From pulled pork sliders to tempura Oreos, 10 treats to try at Vegas StrEATS
Cassandra Cummings, from left, her husband Dominic Cummings, both of Las Vegas, and D'Albert Hall of North Las Vegas enjoy their food during Vegas Streats in downtown Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.
Friday, March 9, 2012 | 6 a.m.
The second Saturday of the month is upon us, and you know what that means -- the Vegas StrEATS food and culture festival is back.
Trucks from around the valley will gather in downtown's Fremont East District from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. to offer a variety of delicious dishes large and small, sweet and salty. But with 10 trucks to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start (and when to stop).
To help you narrow it down, here's a handy guide to the 10 best bites at this weekend's StrEATS fesitval.
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Slidin' Thru's Pulled Porky
Slidin' Thru's Pulled Porky
This bite-sized burger from Slidin' Thru's gourmet slider truck packs a sumptuous punch: Its tender pulled pork is seasoned with salt, pepper and minced garlic and slow cooked for 10 hours until it falls apart. Then it's topped off with tangy BBQ sauce and caramelized jalapenos. Hungry yet?
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Tasty Bunz's Sweet Os: Tempura fried oreos with a white chocolate and caramel sauce
Tasty Bunz's Sweet Os
These ain't your mama's fried Oreos. After all, Tasty Bunz specializes in classic comfort foods with a gourmet twist. Their Sweet Os are tempura fried Oreos topped with decadent white chocolate and caramel sauce.
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LoveGrub's Sloppy Tots
LoveGrub's Sloppy Tots
The LoveGrub truck offers tasty dishes from a variety of global cuisines, but its signature dish is indisputably its Sloppy Tots: crispy tater tots loaded with grilled chicken, black beans, fresh pico de gallo, cheddar cheese sauce and sour cream and topped off with LoveGrub's own lime hot sauce garnished with a mild jalapeno. Don't forget to grab one of the truck's shiny silver sporks -- you'll need it.
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Haulin Balls' lump blue crab balls
Haulin' Balls' lump blue crab balls
Haulin' Balls owner Kim Farkas makes these delectable bites herself, and she says "they sell out every time." That's no surprise -- as a Maryland native, she definitely knows what she's doing.
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Engine 1's wood-fired pizza, fresh from the firetruck
Engine 1's pesto veggie pizza with goat cheese and fresh basil
Engine 1 owner Bill Wise describes his offerings as "the best wood-fired pizza ever cooked in a firetruck," and it's difficult to disagree -- Engine 1 really takes the "truck" part of "food trucks" to a whole new level. But novelty aside, their bestselling pesto veggie pie uses basil picked straight from the vine and is handmade and baked right in front of you.
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SnowOno's authentic Hawaiian shave ice
SnOw ONO's authentic Hawaiian shave ice
Don't call it a snow cone: This is the real deal. SnOw ONO offers a variety of classic and exotic flavors, from cherry to lychee to red velvet cake. Add some aloha to your ice with awesome toppings like a "Snow Cap" (sweetened condensed milk), Li Hing Mui powder (dried salted sour plum) and mochi bits.
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The Rusty Pickle's tempting fried pickles
Rusty Pickle's fried pickles
You won't regret treating yourself to a plate of these -- they are, after all, the truck's specialty. Rusty Pickle co-owner Jan Scarborough confesses, "We’ve had several customers admit to their addiction, and we often spot them following us around, which is an amazing compliment." She also recommends their tri-tip sliders, which feature beef marinated in red wine and served on a Hawaiian-style roll with caramelized onion and smoked Gouda.
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POP's cheesesteaks
POP's cheesesteaks
There's nothing POP's -- that's Pride Of Philadelphia -- does better than a mean classic Philly cheesesteak. But if you're feeling adventurous, go for their latest concoction: the pecan-crusted fried flounder cheesesteak served with lettuce, tomato and homemade tartar sauce, with optional cheese.
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Funnel Cake Cafe's tempting eponymous treat
Funnel Cake Cafe's funnel cake
This classic treat never disappoints, and the Funnel Cake Cafe truck offers a whole mess of decadent toppings -- like ice cream, fruit and, of course, whipped cream -- that are sure to cure your sweet tooth.
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Grouchy Johns' San Francisco Latte -- they left their heart it in. Get it?
Grouchy John's signature latte
Grouchy John's Coffee truck offers a variety of tasty hot and cold beverages, but with the recent winds and cold nights, the Grouchy John Latte is the perfect way to warm up and cap off a night of indulgent dishes -- a twist on a classic hot latte infused with white chocolate and amaretto.