| | Published July 13th, 2016
| Food Trucks Will be Rolling Into the Hacienda This Summer
| | | By Sophie Braccini | | |
Moraga may not be San Francisco, and the Hacienda de Las Flores may not be Fort Mason, but the idea of "grouping street food vendors together to create an experience that allows neighbors to connect with friends, and families to reconnect with each other" is an appealing idea on both sides of the Bay.
That's the motto of Off the Grid, the popular food truck gathering, and this summer Moraga will have its own small-scale food truck experience one night a month for three months on the park-like grounds of the Hacienda. The food truck dinners kick off Friday, July 15.
When Moraga celebrated its 40th anniversary two years ago, the Parks and Recreation department organized a community picnic at the Moraga Commons that was very well attended and received. Since then, director Jay Ingram has been looking for ways to reproduce the popular get-together. Inspired by the Bay Area's food truck movement and the recent success of the Campolindo High School's Thursday evening food trucks, he partnered with the Hacienda Foundation and the Park Foundation to set up the Hacienda and bring food trucks there three Fridays this summer, from 6 to 10 p.m. July 15, Aug. 12 and Sept. 9.
The vast grounds of the Hacienda de las Flores will be dressed up with large community tables, small tables and high tables to accommodate all kinds of patrons. There is no fee to join the event, but of course the food is for sale. Kids games such as cornhole and ladder golf will be coordinated on the lawn by volunteers.
Mary Orders, the department's summer intern, went online to look for interesting food trucks. Each of the three evening will propose two different savory trucks and one desert truck. For example on July 15, Streatery Peasant Food will make the trip to Moraga to offer its interesting fare. Calling themselves a "glorious peasant food truck," the owners of Streatery offer a menu that features oxtail and grits, spicy peasant rice with pork patties, brisket tacos and vegetarian tacos. The eclectic menu, based on local ingredients, also includes lemon ricotta donuts and lavender lemonade. The intern added that a Mexican food truck and a desert truck would also be there on July 15.
Ingram reached out to the Hacienda Foundation and the Park Foundation to fund the nights because food trucks have to get a guaranteed minimum payment to come to an event.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA