Image via YouTube

They stand heroically along curbsides across the nation, like a pal you were planning to meet for a drink, knowing the night is about to get infinitely better for having found them. They are food trucks, and one plays a major protagonist in one of the better movies of the summer, Chef.

Anyone who has seen the movie written by, directed by and starring Jon Favreau understands you simply don’t watch the film on an empty stomach, so we recommend bulking up on snacks if you buy the Blu-ray/DVD.

It’s that release and the two viewings I caught on a recent plane trip that reminded me how special my initial experience was with this movie, fortunately catching it in theaters this past summer in the city in which it is based.

The same Los Angeles that touts Kogi, fantastic taco fare and just about any cuisine made seemingly effortlessly within a truck is also the city used as the backdrop in this movie about a chef finding himself.

I could go on and on about the film and how it struck a very real note, but the overlaying theme of food and travel is what’s most important here, because sometimes we need a good kick in the behind to get on out and try something new. And thankfully, food trucks are the new norm around the nation, popping up in the same cities featured in the movie: Miami, Austin and Los Angeles.

For those not familiar with the film, take a peek at the trailer that serves as an aperitif to an otherwise delicious romp around the country:

Favreau, wanting an authentic feel to the movie, brought on renowned chef Roy Choi (Kogi, A-Frame, Sunny Spot, Pot) to help bring a chef’s sensibility to the movie, and it pays off in a tremendous way. 

You can’t help but let the mind wander as the stomach grumbles while watching the movie, wondering when and where you can get some delicious food after the show. Thankfully, my answer was only minutes away this past June.

The finale of the film shows Favreau’s Carl Casper running into a famed food critic in what has become a Mecca for food truck connoisseurs; a portion of Venice’s Abbot Kinney Blvd. that sits just outside The Brig. Locals enjoy a cavalcade of trucks every first Friday of the month, although most nights feature a peppering of the culinary caravans.

On this particular night, the need to sate a movie-fueled hunger was severe, so it came with great delight that South Philly Experience was sitting just steps from where the fictional El Jefe truck had been situated.

It was there that a simple cheesesteak “wit” became something more profound, something along the lines of a catharsis with a heaping dose of hot sauce.

Thankfully, that feeling is more prevalent around the nation, but it takes the more cautious foodie a moment to walk out the door and scout familiar haunts.

Those wanting to take a tour around Venice will find food trucks ubiquitous in the area, even reaching to the corner of Lincoln and Rose where a fine La Oaxaquena truck can be found on most nights, serving the kind of stuff that really started it all: straight tacos. 

Austin Food Magazine caught up with Choi and Favreau back in May at a demonstration where Choi explained his impetus behind the now famed Kogi trucks:

Choi explains, “The big hook to what we do on the streets is combining cultures together: the flavor of Mexican food and the flavor of Korean food.”

The chef continues, remarking that the taco is like, “taking the whole city and putting it into one bite.” And anyone who has enjoyed a bite understands fully.

But this isn’t just about Kogi or about the snapping bite from a Dogtown Dog or any of the other magical fare doled out on a nightly basis around town.

What struck me was the movie’s ability to move and motivate, pushing me outside the usual, OK, it’s time to go home and sit on the couch now.

Travel can take you thousands of miles away from home or just down the block, because to break your comfort zone you simply have to bump around town and stop by something new.

Get on out and experience a truck, food stand or small pushcart of delicacies, because the most delightful moments are served and eaten right on the curb.

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