Gourmet Cuisine Without A Side of Hassle

SactoMoFo3, the third of the Sacramento Mobile Food Festivals, was last weekend, and I missed it.  Actually, missed is the wrong verb: I intentionally decided not to go. Those familiar with my foodie sensibilities and distress that Elk Grove has so little to satisfy them might question why I didn’t hie myself down to 8th and W, under the freeway, where the event was being held. Some twenty food trucks from the Bay Area and Sacramento offering an astonishing variety of gourmet cuisines featuring locally-sourced ingredients—how could I not attend?  

I kept asking myself that when I woke up Saturday morning and a niggling feeling, not unfamiliar, came over me.  It's the whiny little voice that says, “I don’t wanna.” What was my problem? I thought of all the possible reasons for my reticence. Yes, it’s a drag to drive to Midtown, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that much of what I enjoy doing is not available in Elk Grove. Yes, I’d be doing it on my own, but that’s standard for me most of the time, and it usually doesn't bother me. So, why didn’t I wanna?

I went online to check the times and venue and there I found Ms. Munchie’s blog post for the day. Known to her family as Catherine, she's one of the leading lights behind SactoMoFo, and when I finished reading, I had a clear view of why I didn’t wanna go.  She gave tips on how to get the best out of a mobile food event:

“Go as a team! The biggest tip of all. Not a huge team, but one of about 4-5 people. You should all get into different lines and order enough to share with your group.

“Go early. It's all about lines and so I'd much rather be at the front of the line then at the back of a 2 hour line.

“Make friends with those around you. In fact, this is one of the things I love best about food trucks. People socialize while in line and waiting for their food. There's a camaraderie that is so awesome.”

All of what she wrote took me back to the first SactoMoFo, held in Fremont Park back on a warm day at the end of April. I don’t know how many thousands showed up, but the crowd overwhelmed the food trucks. The lines were beyond long; some trucks ran out of food; others left early. I ended up eating at a brick and mortar restaurant across from the park, Hot Italian Pizza, and even there, I had to wait an hour or so for my order. The event was an overwhelming success for the organizers, who wanted to show the City of Sacramento that there was ample support for these gourmet food trucks. For me, not so much.  

Which is why, I realized, I didn’t wanna go to SactoMoFo3, since it promised to be more of the same. I just want to eat the food; I don't want to participate in an event. All of which is to say, please, powers that be in Elk Grove, change .  I will follow them wherever in the Grove they go, because these days locally-sourced, gourmet food is a rarity here.