

This Thursday students from UofT will get their first taste of the gourmet Food Trucks that have descended on Toronto in the last year.

After Food Truck Eats events in the Distillery District this past summer and more recently near Ryerson, the UofT crowd has been hungry for something a little closer to home.

Thursday’s event is taking place at Willcocks Common, a car-free pedestrian zone located at Willcocks St. and St. George St. and will run from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Included in the lineup of food trucks are The Cupcake Diner, The Toasted Tangerine, El Gastronomo Vagabundo, and Caplansky’s Deli truck.

Some of the food students can look forward to include banana peanut butter cupcakes, ‘Kim Jong-Illin’ Korean BBQ chicken wings and ‘Slow Rider’ slow roasted whole Pork shoulder sliders.

I asked Suresh Doss, main organizer of the Food Truck Eats events, why UofT was chosen as the location for the first event of 2012.

“From as far back as the first Food Truck Eats event last July, we got a lot of requests from students (Ryerson, UofT) that wanted to see better street food options on campus. We tried to get something going late last summer but it didn’t work out. After many conversations, we decided to test the grounds by hosting a mini FTE this Thursday. If it’s successful, it may turn into a regular occurrence.”

There are currently a couple chinese food trucks and chip wagon-style trucks that operate near UofT but the students have yet to have access to the new style of gourmet food trucks doing creative and innovative street food.

And when it comes to the food truck movement in Toronto students are an important demographic to engage.

“It will give the student population — a key demographic for the movement — a chance to see the trucks in action and eat from them. Every time we host a FTE event, we hit a different demographic, but what they all seem to have in common is their love for street food. There’s a large student population that’s seeking better, affordable options for lunch, and they love food trucks”, Doss explained.

Sarah Khan is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Food Services at UofT and she says that students are eagerly awaiting Thursday’s event.

“Students are super excited about the (event). I have been getting calls and emails all week, asking about the menu. And our facebook event page has over 250 people confirmed in attendance.”

Asked why gourmet food trucks would be a good fit on campus, Khan had this to say.

“Events like Food Truck Eats help us engage the students in dialogues around food, get them excited about food, and help introduce new foods to them…all while having fun”

Thursday’s event isn’t restricted to just students – it’s open to the public so if you’re in the area on Thursday, make sure you come by for some lunch and support Toronto’s food trucks.

Menu Items for Thursday

Here’s a list of the menu items we know about:

Cupcake Diner

Red velvet

Banana peanut butter cup

Strawberry shortcake

Salted caramel

Classic vanilla

After 8

$2.75 each

$15/ 6 pack

$27/ dozen

El Gastronomo Vagabundo

Kim Jong-Illin': Korean BBQ chicken wings, kimchi, sesame, coriander $5

Bajan Invasion tacos: Tempura cod, Bajan mango hot sauce, sour cream, red cabbage & green apple slaw, coriander, lime 2 for $8

Rummy Tummy tacos:: Chili caramel pork belly (or tofu), rum-infused pineapple, chili tamarind sauce, coriander 2 for $7

The Toasted Tangerine

Slow Rider- Slow roasted whole Pork shoulder topped with a Strawberry BBQ glaze and Mango Jalapeño coleslaw. Served on a 5-Grain Ciabatta slider bun. (2 per order) $8

Toasted Sasquash- Chili & Maple marinated Butternut Squash, Balsamic caramelized Sweet Onions, Toasted Almonds and Ontario Fontina cheese. Served on a Country Rye bread and grilled. $7

Toasted Ravioli- Handmade Ravioli stuffed with Grilled Tomato, Asiago & Ricotta cheese and fresh Basil, lightly breaded then deep-fried. Served with a White Wine & Shallot cream sauce. (3 pcs) $5

Toasted Tangerine Dream- Sweet Egg bread French toast topped with Blueberry Maple Syrup, Tangerine Whipped Cream and Dark Chocolate Tangerine shavings. $6

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.