Katie Baum took her favorite Baltimore childhood treat and — skipping artificial syrups — gave it a Cali spin by enlisting Namu pastry chef Marykate McGoldrick to create local, seasonal flavors (cardamom vanilla, ginger lime, clementine).
Skylite Snowballs (@skylitesnowball or skylitesnowballs.com).
Hot pizza oven on wheels, coming through. In tow: freshly tossed pies made with farmers market ingredients.
Pizza Politana (@pizzapolitana or pizzapolitana.com).
Leave it to the Japanese to do curry right: Kurobuta sausage curry is made from Berkshire pork. Humble bento boxes round out the meal.
JapaCurry (@japacurry or japacurry.com).
Cajun-style cooking from the heart of New Orleans takes to the streets. Try the crab cakes with rémoulade, or the jambalaya chicken and shrimp.
Suzie Q’s Lunch Box (@suzieqslunchbox or suzieqslunchbox.com).
Indian kathi rolls are chockful of traditional fillings (pickled onions, chutney), made with free-range chicken, beef, or paneer cheese.
CurryUpNow (@curryupnow or curryupnow.com).
Flavors such as s’mores (chocolate cake, graham cracker crust, and marshmallow frosting) and tiramisu (espresso-soaked cake, mascarpone frosting, and chocolate shavings) get a standing ovation.
Cupkates (@cupkatestruck or cupkatesbakery.com).
On-board smoker. Midwestern-style ribs. Order seconds for sure.
The Rib Whip (@theribwhip or theribwhip.com).
The much-loved Argentine favorite is served up sweet or savory in many forms, including the pollo pocket (chicken chorizo, raisins, olives) and sweet empanadita (filled with bananas and dulce de leche).
El Porteño Empanadas (415-513-4529, @elporteno, or elportenosf.com).
Oven temperatures soar to 900 degrees, so the pizza cooks in less than three minutes. We smell instant satisfaction in the form of crispy crusts and melted cheese.
Casey’s Pizza (@caseyspizza or caseyspizza.com).
Everything is organic, local, street-food inspired, spontaneous, affordable, handmade from scratch, and tasty as hell. Check out the blog in the morning to see that day’s menu.
Kitchenette (@kitchenettesf or kitchenettesf.com).
Cream puffs and their many variations abound, with new flavors weekly and classic standbys like the Chocolatier (chocolate glaze and cream).
Puff Truck (@pacificpuffs or pacificpuffs.com).
Banh mi (lemon grass chicken, spicy tofu, braised beef) and rice cake noodles are perfectly complemented by waffle fries or homemade kimchi.
TomKat (@tomkatsf or tomkatsf.com).
Bacon loyalists (and pseudo-vegans) will rejoice once they sink their teeth into the Almost Veggie sandwich (broccoli rabe, red peppers, bacon, cheese, Sriracha aioli).
Bacon Bacon (@baconbaconsf or baconbaconsf.com).
Bold, carnivorous, unashamed, and run by the self-proclaimed meat militia, it’s no match for your appetite. Try the Snoop Dog — a hot dog wrapped in bacon.
Brass Knuckle (@brassknucklesf or brassknucklesf.com).
Based on the Filipino pulutan (small plates shared among friends), Hapa SF infuses the modern and the organic into dishes like sisig (thrice-cooked pork, jalapeno, lime, soy).
Hapa SF (@hapasf or hapasf.com).
The swanky dessert is now trucking it. Smooth custard beneath a crackling, sugary crust — we carry a torch for this one.
The Creme Brulee Cart (@cremebruleecart or thecremebruleecart.com).
If two cuisines were never going to meet, it was those of Ireland and Eritrea. We are overjoyed by a happy marriage of corned beef and African spices.
ÉireTrea (@eiretrea or facebook.com).
Follow the panda-emblazoned truck for steamy buns: pork belly with pickled daikon or red sesame chicken with scallion and bok choy.
The Chairman Truck (@chairmantruck).
Sometimes you can’t commit whole hog (er, cow) to lunch. On those days, Doc’s tangy slaw and homemade green onion aioli taste mighty fine on a black bean patty.
Doc’s of the Bay (@docsofthebay or docsofthebay.com).
Hong Kong meets Guadalajara in a taco shell. Chinese-inspired fillings, like roast duck, mix and mingle with all kinds of homemade salsas and sauces.
Kung Fu Tacos (@kungfutacos or kungfutacos.com).
A Peruvian spin on stir-fried New York steak, roast chicken, and pulled barbecue pork spare ribs. Just say yes to yucca fries.
Sanguchon (@sanguchon_sf or sanguchonsf.com).
The New York-born fraulein is the third generation from famed Schaller & Weber, the purveyor of much-lauded German meat products. Today, genetics trump all.
The Butcher’s Daughter (thebutchersdaughtersf.com).
Fall in line for mushroom vol au vents (puff pastry canapes), escargot puff lollipops, and halibut soup in saffron aioli.
Spencer on the Go (@chezspencergo or spenceronthego.com).
Locally made, whole-grain cookies. Loud and clear. It’s a revolution we fully support.
Cookie Time Truck (@cookietimetruck or facebook.com/cookietimetruck).
Good things seriously do come in threes. Each day brings three new sandwich choices, fried items, and desserts.
3-Sum (@3sumeats or 3-sumeats.com).
Barbara Villegas uses fresh produce to concoct unusual ice pop flavors: limeade cucumber mint, strawberry ginger lime, cantaloupe with almond milk — for a creamy fruitiness that’s (almost) all vegan.
Octopops (octopops.com).
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