.

While visiting Nova Scotia, I would have stopped at Dockside Donuts anyway, but this time, I had another compelling reason to check them out, to try their Donut "Poutine." There's no Fries, Gravy or Curds, so it's not an actual poutine, but instead it's a fun play on the concept. Donuts instead of fries, sauces instead of gravy, and whipped cream rather than curds. It's essentially a Donut Sundae, so who wouldn't be interested? 

They have made a few different versions of this treat, and I got the banana version. The hot donuts are topped by banana and butterscotch sauces, whipped cream, banana slices and nuts. It was as delicious as I imagined, and I was sure to finish every bite. The sauces were tasty, enhancing the donuts, and the fresh whipped cream was a welcome addition. The nuts add texture and flavor, and the fresh banana slices helped to elevate the entirety. Highly recommended!

If you visit Nova Scotia, I hope you'll stop by Dockside Donuts, And won't some eager entrepreneur in the Boston area open a similar truck? 

Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia: Dockside Donuts Truck

On my recent trip to Nova Scotia, I visited the Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage, which has numerous small shops, most artisan producers, as well as several restaurants and food shops. It's a good place to get fish & chips or some lobster, as well as to buy maritime art and other locally produced items. I've visited this area numerous times over the years, but this year I found a new vendor.

Dockside Donuts!

It's a food truck that serves fresh, mini-donuts dipped and topped by a variety of flavors and ingredients. I had to check it out and I wasn't disappointed at all. I haven't been able to find out much online about this food truck, but if you visit the area, you definitely should check them out. 

The Menu is intriguing, and 10 mini-donuts cost $5 (Canadian) and you get to choose two different flavors. You could also select a Party Box of 36 donuts for only $15, and you got to choose four flavors. For each flavor, you get to choose two items. As there are plenty of flavors available, you can create all sorts of combinations dependent on your preferences. The featured donut was a Boston Cream. They also sell Funnel Cakes ($5), fresh squeezed Lemonade, and other drinks.

When you order your donuts, they fry them then and there, so you always get fresh, hot donuts. They then dip the donuts in your chosen flavorings. Simple and delicious.

This order included Butterscotch with Flaky Sea Salt and Vanilla Glaze with Toasted Coconut. Both flavors were delicious, with the donuts being soft and hot, and the glazes flavorful and sweet, but not overly so. 

This order included Chocolate Glaze with Belgian Dark Chocolate Pearls and a classic Cinnamon & Sugar. These donuts were also delicious, with the chocolate ones being extra rich with the chocolate pearls. I would order any four of these flavor combinations again, although I've love to try some additional combinations as well. 

The Lemonade was quite good too, again, not overly sweet with a delicious tartness. 

We need some of these trucks in the Boston area. 

Double Awesome Chinese Food: Tasty New Cookbook from Mei Mei

'‘Mei Mei” means little sister in Mandarin - our restaurant is an expression of our favorite childhood eating experiences as Chinese-American kids growing up in Boston.
--Mei Mei restaurant website

Mei Mei might be most well known for their Double Awesome, a sandwich made with a scallion pancake and stuffed with two oozy eggs, Vermont cheddar, and local greens pesto. I've certainly enjoyed the Double Awesome and it's convinced me that more sandwiches should be made with light and flaky scallion pancakes. I first encountered Mei Mei when they were a food truck, and they also now have a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Audubon Circle area of Boston. They've recently taken the new step and written a fascinating cookbook so that you can recreate some of their favorite recipes at home.

I strongly recommend you check out Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from Our Chinese-American Kitchen by Andrew, Irene and Margaret Li (Roost Books, February 2019, $35.00), a hardcover of about 240 pages. Andrew, Irene and Margaret are the sibling co-owners of Mei Mei, and Andrew named the company after his "little sisters." Their food truck opened in 2012 while their restaurant opened a year later.

One of the most compelling aspects of these siblings is the important values they embrace, seeking to source many of their ingredients locally, and opting for many sustainable choices. In addition, they seek to treat their employees very well, getting them invested in the future of their restaurants. Their website has much more information on these important aspects and I urge you to read more about their passionate efforts and philosophy.

Their new cookbook, broken down into an introductory section and eight chapters, has over 100 recipes, ranging from Apple Hoisin Sauce to Oolong Panna Cotta. The introductory section, Cooking At Home The Mei Mei Way, explains the six main concepts of sourcing and cooking that guide Mei Mei, such as 1. Buy Good Meat and 5. Eat Everything Edible. They follow up with advice for home cooks, including suggestions on kitchen equipment and pantry ingredients, especially Asian ones. All good advice for anyone who wants to create the recipes within the rest of the book.

The recipes are generally Asian inspired, with their own creative twists, so though you will find a recipe for Traditional-ish Pork Dumplings, you'll also find Beef & Blue Cheese Dumplings and Sweet Potato, Feta & Brown Butter Dumplings. There is a sense of whimsy to the recipes, but grounded in well-crafted dishes that taste delicious. Many of the recipes are relatively easy to create, and the more difficult ones have ample directions and photos, such as the section on Dumpling Making. You'll also find how to create the Double Awesome, which includes recipes to make Scallion Pancakes and the Local Greens Pesto.

The cookbook has a diverse variety of recipes, some that showcase vegetables while others showcase meat and seafood. There is something for all food preferences. There are plenty of photos scattered throughout the book, illustrating the various dishes as well as showcasing the Li siblings. A few of the recipes which especially intrigue me include Sesame Ssam Fang Brisket Lettuce Wraps, Coconut-Dashi Clam Chowder, and Jjajang Lamb Noodles. I'm sure you'll find different dishes that will intrigue you.

Some of the recipes are tools, which home cooks can use to create their own recipes or alternate versions of the recipes within the cookbook. For example, the first chapter, Our Favorite Pantry Recipes, consists of various sauces, dressings and oils which are versatile, and can be used in plenty of your own dishes. Other recipes such as their Rice Porridge and Traditional-Fish Pork Dumplings are templates where home cooks can easily put their own spin on such dishes.

Chapter 7, From The Ocean, is all about seafood and I found something in this chapter which both surprised and impressed me. As I written about before, seafood cookbooks far too often provide recipes that require a specific type of fish, and this is an obstacle to sustainability. Recipes shouldn't specify the fish type but be more generic, such as a "light, flaky whitefish" instead of "cod." The idea is to encourage home cooks to seek outside the most common seafood species, and put less pressure on those seafood populations. These are so many different types of fish that are delicious but most consumers don't consume them because their recipes don't include those different fish.

The Mei Mei cookbook doesn't fall into this trap, and provides a number of recipes calling for more general fish ingredients. For example, their Red-Cooked Fish recipe calls for "firm white fish fillets" and their Fish With Fennel, Cilantro & Sesame Oil recipe calls for "fillets of a relatively firm fish like salmon or barramundi." This is part of Mei Meis commitment to sustainability and I'm glad to see they've taken this route.

Overall, I highly recommend the Double Awesome Chinese Food cookbook. Lots of creative recipes, most easy to make, and a strong emphasis on sustainability and local ingredients. At Mei Mei, they take those matters seriously and it's not a surprise those values came through in their cookbook. If you've ever enjoyed a Double Awesome at Mei Mei, then this is a cookbook you should own. If you've never had a Double Awesome, buy this cookbook so you can make it at home. And you should also go to Mei Mei to experience one.

"For us, food is happiness, entertainment, adventure, education, enjoyment, and love. We look forward to sharing it with you."
----Mei Mei restaurant website

Rant: Food Truck, No Cash?

We don't accept your cash. What???

This past weekend, I attended a convention at the Westin Waterfront and several food trucks showed up for the attendees. On Sunday, the two food trucks at the hotel included the Baja Taco Truck and Clover.  I wanted to order something at Clover however I realized that they didn't accept cash! You can only use credit or debit cards, even if only buying a drink that costs under $2. I chose not to buy anything from the truck as I only wanted to use cash.

Though I've visited a couple of he Clover restaurants during the past year,  this was the first time I had visited their food truck in the last year. I was unaware that they had changed their policy in May 2015 so that their food truck no longer accepted cash, though their brick & mortar stores still accept cash. In a blog post, they stated their business was over 80% credit and then listed other reasons they believed justified the change.

First, they said there were security issues with a food truck having a bunch of cash. However, as they accept cash at their brick & mortars, the chance of robbery still exists. Second, they state it takes a lot of work, basically an hour to count and deposit the cash. However, again as they accept cash at their brick & mortars, their managers still have to spend that extra time counting and depositing their cash. Third, they allege a fear of employee theft, miscounts, or errors, which still is a problem for them as they still the cash at their brick & mortars. With credit cards, there is also still a potential problem of theft of credit card numbers so they aren't preventing all theft issues. Finally, they state running out of change can be a hassle. If so many people are using credit cards, then why is this such an issue? If you start the day with a proper amount of change, it should't be an issue.

I see a very inconsistent policy here, where the complaints about cash at food trucks can be applied just as well to their brick & mortars. If those concerns were so important, then their policy should be applied across the board, but it isn't. Why aren't there similar concerns for the employees who work at the brick & mortars?  Why accept cash at all? It doesn't make sense to me.

The no-cash policy eliminates some potential customers, anyone who doesn't own a credit or debit card. This could be seen as class discrimination, making it impossible for some of the lowest economic classes  to avail themselves of the Clover food truck. For example, a homeless person who had a handful of cash couldn't buy anything at their food truck. According to a 2014 Gallup Poll,  about 29% of Americans do not have a credit card, a number that has been rising over the years.  

That concern was raised in the comments on the Clover blog post and the founder, Ayr Muir, stated "I never thought of it that way. I hope we’re not excluding anybody with this policy." There was no apparent follow-up and I didn't see any indications that Clover was trying to address this issue. For a community business to exclude certain members of that community, about 29% of that community, seems very wrong.  

From the blog post comments, it was also clear that some people objected to the policy and wouldn't patronize the Clover food truck any more. This might only constitute a small group, but it is lost revenue for Clover. And it has alienated some of those people who won't now recommend others to Clover. As the policy is still around, it is apparent Clover doesn't see a significant problem by turning away those customers as well as the 29% of Americans who lack credit cards.

They lost my business this weekend. It wasn't a big loss, definitely less than $10, but I might not ever go to a Clover truck again. And I won't be telling my friends to go there either.

Riceburg Food Truck: An Initial Impression

One of the newest food trucks in Boston is Rice Burg, which offers rice patties as buns for their sandwiches. I stopped by the truck recently, when they were parked near the Back Bay T station. Their menu is small, offering four sandwiches and sides, including rice cake skewers, fish/beef balls, and fries. Though the sandwiches are listed under Rice Burgers ($6.75-$7.75), they don't sell hamburgers and what they do sell really doesn't qualify as a burger. Instead, you'll find crispy chicken, shaved steak and shaved Shitake mushrooms.  The Sides cost $2-$3.

The Rice Skewers ($2) are supposed to be crispy fried rice cakes topped with their Red Sauce. I wasn't impressed with these as they were much more chewy than crispy though the red sauce with sesame seeds was tasty, a nice combo of sweet and spicy. In some respects, they reminded me of the fake crab sticks you get at sushi joints.

On the other hand, the Crispy Chicken Rice Burger ($6.75) was impressive. You can choose either Mala Spicy or Sweet & Sour, and I opted for the latter. The sandwich was made with lettuce, a pineapple ring and the sweet & sour sauce. The chicken, all white meat, was large and thick, with a crisp coating and lots of tender, moist meat. The sauce was tasty too, a nice balance of flavors. The rice patties were good too, adding an intriguing element to the sandwich, like a rice and chicken bowl. I think it was a great option instead of a bread bun and I would like to see those rice patties used on other sandwiches too. The only minor complaint is that the rice patty did break apart a bit, in larger chunks, as I ate the sandwich. Overall, a delicious sandwich, priced quite reasonably, and I would definitely order it again.

Once I try some of their other items, I'll report back. For now, I highly recommend you check out their Crispy Chicken Rice Burger.

Rant: The Safety Of Food Trucks

Is eating at food trucks safe? Is it as safe as eating at a brick & mortar spot?

There has been a vocal group in the Boston area who have railed against food trucks, claiming they are less safe than brick & mortar restaurants. What is the truth though? We may now have evidence to show that overall, food trucks actually possess better food safety records than brick & mortar spots. Hopefully that will convince some critics that their position is not supported by the evidence.

The Institute for Justice, a civil liberties law firm, recently published a report, Street Eats, Safe Eats, which details their study of over 260,000 food-safety inspection reports from seven cities, including Boston. The other cities included Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Seattle and Washington, D.C. In all seven cities, they found that food trucks and carts did just as well, if not better, than restaurants.

Specifically for Boston, they analyzed 29,828 inspection reports from the period of 2011 to July 2013. They concluded that food carts averaged only a single violation, food trucks averaged only 2.7 but restaurants averaged 4.6 violations. For critical foodborne violations, food trucks and restaurants received roughly the same amount, averaging less than one violation.

Though the report does not address it, I think that we must also consider that the food truck phenomenon is relatively new in Boston, with a large surge starting around 2011. There is a learning curve involved, as all these new businesses learn to handle the challenges, including food safety, of operating a food truck. As these businesses acquire more knowledge and experience, I expect the number of violations will decrease. It will help if food truck operators work together to share information, to help each other resolve problems and issues.

The report also made an interesting conclusion, indicating the best path to increased food safety: inspections. As Angela Erickson states in the report, "...the recipe for clean and safe food trucks is simple—inspections. More burdensome regulations proposed in the name of food safety, such as outright bans and limits on when and where mobile vendors may work, do not make street food safer—they just make it harder to get."

Don't worry about dining out at a food truck.

Uyghur Kitchen Food Truck : Lamb Lovers Take Notice

Maybe the first of its kind in the country, the Uyghur Kitchen Food Truck opened in Boston last week. You can find a small number of Uyghur cuisine restaurants at various spots across the country, but it doesn't seem there are any other food trucks. According to their website, the "Uyghurs are a Turkic people" and their "history reflects the exchange of languages and religions that occurred along the Silk Road."  The Uyghur are concentrated in the Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwest China, bordering Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. I don't believe I have ever eaten Uyghur cuisine before.

Uyghur cuisine commonly uses noodles and lamb, cumin and black pepper. The kawaplar, or kebabs, are a popular dish. It is said that the usual way to eat such a kebab skewer is to keep it parallel to your mouth, and then use your teeth to slide a piece of meat off the skewer. The Uyghur Kitchen Food currently has a simple menu, concentrating on chicken and lamb. You can get a simple skewer of grilled meat, or have it atop a salad or within a wrap.

On Tuesday evening, their second day in operation, I stopped by the truck parked on Stuart Street, around the corner from the Back Bay station. I ordered a lamb and chicken skewer, to check out the quality and taste of their primary items. Be advised though that as the food truck has just started, it will take them some time to get in the groove and perfect their cuisine.

Their lamb is marinated in a mixture of onion, garlic and pomegranate juice, with a mixture of cumin and salt as a finishing touch. That is supposed to be a common way the Uyghur season their kebabs. I love lamb, and was impressed with this lebab. The meat was juicy and tender, and the spices were tasty and well balanced. I would have loved a glass of Sake with this kebab. The chicken kebab was a bit dry, though the spices gave it a good taste.

I would recommend their lamb kebabs and I look forward to seeing how the truck changes and improves in the near future. I'll be dining there again soon so will keep my readers updated.

The Fugu Food Truck Is Coming!

Fugu. The Japanese term for the pufferfish. The above picture of a pufferfish makes it look cute though the actual fish can be lethal.

Fugu is a highly prized fish, which has been eaten by the Japanese for thousands of years. However, it also contains a deadly poison, tetrodotoxin, which is 1250 times more toxic than cyanide and for which there is no antidote. A tiny amount, only 1-2 milligrams, is sufficient to kill someone. Each year, there is an average of 30 or so cases of fugu poisoning, leading to 6-7 deaths each year. Those who did not die consumed enough poison to get sick, but not enough to kill them. Chefs who serve fugu must be specially licensed and the rigorous training to obtain such a license takes at least two years. Most deaths from fugu consumption are due to inexperienced individuals trying to prepare fugu on their own.

Starting on April 1, a new food truck, the Fugu Truck, will be traveling the streets of Boston. Though it is named after the deadly fish, do not worry as they will not be serving actual fugu. Trying to properly slice fugu on a moving truck would have been a formidable task.

This past Sunday, I was invited to attend a special preview event, to view the truck, check out some of their potential food, and to chat with those involved. It was a fun event, with some tasty food, and I believe the Fugu Truck has much potential. The cute pufferfish on their truck is intended to be a symbol, and Chef Bing first saw this fugu on the handle of one of his knives. As it takes much skill and training to prepare fugu, the symbol on their truck is thus meant to represent the "discipline, dedication, and sophistication" they hope to bring to their food.

The Fugu Truck will essentially serve Asian street food, inspired by a number of different Asian countries and regions. Each day, they will stop at different Boston locations for lunch and dinner and you can check their schedule for where they will be on any specific day. Though much of their food will be authentic, they won't limit themselves and may create some of their own Asian-inspired dishes. The menu will change constantly, and they will likely sell about 7-8 items each day. About half the items will be prepared off the truck and the other half will be prepared on the truck. They are still working on their pricing, though it will probably be something like two Pork Belly Buns for $5 and Bubble Tea for $2.50.

It is good to see that the Fugu Truck will try to be environmentally responsible, using biodegradable dishes, cups and silverware, engaging in recycling and more. In addition, they will also incorporate charitable giving into their business plan. They want to give back to the community and seem sincere in their beliefs and actions.

Chef Bing, the culinary leader of the Fugu Truck, grew up in Harbin, a major city in Northeast China, where he was exposed to plenty of street food. He eventually studied engineering at the University of Michigan yet his true passion was in cooking food. Against his parents' wishes, he journeyed to Paris where he trained at Le Cordon Bleu. While in France, he spent time working at Taillevent and Chocolaterie by Jean Charles Rochoux. Upon his return to the U.S., Bing moved to New York where he worked at places such as Dovetail and Corton. Eventually, he came to Boston, where he learned about Japanese cuisine at Oishii.  

Bing wanted to move out on his own, to indulge his culinary creativity. While pondering a number of ideas, he and several college friends checked out the SOWA Open Market and were intrigued by the idea of food trucks. After more discussion and exploration of the concept, they decided to create an Asian street food truck. They succeeded in fund raising through Kickstarter and are ready to launch their truck in less than a week.

These are some of the good people involved with the Fugu Truck, with Chef Bing at the center.

Upon arrival at the preview event, I received a cup of Iced Bubble Tea, made from black tea, condensed milk, and tapioca balls. It was a tasty tea, wasn't sweet, and the straw is wide enough for the chewy tapioca beads to flow up the straw.

Kimbap is a Korean dish which is akin to Japanese maki, a seaweed wrap holding rice and fillings. This particular kimbap contained BBQ beef and a few vegetables, like radish and cucumber. They also offer a vegetarian option. A nice blend of flavors and textures, it made for a good, one-bite treat.

Chef Bing stated that the most challenging dish to prepare are the Spring Rolls, which contain bean sprouts, cabbage, and mushrooms. He stated that the preparation is time consuming, slicing all of the vegetables the proper size and shape, and then carefully wrapping them all in the skin. I was not a fan of this dish only because it contained far too many veggies for my preference. However, the spring roll skin was delicious, thin and crispy, and any veggie lover is likely to enjoy it.

A Stuffed Eggplant dish may also not seem like something I would enjoy, but this was quite delicious. The fried eggplant slices are filled with pork, tofu and spices, and the whole thing was topped by a spicy garlic sauce. First, the sauce was a clear winner, and I would love to try that sauce on a variety of dishes. The eggplant itself was tender and the stuffing was flavorful, spiced well. It is something I would order again, which is saying much for the eggplant.

My initial plate of appetizers, and we were able to get more of anything we liked.

I wanted to dive into this tray of Pork Belly! Or grab it and run out the door. But I was good.

I got to try their Steamed and Grilled Pork Belly Buns, each which contained a good-sized, tender slice of pork belly, some scallions and a sweet bean spread. You also receive a side of housemade pickles, which seemed like crisp, lightly pickled cucumber pieces. The pork belly was compelling and flavorful, with plenty of silky fat to melt in your mouth. Grilling the outside of the bun added a nice layer to the dish and I would recommend it over the plain steamed bun. I had several of these pork belly buns as they were rather addictive. For vegetarians, they will make tofu buns but I can't comprehend why someone wouldn't enjoy the pork belly.

The Yakitori Ramen was prepared with a chicken broth, edamame, bamboo shoots, a poached egg and slices of chicken, though Chef Bing indicated he is unsure whether it will end up on their truck menu. The broth had an excellent spicy kick to it, and the noodles were tasty. It was a very satisfying bowl, except that the thin, chicken slices were a bit too big, and using the plastic spoon to cut the chicken was tough though the chicken itself was tender. Using smaller pieces of chicken would have made it easier to eat. For vegetarians, they make a miso broth and will substitute oyster mushrooms for the chicken.

For dessert, there was Coconut Rice Pudding, a vanilla creamed sticky rice pudding. This picture is before the dishes were completed, before they were topped with local clover honey, poached mango slices, and lemon peel.

It is clear that much care has been invested in their recipes and food preparation, and they are still very open to suggestions and recommendations. The staff members I spoke to seemed both positive and passionate, excited to begin this new endeavor. Kudos to Chef Bing and I wish him and his partners the best of luck with their Fugu Truck.

SOWA Food Trucks: A Sunday Feast

A great way to spend a couple hours on a Sunday, shopping and dining, is to visit the SOWA Open Market in the South End. It is also a good way to start an entire day touring around the South End. Now, at the market, you'll find a rotating selection of food trucks, giving you even more dining options. On my most recent trip to the market, there were about nine different trucks, and I sampled foods from several of them.

Many of you may already be familiar with Grillo's Pickles, a local pickle company, and if you don't know about them then you should. They have a small selection of products, including Italian Dill Pickles, also available in a Spicy Version. A quart of pickles costs about $6, and they are top-notch pickles, with lots of flavor and a crisp snap to them. You can even try a couple pickle spears for only $1, my favorite being their spicy version. They also sell a relish, pickled carrots, pickled green tomatoes and more. When you visit the market, you must stop here for some pickles.

Clover is also well known, a vegetarian food truck which usually would not raise my interest much. But, they make popovers, which I love, so I had to try them. The popovers are very good, large and with a tasty, eggy interior. I would have enjoyed them even more if they were warm and slathered in butter, and next time will buy some to take home with me. So, even if you are not a vegetarian, it is worth checking out the Clover truck.

This was my first time at the Boston Speed Dog truck, and it will certainly not be my last. These are no wimpy dogs and you better have a good appetite if you want to finish one of these half-pound dogs. The all-beef dogs are marinated in apple juice and brown sugar and grilled over charcoal. You can get a number of toppings on your dog, such as mustard, chili, BBQ sauce, relish, onions or their special sauce. The hot dog rolls are soft and fresh, and large enough to accomodote the hearty dog and toppings. When you bite into the dog, there is a crisp snap as your teeth break the skin and taste the meaty interior. It has real flavor and you will enjoy it even without any toppings. Yes, this has to be one of the best hot dogs in the city, and I fully understand the raves it has earned.

Grilled Cheese Nation basically makes grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Their sandwiches are made from Iggy's breads and cheese from the Vermonth Butter & Cheese Company. I ordered The Boston Common, Grafton Vermont Cheddar on Iggy's Organic Pan de Mie bread with tomato and bacon, and a small cup of tomato soup. Sadly, it took about 25 minutes for me to receive my order, despite being told it would only take about five minutes or so. It was not due to them being too busy, and I suspect it took them much longer than usual to prepare the grill, though they did not give me any reason for the long delay.  The sandwich was very good, and it is even better that the ingredients are local, but it was not worth such a lengthy wait.

The Bon Me truck serves Vietnamese inspired food, including sandwiches, noodle salads and rice bowls. Though the food looked good, I only ordered a ginger lemon iced tea, still too full from all of the other food I had eaten. But, on my next visit to the market, I will be sure to check it out.

I did made a final stop at The Cupcakory, more curious than anything else. Another cupcake place? Yawn! But, I have strong standards for cupcakes and decided to see if they could measure up or not. Whenever possible, they use local and organic ingredients, so that was an appealing trait. Their cupcakes generally cost $3 each, similar to many other places, and I tried their Double Vanilla and a Pecan Streussal Coffee Cake. Surprisingly, the cupcakes were pretty good, fairly moist, and better than many others out there. I especially liked the frosting, which was lighter, more like a whipped cream frosting, and not the thick, overly sweet frosting you more often find. It is worth checking out, offering some of the better cupcakes out there.

So if you decide to visit the SOWA Open Market, be sure to bring your appetite and sample what the food trucks have to offer.