Business owners Mitchell Kriebel and Kristen Lutz may be new at the food truck gig, but they are old hands in the food world. Mitchell was part of the original crew that opened The Works in Wyomissing, and he managed bar at ViVÁ’ Bistro & Lounge as well as at winedown café & winebar. Kristen grew up in the restaurant industry and, like several other family members, is continuing a tradition. She brings extensive customer service experience to their partnership, too (Boscov’s, Comcast). Now they’ve dreamed up the idea of a food truck that could offer both the Berks food experience and a taste of street food from across the country — with their own twist, of course.
What you’ll see on the menu ranges from light fare to hearty. And light doesn’t mean skimpy; light is how it feels on the tongue and sits once inside. All the portions are more than generous and could be shared.
When you give Gourmand Food Truck a try, consider doing just that: going with someone else and splitting each dish. You’ll get to sample a lot more of the menu! And Mitchell is fast — quite a feat because all prep is done fresh daily on the truck, and menu items are prepared to order.
Fresh is their mantra: Mitchell and Kristen believe in the best and freshest ingredients available and in supporting local purveyors. The truck is spotless stainless steel on the inside, fitted with cooking appliances and refrigeration. For anyone who wonders what standards food trucks need to meet: it’s the same health code standards as immobile restaurants. And Mitch and Kristen are proud to say they do.
The Light Touch
Ready to salivate? Here are some selections from the ambitious menu. If you are into light fare, start with Chopped Salad: a base of romaine, cucumber, tomato, carrot and red onion diced and gently tossed with jicama and topped with shoestring fries. High notes are added by delicate touches of goat cheese. It is filling yet feels like a taste of spring. Each ingredient stands out, and the effect is sweet, tangy, crispy and crunchy.
Move on to the Ahi Ceviche Fish Taco: two fully-stuffed tacos of tuna topped with chipotle mayo, cabbage slaw and pico de gallo. Mitchell takes sushi-grade tuna and wraps it in homemade subtleties. The tuna tastes straight from the sea, so fresh that it tastes more of sea air than the sea. Its lime juice marinade blends well with the smoky heat of the chipotle.
A good accompaniment, or finisher, is an order of the Truffle Fries. The goat cheese sprinkled on top makes them sing the way vinegar brings out haddock in fish and chips. These shoestring fries combine delectable with savory. Everything you expect with fries is there — the taste, the texture — but more so.
Eating hearty
Prefer more hearty fare? Sample these two Berks-inspired sandwiches: “The Berks” and “The Burgh.” The Berks features local Lebanon bologna first fried, then topped with cream cheese, apple butter and Good’s potato chips. The combination, enfolded in a potato roll, is a rib-sticking delight. The Lebanon bologna doesn’t dominate; frying mutes it just enough for everything to come together. Spicy apple butter adds sweetness; the chips add a bit of sizzle and crunch.
The Burgh is its counterpart: fried pastrami and provolone, paired with homemade coleslaw and fries, layered with tomatoes on same-day-baked “Bomber Loaf” Italian bread from the Conshohocken Bakery, delivered each morning.
Plus more
A personal favorite straddling the light/hearty divide is the Salmon and Goat Cheese Sliders. If you’re going with light, these might be a good finisher. If you’re going with hearty, they’d make a great starter. Smoked salmon is rolled in arugula then finished with a balsamic glaze and a goat cheese spread. Peppery hints in the arugula balance the rich slide of the main ingredients.
Other selections include shrimp cocktail skewers, tomatillo guacamole, a daily featured soup, spicy chicken skewers with buffalo sauce drizzle, and a Dutch Po Boy. Prices: from $4 for Cinnamon Tomato Bisque to $10 for an Ahi Ceviche Fish Taco, with most in the $6 to $7 range.
The last thing you see is the first thing you see: the outside of the truck. Like the food, the truck shouts fusion: painted red (for hearty food), parchment (for artisanal), and a charcoal grey (for the wheels of the truck). Hex signs are cleverly incorporated as lug nuts and signifiers of Berks County’s Dutch traditions. It’s a bit of “PA on the Go” – local food with cross-country panache.
*Fresser: Pennsylvania Dutch for someone who enjoys eating.
Where can you find the Gourmand Food Truck? At Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex, Wyomissing, on Friday mornings (think breakfast menu!) and at the West Reading Farmers Market on Sundays. The schedule is continually updated on Gourmand’s Facebook page (facebook.com/gourmandpa). You will run across them at craft shows, holiday parties, football games, festivals and block parties too. 484.926.2457.
by Claudia Strauss | photos by HEIDI REUTER
