Hola Food Truck

I'm a big supporter of the food truck movement. It's genius, really, to nestle a handful of well-made dishes in a mobile restaurant, ready to serve and inspire on the fly.

I first gave the Hola food truck a whirl last summer when they parked at the Uptown Farmer's Market on weekends.  Their blood orange iced tea was something I looked forward to on a hot afternoon.  This past weekend I revisited the wandering goldmine as it was stationed at the Beer Dabbler in St. Paul.

Hola serves arepas, what they describe on their site as a "cornmeal patty cooked on a griddle, split, and filled with deliciousness."  That pretty well sums it up.  For the vegan and gluten-free peeps out there, this is your new favorite food discovery.

I had the Ham and Pulled Pork Cuban Arepa with pickles, whole mustard, swiss cheese, and a jalapeno oil.  And, of course, I went all out and ordered the chips and guacamole on the side to share.  The guacamole was fantastic, as was the tangy, green salsa I poured on the side.  But the arepa was the true star: messy, a little spicy, with a hint of coolness offered by the pickles.  It says a lot about a food that in 95 degree weather I still wanted to finish off every lick of that hot mess. Dripping sweat in the sunshine be damned, it was worth it.

Hola has an active Twitter feed updating fans of their location, so keep your eyes peeled for it to park near you (or do the smart thing and show up wherever it cools its brakes, they're worth a drive).