Meals on Wheels

Jodi Mailander Farrell3/3/2010

Latin Burger and Taco, a new venture from Food Network star Ingrid Hoffmann and Jim Heins, rolled onto the streets of Miami in December, following the mobile food crazes in Los Angeles and New York. Locations are posted an hour or so before the truck appears and, lately, this is happening primarily in Wynwood and Kendall.  Reporter Jodi Mailander Farrell got her first taste of tacos on the move this month and checks in with a report from the field…

I stalked for weeks on Twitter and Facebook, frustrated because the gourmet food truck never came near my neighborhood. Then, one late Tuesday afternoon, a post went up: The truck was parked just south of Kendall Drive on U.S. 1, 6-8pm. Like a kid chasing the ice cream man, I dove into rush-hour traffic, searching for the big black-and-pink truck. No line at the window. Hurray! Cash only? Oh, crap. Back into traffic, looking for an ATM. Is a burger on the side of the road really worth this?

In a word – yes. The Latin Macho - a chorizo, chuck and sirloin burger with Oaxaca cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos and red pepper mayo – does not disappoint.  When I bit into the two-inch-thick double-patty Macho (yes, I measured) on a squishy sesame seed bun, I was more than impressed. I was equally smitten with the 3 Amigos Tacos, a soft-tortilla trio with shredded chicken, barbecued pork with avocados and loads of add-ons. The thin fries, seasoned with dried herbs and a slight citrus kick, were limp, hot and gone in a minute.