Review: The Gaztro-Wagon
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 28, 2010 6:00PM
Go back to spring, when word started to spread about this food truck called the Gaztro-wagon looking to do business in Chicago and owner Matt Maroni lobbied to City Council to rewrite the current legislation on the books to allow for food trucks to actually prepare their food in their rolling kitchen. Since Maroni fired his shot across the bow, the nascent steps of Chicago's street food revolution are becoming clearer by the day. New trucks are popping up seemingly by the week, although they're limited to what they can sell in part to the current food truck legislation. But cupcakes and sandwiches are often the foundation for many things, from a simple lunch to a sea change for food in Chicago.
From the diner's perspective, the most amazing aspect of Gaztro-wagon's naan-inspired fare is how well it holds up in the transfer from Maroni's brick-and-mortar Edgewater location to the many regular stops he now makes with his truck. The bread alone, silky and tough like 800 thread-count sheets, is the MVP of Gaztro-wagon's fare. It could be perfect as an appetizer with, say, hummus or baba ghanoush. But the naan is able to handle the hearty elements of Maroni's sandwiches. Meats such as tender beef short rib, savory boar and hearty lobster; pickled vegetables, marscapone, heavy cheeses, purees and Romesco sauce. Maroni is a chef with some serious kitchen majicks. As flavorful as the sandwiches are already, the mind strains at the possibility of one day having a sandwich made from scratch on the truck.
Gaztro-wagon's storefront is located at 5973 N. Clark. Follow on twitter (@wherezthewagon for lunch and dinner locations for the truck.)