Go Gorilla or Go Home

Food trucks have become a culture entirely of their own. After Matt’s choose your own adventure presentation, I found myself fascinated with food truck culture, and even more amazed that I had never experienced eating at a food truck, save the childhood ice cream cone when the musical truck drove through my neighborhood on hot summer days. What have I been missing out on? Food truck culture is growing by the minute, gaining popularity through social media devices such as twitter, where you can follow your favorite local haunts to find out where they are parked every day.

It’s a culture rich with flavor, adventure, creativity, and the bare minimum. You can take your food with you anywhere at any time, no need to tip the server, or follow any rules. It’s a culture seemingly for the tourist, but open to anyone from the cubicle dwellers, streetwalkers, and serious shoppers, to real-estate owners and highbrow business owners. Food truck culture is looking for anyone, and ready for everyone. My “vivid entryway into another culture”? Local food truck Gorilla Gourmet.

Gorilla Gourmet appeals to younger generations, college students out and about on foot with a few dollar bills hot in their pockets to spend. The only known food truck in Kalamazoo, Gorilla Gourmet, is up with social media, their latest Facebook status: “Good day Kalamazoolanders! Blue skies + sunshine > cold. On the menu today; Poblano Pork tacos, Vegan Curry Carrot soup, El Monstro and both Gorilla Grinders=Get It.....” I couldn’t be more thrilled for this opportunity to finally find out what all the fuss is about. If you’re interested, you can also follow Gorilla Gourmet on twitter @GorillaEATS. Give me until Sunday night and I can tell you if it is worth it.

Am I skeptical? A little. Does that change the fact that I am wildly excited to have an opportunity to eat out of a truck and write about the experience? Not one bit. I feel a little like Anthony Bourdain, on a crazy hunt for a new, thrilling food experience. Except Gorilla Gourmet just happens to be right down the street, which is quite a convenience. My expectations? They make your food right in front of you. It’s hot and fresh, spicy, and full of mouthwatering flavors. At least that’s how I picture this going down.

Rumor around the block is that Gorilla Gourmet’s street food is not only cheap but pretty good too. Although I am not familiar with the entire extent of their menu, tacos and cheese sandwiches appear to both be taken seriously at this food truck. I’m not exactly one of the people who is terrified with the idea of eating food that came out of the back of a truck but I did grow up with my dad, a man who will eat anything, but never fails to point out a cutely named truck pulled to the side of the road and call it a roach coach. I’m also certain that he has tried the food and it’s as bad as he says it is. But Colorado isn’t Los Angeles. The only food truck culture around where I am from is worth worrying about. But this is Kalamazoo and who would pass up the opportunity to eat from a truck called Gorilla Gourmet? Sometimes we have to get our hands a little dirty and just take our chances. Let’s face it, tacos are messy