Rocket Fine Street Food

     There was a time when the term "food truck" brought to mind small, dirty stands serving up $1, greasy, pre-cooked hot dogs fit for no one but a busy working man with a fifteen minute lunch break and a restricted budget. Of course, over the past few years, the concept of the food truck has been completely re-thought by thousands of chefs across America. Modern food trucks are sweeping the nation as beautiful mobile kitchens, run by professionally trained chefs with true passion for making gourmet food affordable for all. Providence has a particularly diverse fleet of food trucks run by some seriously dedicated chefs who work hard along side local farmers to deliver incredibly high quality food which seems to defy the laws of mobile-eats and surpass the potential of their tiny rolling kitchens. The food trucks in Providence serve just about every cuisine you could ever want, including traditional French cuisine from Plouf Plouf Gourmet, LA style Mexican food from Mijos Tacos, savory Korean BBQ from Mama Kim's, and we even have a truck called Fancheezical, dedicated entirely to creating gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. However, if you're looking for traditional American street food with an inventive gourmet twist, then you're looking for Rocket Fine Street Food.

Rocket with Sandwich Board – photo by Lori Blakey Welles (Taken from www.rocketstreetfood.com)



     It was a Friday afternoon when I made my first trip to Rocket. The sun was shining bright, and the crisp air hinted that spring was on its way, but there was a bitingly cold with which seemed as though it was determined not to let me forget that the bitter New England winter wasn't over just yet. Rocket was set up for lunch in Kennedy Plaza. Although there is usually a plethora of food trucks at Kennedy Plaza for lunch, Rocket was standing alone on this particular afternoon. There was one other customer waiting for his order, but no line, and I was served very quickly. I decided to go with a cup of the Organic Polenta with Gorgonzola, and a slider called "The Parisienne" which is a Niman Ranch angus beef slider, topped with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and a roasted garlic aioli. The woman who was serving me was very nice, and even commented on my order, saying that it sounded like an excellent combination.
     My order took about four minutes to come up, which is a very reasonable amount of time. Just long enough to know that the food is cooked to order, yet short enough to know that the chef is well trained on the subject of time management. My total came to $9.75, which might seem like a lot for a small meal at a food truck, but is really a fair price considering the high quality of food which Rocket serves. After receiving my food, I found a nice bench close by, on which I could enjoy my meal.

Lunch at Rocket

(Organic Polenta with Gorgonzola; The Parisienne)

 



     I started with the polenta. I'm a lover of polenta, and this was exceptional. It was creamy and smooth, with bits of sharp, salty gorgonzola which cut through very well, and added accent to each bite. This polenta was a perfect little cup of warmth and comfort on a bitter, windy day. The portion was well sized, and absolutely worth the $4.25.
     At Rocket, all of the burgers are made with Niman Ranch beef, which is humanely and sustainably raised using no hormones or anti-biotics, and it shows through in the flavor. The beef in my parisienne was cooked perfectly, and tasted very fresh. The caramelized onions were sweet which contrasted perfectly with the salty gruyere cheese. However, it was the roasted garlic aioli that really brought everything together. It was smooth yet had a slight tang which completed the taste of this delicious little slider.

Organic Polenta With Gorgonzola

The Parisienne

 

     The Rocket team works hard to provide their customers with a culinary experience that would never be expected from a mobile kitchen. With local and organic ingredients, friendly service, and fair prices, what could make you not want to make a stop at this gourmet food truck? The Rocket truck delivers exactly what they advertise: Fine street food.