Intelligent Travel

Tofu-Chili Kimchi Tacos... Via Twitter

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Whenever I'm traveling, I'm eager to try the foods of a new place no matter where they're served; seat me at a restaurant with white-linen tablecloths or an oilcloth-covered table in a plastic lawn chair, and I'll eat whatever is in front of me. But my favorite kind of eating doesn't involves seating at all, the al fresco dining offered by a street vendors is my choice way try authentic eats.* Of course, this kind of dining can also be elusive, as it's apt to pack up and drive away, or move to another corner without warning. So I was psyched to learn that a new form of traveling food truck has emerged in Los Angeles. Both the LA Times and the New York Times have reported that Kogi Korean BBQ has created a brilliant business model which enables the hungry masses to track their truck via Twitter (@kogibbq). The New York Times piece describes the craze:

The food at Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go, the taco vendor that has overtaken Los Angeles, does not fit into any known culinary category. One man overheard on his cellphone as he waited in line on a recent night said it best: "It's like this Korean-Mexican-fusion thing of crazy deliciousness."
All of which makes me think that the Twitter idea for street food make a lot of sense.
I still wake up at night craving the cinnamon and sugar churros, complete with a creamy caramel center, that I stumbled upon while in Cabo San Lucas last year. When I sought them out later in the week, I was unable to find them, and left Mexico longing for another taste. So far, in my preliminary look on Twitter, I've been able to find the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar Truck (@RickshawTruck), which will more than satiate your dumpling needs in New York and Brooklyn (yum!), and the Treats Truck (@TheTreatsTruck) that serves up cookies and pastries throughout Manhattan. There's also Wafels & Dinges in NYC (@waffletruck), and the Goodie Truck in Pittsburgh (@TheGoodieTruck). I've also come across a list of restaurants using Twitter (updates on specials mostly seem to be their tweets) and the great app Urbanspoon (@urbanspoon) can be followed on Twitter too.

Know of a street food vendor that has a Twitter account or one that you think could benefit from one? Where have you found some of your favorite streetside eateries and which do you most crave?  

*Eating street food does have its risks, of course, so make sure you've asked some locals - and visitors - to find out whether the food will agree with you.

Read More: The benefits of traveling while Twittering.

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Cultural, Authentic & Sustainable: This is your brain on travel. We showcase the essence of place, what's unique and original, and what locals cherish most about where they live. And we highlight places, practices, and people that are on the front lines of sustainable travel—travel that preserves places’ essential uniqueness for future generations. more...

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