If you're a Financial District worker who has been dying a slow death of salad and bland soup consumption ever since you started working down there, you were probably thrilled to find fun and interesting food trucks parked down the block from your office in recent months. But if you own one of the longstanding businesses in and around the District where you sell overpriced sandwiches, salad, and soup to the captive and hungry hordes, paying a premium in rent for the privilege, you're probably not too happy about these food trucks. Hence the quandary that the city is in right now, having been hip to the zeitgeist in loosening food truck regulations so that more could swarm downtown and make the populace happy, but also owing something to the brick-and-mortar business owners who've been paying lots of rent, permits, and taxes over the years. more ›

Tamara Palmer at the Feast has word that "McDonalds-style" burgers with their pinkies up will be featured at Street Food Fridays. Behold: "Hot Buns, run by two ladies rumored to have at least one pedigreed restaurant on their collective resumes, will offer McDonalds-style hamburgers made with organic beef and served with pickles, mustard, ketchup, and (we assume) a pleasingly-soft bun at tonight's edition of 'Street Food Fridays' at Fabric8 (3318 22nd St. at Valencia) from 6-8 PM." more ›

On Saturday, the fine folks at La Cocina put on the second annual Street Food Festival in the Mission. The thousands who attended were fed and imbibed with local grub. People waited in long lines to purchase bacon-wrapped hot dogs, which, oddly enough, you can also buy at almost any corner in the Mission. Even that synthetic icing meme got involved. Go figure. more ›

In just a short time the Friday evening Off the Grid street food frenzy at Ft. Mason has become a local institution. This week's treats focused mostly on Asian and Latin fare, with a side of Gypsy Jazz from a couple of the players from Gaucho. The crowds are growing every week, so bundle up, brave the Marina's arctic summer winds and get yourself down there on another Friday soon, and soon you'll be able to say "Oh, I used to go to 'Off the Grid' when it was really exclusive and special." More pictures here. more ›

Excuse us for only finding out about Outside In #4 at the last minute. Dishes by eighteen San Francisco street food and local underground chefs will be paired with eighteen Portuguese wines and beers. more ›

Speaking of street food, Rec & Parks has given the OK to La Cocina (the non-profit incubator of such vendors as Estrellita's Snacks, Onigilly, and Zella's Soulful Kitchen and the organizer of last year's Street Food Festival) and Blue Bottle Coffee to operate permanent street food carts in Dolores Park and Justin Herman Plaza. According to Caleb Zigas at La Cocina, the carts should be in place by late March or early April, pending Rec & Parks Commission approval at their meeting on February 18th. [7x7, Grub Street SF] more ›

This again? OK, fine. Ahem: In a way, boutique food carts provide a decent supplement to SF's thriving foodie scene--they're not too pricey, but their ample offerings are a drunk person's fantasy ride. Whether you're noshing on a hot dog with plentiful toppings of every color, or digging into your tenth late night burrito this week... more ›

It's been a big year for food trucks, nonstaurants, and street food in general. In addition to the buzz around things like the Crème Brûlée Cart and the Chez Spencer truck, this summer saw the birth of two new food festivals that are likely to grow and flourish again next year: The SF Street Food Fest, and the Eat Real Fest in Oakland. more ›

Although the frosting-to-cake ratio is nothing short of cloying, you can pick up a cupcake this afternoon at Justin Herman Plaza. Sprinkles (@sprinklesmobile), a cupcake van, is right next to the funky water sculpture in downtown San Francisco, across from the Ferry Building. So, have at it, sweet teeth of SF. more ›

On Saturday and Sunday be sure to grab a bowl of ramen while window shopping in Hayes Valley. Shirohige Ramen-Ya, a ramen truck, will be at the corner of Laguna and Hayes (across the street from Suppenküche) selling savory joy to passersby. more ›

It was a festival-heavy weekend for us, what with Outside Lands bridging the generations through music, food, wine and Tom Jones, and the first annual Eat Real Festival in Oakland, a celebration of street food, local beer and sustainable eating. Unlike the SF Street Food Fest the previous weekend -- which was delicious but way more mobbed than anyone was prepared for, and by some accounts, not very "street" -- Eat Real was crowded but civilized, and spread out on a few blocks of the newly rebuilt Jack London Square along the Oakland Estuary. Over a dozen vendors who operate out of taco trucks pulled the trucks into the plaza and along the promenade, and they were joined by a few dozen more vendors with carts and tents. The theme of the affair was "putting the food back in fast food," and pretty much all the offerings were of the cheap and hand-held variety, all between $2 and $5 -- except the beer, served out of a shed rigged with 40 rotating taps, which came out to about $6 a glass if you bought a four-glass tasting. Food highlights included some awesome corn empanadas with chimichurri sauce from El Porteno, the chocolate cupcake with caramel icing from Sweetface Bakery, the B.L.A.T. from newcomer Jon's Street Eats, some simple fried smelts with aioli from Whole Foods' Tapas To Go truck, and a downright perfect mini-burger from 4505 Meats. Also present were mobile mainstays like the twitter.com/thepietruck, Seoul on Wheels (who are making a comeback) and the Amuse Bouche folks. (See a full food slideshow at SF Grub Street.)
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