The Venture Begins...

We've seen them all over and you can call them whatever you'd like but the honest truth is that these "Meals on Wheels" are starting a whole new revolution to food, as we know it.  From All-American comfort foods to Intercontinental Fusion cuisine to Vegetarian delights that even the straight-up Meat and Potatoes guy would enjoy, the gourmet trucks are cranking out dishes to please every pallet.  Back then, food trucks were usually found around construction sites or outside office buildings or sky rises.  Now, with food trucks expanding the culinary gauntlet at reasonable prices, they are now being spotted and facilitated at special events, such as weddings and bar mitzvahs, to public events like art festivals and block parties.

So... how did, yours truly, the Food Truck Junkie come about?

Roughly a month or so ago, after watching a couple episodes of "The Great Food Truck Race" on Food Network, my mother told me that a food truck festival was being held over at the Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.  More than twenty of Arizona's best food trucks were going to be showcasing their cuisine to the public.  I expressed deep interest and thought it would be a great way to spend time with the folks instead of being inside the house all day.

Day of the festival, with tickets in hand, we made our way up to Scottsdale, cruising on the 101 freeway until we ran right into the middle of bumper to bumper traffic.  Cars lined up from Indian School Road all the way up to Indian Bend.  It was a total nightmare.  Even leaving the house early didn't help our cause.  The highway was backed up, along with surface streets.  It was to the point that everyone can put their car in park and turn the freeway into a used car lot.

After being stuck in traffic for roughly almost three hours, by the time we got to the driveway to turn in to the stadium, it was not worth the hassle anymore.  Estimating another hour to find parking and tacking on another hour to wait in line, even with tickets, we voted unanimously that the festival was no longer worth it since it was practically almost too late.  So, we drove past, heading to the Indian casino on the other side of the freeway and took part of their buffet in order to make up for the Saturday wasted in traffic.

After I got home and relieved myself of the heavy food that the buffet offered, I researched on some of the local food trucks that were scheduled to be at the festival and decided that I should venture out on my own to experience these food trucks first hand.  I created a Twitter account, which you can follow me @FTJunkie, and printed off a list of local food trucks in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area and since then, nothing has stopped me on my quest.  Well... there was one time but that's for a different time.

I started this quest back in January, documenting my journey through Twitter feeds and uploaded pictures.  I tried writing a blog before but it fell through, due to other factors that have been going on in my lifestyle that was making me unable to maintain it.  I only wrote a couple entries but, in a way, I felt like I was rushing myself in order to get something posted and never took the time to put some actual deep thought in what I wanted to write.  After a couple food truck escapades, I feel like I can now write and give deep insight of my ventures while, at the same time, being able to tell my readers how they can find the same food trucks that I visit and enjoy whole-heartily.

So, I'm not a professional food critic nor am I an experienced food blogger or journalist.  I'm nothing more than your regular average Joe that has a deep passion for food.  Right now, my ventures start in Phoenix and all around Arizona but I don't intend to keep my quest confined to just one state.  I intend to venture wherever, and whenever, I can and to take part in the fastest growing food trend in America.

Thank you... and Keep on Truckin'!

~Nick
The Food Truck Junkie