User blog:Porterfield/Food Trucks: A Photographic History

The rapid growth of food truck scenes in major American cities seems like a recent phenomenon, but we cannot forget that food trucks have been around for ages. They may be the "hip" place to eat these days, but they started in the mid-19th century as a means for workers to get their meals quick and conveniently, because the "restaurant" could roll right up to the work site. The major difference now is the price and quality of the food. Early food trucks provided cheap meals with equally cheap ingredients, and presumably cheap tasting food. These days, as Flavorwire points out in their fantastic photographic exposé on the history of food trucks, you can not only get tacos and sandwiches from trucks, but gourmet treats like snail lollipops (from Spencer on the Go! in S.F., if you're interested).

Personally, I find it hard to pay $10 for a sandwich that was made in a truck in an alley-way. Some people, like myself, prefer the concept of food trucks in the old-school sense, with cheap food and cheap prices. That's why it's on wheels and not a white table cloth. Others, especially residents of San Francisco and New York, may prefer the nouveau trucks, with their gourmet food, sky-high prices, and cutting-edge social media. Regardless of preference, it's fair to say that food trucks are amazing, and we must recognize their fantastic history!