by Terrance Mc Arthur

Fresno Street Eats is an organized group of food trucks that gather at different locations in the Fresno County area (or thereabouts) in various numbers (1-6 or more) at various times (lunch, dinner, etc.). The Great Food Search sampled several trucks and locations in September, but there are many more trucks and gathering points out there, from north of Herndon to south of Jensen, so Here We Go Again with Round Two.

Havana Café—The Havana Café is where to go for a taste of Cuba, amigo! The Cubano Sandwich layers slow-roasted pork, ham, Swiss Cheese, pickles, and mustard on a pressed French Roll, served with fries or Yuca Fries (which are NOT yucky!). The La Cubanita Bowl puts shredded Garlic Chicken over rice with Black Beans and Maduros (not bananas, but plantains ripened until they are dark and sweet). What a way to go!

Kabab Twist Mediterranean Cuisine—Skewered, en brochette, whatever—around here, you know it’s kabab. Kabab Twist has chicken and beef, kabab, shawarma, and gyro, and you can get it with rice, hummus, and salad…and they won’t forget the garlic sauce! For the Twist, they will top fries with all of it!

Luigi’s Italian Sandwiches/Calzone—Delizioso! (Delicious!) Sandwiches, calzones, and pasta, OH MY! The Pepperoni & Cheese Calzone was pressed super-thin. The Salami Sandwich loaded enough Garlic Aioli, Bruschetta Mix, Balsamic Reduction, and Lettuce to make it a Pepperoni Salad! My Bow Tie Pasta & Chicken in a Pesto Cream Sauce rolled my eyes in rapture. Che Buono! (How Good!)

The Quirky Café—I’ve always been considered quirky, but I didn’t know real quirky until I found The Quirky Café. I tried the Pulled Pork Sandwich, and that saucy-sauced pulled pork really pulled me in. The fries? You can have your basic French Fries, or get them Asada, Buffalo Ranch, or Quirky. How Quirky? Not one, but TWO kinds of Cheese Sauce drizzled all over them, and THAT’s Quirky!

Real Philly—You want a Philly Cheesesteak? This is the place for you, brought to you by genuine brothers from the City of Brotherly Love! A Classic Philly Cheesesteak (I chose beef, but you can get chicken, too.), filled with meat and sautéed onions. It’s juicy! It’s tasty! You can go Classic, Mushroom, California, Chipotle Ranch, or Buffalo Chicken. You want fries with that? Try Plain, Cheese, Cheesesteak, Loaded California, or Loaded Shrimp. It’ll make you want to run up the museum steps and throw your arms up like Rocky Balboa!

The Verdict—All of these food trucks are worth checking out on the Fresno Street Eats Facebook page, but the one that sticks in my mind is Luigi’s. I can’t forget that perfect pesto!

Check out more food articles and more of Terrance’s Great Food Search column in our Food Fun section. And check out a KRL staff profile this week on Terrance!

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.