Metropolitan Munchies
Photographed by: Tony Hird
Hone your Google map skills and iron them bibs! Our city is revisiting the 1947 bylaw that restricts street food vendors to federal-provincial property and festivals. The food trucks are revving up their engines, busting out choice produce and servin’ up some fresh street food. If all goes well, there will be a lot more people staggering around clutching at recyclable take-out ware, licked clean in fits of tuck truck euphoria.
Food trucks like Lucky’s and Pas d’cochon dans mon salon are setting the bar high… Montreal appears to be well on her way to joining the ranks of cities with vibrant and unique street food scenes. For a taste of what’s to come and what’s already been brought:
Since May 2012, the good people at Lucky’s have been serving up delicious sandwiches and gourmet poutines with epicurean zeal. From market fresh produce, Lucky’s concocts a menu reflecting the seasons. For a taste of summer, try their lobster sandwich with homemade mayo, fresh basil, and lime! If seafood isn’t your thing, the rest of the menu reads like a BBQ’ers dream. We got a hankering for their pulled pork and spiced rum BBQ sandwich…
Brought to you by four expert cuisiniers from La salle à manger, Pas d’cochon dans mon salon invites you to experience the rapture of their fare. Working from whole animals to ensure quality and inimitable freshness, they use as much of the beast as they possibly can, alongside the best seasonal Quebec produce. Enjoy slow food BBQ (smoked meat, pork, grilled fish), or lighter nosh like oysters, beef Carpaccio, and tartar of the day.
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1. Have you started dreaming and scheming for a tastier future without the old bylaw, or do you have doubts that significant change will come for Montreal’s nascent street food scene?
- Valérie Impala (Lucky’s Truck) -
As the proud owner of a food truck, I’m definitely hoping to see a change in regulations: for my business, but also to meet the growing demand for street food. Montreal is a culinary city with a voracious appetite for good cuisine. You see food trucks in most other major cities, so why not here? Though I still hold some reservations, I get the feeling that change is coming. I think the city is starting to show its best sides and street food has a place in that flourishing. One thing’s certain - the demand is there. We see it each time we hit the streets with the Lucky’s truck, and especially at Food Truck events such as at 1st Fridays at Parc Olympique!
- Julien Hébert (Pas d’cochon dans mon salon) -
Doubts? None whatsoever! We can't find one good reason not to have street food in Montreal. We truly believe that street eats can be introduced in a really positive way to Montreal and Montrealers. As for whether we’ve started dreaming yet, the answer is yes!! We are dreamers, and if we weren't we wouldn’t have started this company in the first place!
2. What do you make of the arguments for the old bylaw that claim street vendors pose a competitive threat to established eateries and fall-short on hygiene?
- V.I. -
If we return to 1947 and the original context in which these laws were drawn up, then sure, they make sense. However, I don’t think they are still valid. For one, food trucks are subject to the same rules and regulations as restaurants. We have to obtain the same license in order to operate and our production kitchens have to comply with the same regulatory standards. As for competition, I think food trucks are responding to a different demand, occupying space where restaurants can’t open their doors, I’m thinking of parks, large public spaces, etc. We have no desire to set up shop right in front of the entrances to existing restaurants. That wouldn’t be good for anyone! Not for us or for local, established businesses!
- J.H. -
With MAPAQ* already in place, the hygiene protocol for food trucks is exactly the same as it is for restaurants. My feeling is that if it’s good enough for the one, then it's good enough for the other. As for the competition argument, we live in a capitalist liberal society where competition is supposed to be a good thing. It's supposed to deliver the best products at the best prices, so I don’t see why it should be any different for the restaurant business. In any event, you’re not ever going to see a good and popular restaurant close just because there's a food truck 3 blocks away. As for the not-so-good and not-so-popular restaurants, do we want to keep them that badly?
*) MAPAQ is the “Ministère de l’Agriculture, Pêcheries et Alimentations du Québec” (Quebec Ministry of agriculture, fisheries, and food). The ministry’s mission is to support the provision of quality food in Quebec and to promote the development of the bio-food sector from a sustainable development perspective, for the well-being of Quebec society.
3. What currently out-of-bounds places does your tuck truck long to visit, and why?
- J.H. -
We would like to park the truck near metro stations for people who are hungry and in a rush after work, as well as near CEGEPs and universities to cater to those who like good food and don't have a lot of money. It would also be great to be in or around big parks, such as Parc Lafontaine or Parc Maisonneuve, and in some more remote locations such as Clock Tower Beach* and Parc Lachine!
4. What happens when winter hits? Can food trucks be insulated or would business be seasonal?
- V.I. -
Come winter, there are all sorts of outdoor events that food trucks can participate in depending on their facilities and whether they’re insulated or not. Also, through the ARRQ (Association of street food restauranteurs of Québec) we’re organizing indoor street food events similar in spirit to "First Fridays" at Parc Olympique. We’re working on what to do with the winter season. Either way, we have to keep in mind that everything does slow down from January to February given the conditions of our climate.
- J.H. -
This is the biggest question mark so far. We think that we can serve food from the truck/trailer all year round, but we don't know whether there will be too much snow in the streets to park, and whether people will want to go outside to order and eat food. It's definitely the biggest challenge for a new street food company to overcome. As for us at Pas d’cochon more specifically - we all work full time in a restaurant (La Salle à Manger) so we’re crazy busy all summer, but thankfully won’t have to worry about our financial security when the winter arrives.
5.You already use Twitter and Facebook to keep your fans informed about upcoming events and locations. Describe what for you would be the perfect app to connect people with your food truck.
- V.I. -
Social networks are the best showcases for our storefronts. We take care to maintain a strong online presence, to discuss and meet with people who follow us - just as we do when they come see the truck. It’s a great tool to take advantage of and it’s free! We’ve created an association, the ARRQ (Association of street food restaurateurs of Québec). Eventually, we’ll have a website and an app for smart phones. We hope to provide a platform for people to interact with us, follow us and the location of food trucks in real time. There will be an interactive city map, as well as a snapshot of each truck and their food supply…
- J.H. -
Like the street food itself, apps already exist in many cities around the world. The perfect App would be a mix between Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. The app would tell people where all the food trucks are in Montreal, which one is the closest, what kind of food they’re serving, their schedule, and a small section for comments and pictures. Last but not least, the app has to be light, free, and user friendly!
6. What could you bring to the city’s streets that our bellies have never experienced before?
- V.I. -
Just to have food trucks in Montreal is a novelty. Montreal is a city well known for its gastronomy, reputed for the quality and variety of its restaurants. We want to bring just that to the streets. And bring it with the same craftsmanship.
Still, to talk directly to the chef as you eat fresh delectable food is quite a different experience than that at a restaurant! There’s something inimitable about it. There’s the feeling that you’re at a small gathering amongst friends and strangers. That’s Montreal street food. It's fresh, it’s carefully sourced, it feels like home, and it’s not junk food or pre-packaged.
- J.H. -
Cheap, diverse, healthy food made out of local and seasonal produce served up by owners of a small start-up company who know the city… The experience of a moving restaurant that can tantalize your taste buds in exciting locations from your backyard to the Côte-des-Neiges cemetery!
{ Amen }
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