Meals On Wheels

Miami is known for its high-end hotel restaurants run by exotically-named celebrity chefs, who
compete with their celebrity customers for elbow room on the gossip pages. There are places to eat
here, however, that not only don't have PR people to get their address in the papers, they don't even
HAVE an address. These mobile munch-wagons are the cure for over-priced and over-wrought meals.
Truck, cart, or van, they are the best of the 'Movable Feast'.

1) ORALE! In Mexican slang, Orale is translated loosely as 'hell yeah!', as in “Orale! These guys
from Oaxaca make the best tacos in Miami, homes!” The fillings are tasty and home-cooked,
spooned onto grilled corn tortillas as you order them, and then topped by you with their
homemade pico de gallo (crunchy), salsa verde (spicy), radish slices, and lime. Don't forget to
squirt on one of the three homemade hot sauces. The best fillings are the most unusual-cachete,
or beef cheek, is aromatic and robust; barbacoa de borrego, lamb, is moist and wild, like lamb
used to taste; and the suadero is compact beef riblet chunks that really pack a rib punch. I also
love the lengua, tongue, slow-cooked and hearty.
The bonus is that there are usually two other carts here-one is run by a Peruvian couple who
serve homemade 'Cuban' tamales, rich with corn, rice, and chicken; and 'Peruvian' empanadas-
hearty dough wrapped around spicy chicken or beef fillings stewed with olives and onions. The
other cart has two nice Nicaraguan ladies serving big portions of homemade Yucca con
Chicharron, mashed yucca with pork chunks, and a nice smooth yellow corn tamale.
SW 28th St., just east of 37th Av., in Coral Gables. Sat-8:30AM-7PM, Sun-11:30AM-7PM
2) The Shrimp Truck: The menu says, 'Al's Cafeteria'. He is parked in the Pick-It grocery store
which is also known as Buster's. Buster has a sign on the door: 'Please respect yourself and
everyone else by wearing your pants up around your waist. If not, don't come in. Thank you.
Buster.” It's all about respect here, and if there's one thing I respect, it's a man who can fry
shrimp right. So very simple, yet so hard to find. Al's is moist and crunchy, the delicate yet
crispy coating adding a nice dimension to the juicy shrimp. He also does a great fried crab-king
crab legs fried in their shells. In their shells. Eat a little crunch, eat a little crab. Those shells
are sharp so watch out. Eat the shrimp and crabs while they're hot. Then get another order to
go. And rush home. 11795 NW 27th Ave., look for the Pick-It sign. After 6PM
3) Roscoe's: You can work up a mighty big appetite carousing at the club, so when you walk
outside to get some air, isn't it great that the big blue truck painted 'Roscoe's' (not his real name)
is right there to satisfy your needs? I'm talking fried pork chop sandwich. A thin chop is
breaded and fried, and served alongside french fries. Add hot sauce, and you're about to tame
that inner man or woman. You know, the one who's always hungry. Grab a lot of napkins.
Now you're ready to head back in for some more friction dancing. NE 3rd Ct., adjacent to
parking lot of Take One Lounge, 333 NE 79th St. Late Night
4) Haitian Roasted Nuts: There seem to be about twenty guys lounging around this empty lot
filled with tropical fruits and sugarcane. But the only person working is a sweet Haitian lady
who cuts the cane, sells the fruit, and roasts the nuts. The roasted Georgia peanuts have a fresh,
concentrated flavor and crunchiness, like only freshly roasted nuts can have. One dollar for a
small but potent bag. She also roasts corn in the husk, and almost always has some fresh
cranberry beans on display. They'll look pretty on your kitchen counter while you're scarfing
down these roasted nuts with a cold beer. West side of NE 2nd Ave. at 58th St. Daytime only
5) Rib Guy #1: Morning rush hour on NE 79th St. smells pretty good on Thursdays and Fridays.
That's because someone has taken the time to start smoking ribs at 7AM, ready for consumption
starting at 10:30. Treat ribs like your friends, with patience and love, and you will be rewarded!
The rib 'sandwich', ribs smothered in homemade BBQ sauce, hot or mild, topped with two
 slices of white bread (not required to be eaten, you may use them as napkins), is $5. They are
smoky and juicy. No sides, no filler. Also recommended is the BBQ chicken leg sandwich,
two for $5. Take home a slab or a half slab, load up on the sauce, and dream about next
Thursday and Friday. 'Better Way House of Bargains', 100 NE 79th St.,Thur. and Fri. only,
starting at 10:30AM until they run out.
6) Rib Guy #2: This stretch of NW 2nd Ave looks like it has seen better days. To the former
pastor turned pit master, however, relaxing in the shade of his BBQ tent, all is right with the
world. His ribs are succulent and he knows it. You will share that same sense of satisfaction
when you sample his smoky stuff. What's that brick-red stew floating in the slow-cooker, you
ask? That is souse. It's for the experienced eater only. Don't ask what's in it, you probably
don't want to know. And with these ribs-why eat anything else? SW Corner of NW 2nd Ave.
and 46th St. Thur-Sun
7) Fast Paella: Paella takes a while to prepare and to cook. This truck shows up, and Alex, the
paella maker, gets to work. He has a huge outdoor paella pan, bubbling and cracking with
yellow rice, chicken, and seafood. Today it is Paella Valenciana. The 'small' portion ($7, large
is $11) is a big bowl, with juicy mussels, squid rings, shrimp, a drumstick, some peas and and
red peppers, and a ton of rice, which has absorbed all the flavors of the ingredients, and is moist
without being mushy. The aromas are unmistakably of the sea, and everything tastes delicious.
Even the drumstick is moist and cooked perfectly! He also sells gigantic hamburgers, chicken
wings, and some Cuban dishes, but the Paella is the killer. Crandon Park, North Beach, Key
Biscayne. Weekends and Holidays only

8) Jetro Parking Lot Food Truck: Jetro is a wholesale restaurant supply warehouse (don't try to
shop here if you're not 'in the business'), and this truck serves the people who work here as well
as some restauranteurs who want a cheap meal, and know what everything costs. The hard-
working couple who work the stoves serves some of the best lechon (roast whole pig) in Miami.
It is moist and crispy, served with black beans (“The way Mama cooked them. Homemade
without a doubt!”) and white rice, and easily bests some of the pig served in actual restaurants.
Their palomilla and chicken a la plancha are also top-sellers at $4.50. Wash it down with a
Malta, also good for hangovers! Jetro Parking Lot Entrance on NW 12th Ave, just north of 20th
St, on the east side. Open early for breakfast, closes after lunch.