FOOD

Gourmet food trucks bring fare for every palate to Daytona's Main Street

Seth Robbins
seth.robbins@news-jrnl.com

A different kind of hog glistened on Main Street Saturday afternoon: pork belly on a plantain flat bread, topped with pickled vegetables and an aged cheese.

The dish was served by the The Hayburner food truck, which offered up plates with ingredients sourced in Florida. Another specialty was called "Off the Dock," a fried shrimp and gator corn dog, with a datil pepper and guava dipping sauce.

"We've run out," said Maria Young, who runs the food truck with her husband, William, the chef.

The Hayburner was one of nearly 20 trucks cooking up fare for every palate at Food Truck Wars on Main Street, a place better known for imbibing than dining. Crowds, however, lined the street, a rare sight outside of Bike Week and Biketoberfest. Among the offerings were crab cakes, conch fritters, kebabs, vegetarian bowls, fried chicken, pies and barbecue.

Ed Shows, 62, was carrying his 3-year-old granddaughter on his shoulders after having just finished a crab cake lunch.  Shows' wife, Sylvia, said the pair consider themselves somewhat "foodies," and the food trucks had enticed them to make the trip from Palm Coast. They liked what they ate but also what they saw.

"If you look around, there are lots of families," she said. "The crowd is different than what would normally be down here."

Both Shows said that  they'd like to see more family friendly events on Main Street, known for biker bars, wet T-shirt contests, and rowdy street festivals.

"Normally we don't feel comfortable bringing the grandkids here," she said.

In recent months, everyone from beachside residents to Main Street business owners to government leaders have entered a growing debate about the future of the corridor, which runs through the middle of Daytona Beach's oceanfront neighborhoods. Over the past 35 years, the city has poured $120 million into the redevelopment area that includes Main Street, but the money has had little effect on its vacant lots and empty shops. 

At the food truck event, some locals said that the street needs an overhaul, with more boutique shops and restaurants to make it akin to Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. Others wanted it to keep its biker roots but add other events.

"It could attract an artsy community with an arts festival or a wine walk," said Jami Richart, of Port Orange. "There could be more little shops."

With her was Amanda Huff who said that she often frequents Main Street because a friend works at one of the nearby bars.

"It's always going to cater to bikers, and families don't want to be around the bikes," said Huff, of Daytona Beach. "But during the day, there can be more family events."

One of the attractions at Food Truck Wars was a play area, where children jumped on a trampoline, crawled through an air castle and rode a mechanical shark.

Tracy Tiango, of Port Orange, was waiting for Brazilian-style kebabs with Theresa Klaus, the owner of Theresa's Garage.

"I love meat," Tiango said. "And it smells amazing."

Tiango, who works at the nearby auto shop, recognized that when the bikers leave, the street turns into a "ghost town."  But she said the solution for Main Street wasn't to push the bikers, or their leather shops and bars, off the road but to possibly add other events, such as a Christmas light show or a carnival.

"Main Street is Main Street," she said. "It needs to stay. I don't want the feel to change."

While the debate will continue about how to bring about Main Street's revival, everyone was in agreement that Food Truck Wars was a success. 

"You've got a good place here," said organizer Liz Rivera Otts, owner of Orlando-based Food Truck Crazy Inc., which has brought the event to various cities throughout Florida. "And you've got a good mix of people. People who live here and people visiting."

A warm afternoon provided the perfect weather for all to get a taste. The event was moved to Saturday after it was forecast that it was likely to rain on its original date of Sept. 30.

Mike Azzinaro, of New Smyrna Beach, stood in the shade with his 12-year-old daughter, Lauren, who is a vegetarian.

"I'm glad they had something for her," he said.

She munched on a fruit bowl that included papaya and acai berries.