Loaded with love and cheese: Starvation Gulch’s 3rd annual food truck rally serves up flavor
By Amber McCain and Lizzy Hahn
Photo by Lizzy Hahn
Caprese grilled cheese, strawberry and blueberry lemonades from Fireweed Bites’.
Members of The Sun Star embarked on a culinary tour of the third annual food truck rally, held as part of the Starvation Gulch celebration on Saturday, Sept. 13. The rally took place in the Patty Center parking lot and featured a variety of local food trucks. The two spent the afternoon sampling items and sharing their experiences along the way.
After taking a walk around the lot to weigh their options, they kicked things off at Fireweed Bites' by trying their gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, the Caprese. The sandwich with warm, melted cheese and fresh tomatoes, complemented by a satisfying crunch from the bread. And while the cheese pull was amazing, the sandwich itself needed a little more pesto. Even with the lacking pesto, both agreed on a rating of 8 out of 10.
Photo by Lizzy Hahn
The inside of the Caprese grilled cheese featured fresh tomatoes, warm cheese and some pesto.
Next, they tried the “Cheesy Pig” fries from Early Bird Loaded Fries.
“How many arteries can we clog today?” Lizzy joked. This delectable dish was topped with cheese, bacon, and pulled pork, the dish was an instant favorite.
“Wow! Early Bird, I love you with my whole heart! They say ‘loaded with love’, and you know what, they mean it,” Lizzy said.
The fries, hot and crispy, stayed steamy all the way to the last bite. Both gave the Cheesy Pig a perfect 10 out of 10.
Photo by Lizzy Hahn
The Cheesy Pig from Early Bird Loaded fries was topped with bacon bits, as fries, pulled pork and cheese sauce hid beneath.
Yearning for some much needed warmth with temps hovering in the low 40s, the duo decided warm drinks should be their next stop. At The Crash Cart, they ordered a hot white mocha with light caramel syrup and a hot cocoa with whipped cream.
Both drinks were marred by a burnt milk taste, resulting in the duo’s lowest ratings of the day 5 out of 10 as they both expressed disappointment, especially given the truck’s usual popularity.
Photo by Lizzy Hahn
Banana pudding toast from TOAST.
To wrap up their taste testing, the pair split a banana pudding toast from TOAST. The toast, complete with vanilla wafer crumbles, attracted the attention of other rallygoers for its appealing presentation. The duo rated it 8 out of 10. It was a nice, sweet break from the savory.
Beyond the delicious food, the event brought together local vendors and the UAF community, making it a celebration of both flavors and fellowship in Fairbanks.