The Feel
If you’re an average 21st century American with a short attention span it’s difficult not to get distracted when walking down Abbot Kinney on the first Friday of every month. The entire block is peppered with novelty shops, art galleries, bookstores, dim-lit bars and organic restaurants teeming with people. In one corner you might find a street performer with dreads playing the accordion and in another you might find a contraption advertised as an “abstract art maker” (still not sure if playing with the levers was worth paying a dollar for a paper full of scribbles.) Though the event begins at 6pm, by the time it hits 8pm you’ll be fighting for room on the sidewalk, but it’s that sort of intimacy that makes First Fridays an experience; everyone there is united by a few common goals: to talk, to laugh, and most importantly, to eat. Now onto the real stars of First Friday…
The Food Truck Highlights
- Godfather Truck – This First Friday rookie came on the food truck scene about three weeks ago. When asked about the trucks name, the woman working replied, “Who doesn’t know the Godfather?” So of course we had to ask which movie she liked best; the first or the second. “The first one, of course.” Right answer, and if you take a look at the food they are definitely making you an offer you can’t refuse.
- Mac-o-licious – The smell of cheesy goodness emanating from this truck permeated the entire block. Hard core mac n’ cheese fans waited in an enormous line for a taste of some mac-o-licious magnificence. After trying a bit of the 5-cheese mac (Asiago, Fontina, Cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmasean) we can certainly see why it has a giant following.
And last but certainly not least…
The Feature – MOE Deli
Amidst a sea of Food Trucks that are constantly flowing in and out of Abbot Kinney, it’s easy for some to go unnoticed. However, one truck stood out with its bright red wrapping – “MOE Deli” – Curious about the food truck and its name, the first question that came to mind when walking up to the truck’s counter was “Are you MOE?” The curly haired Sous Chef behind the glass screen, a bit taken aback, laughed and informed us that MOE actually doesn’t exist. MOE stands for Montreal Open-ended Eggrolls. Looking down at the truck there it was; in our haste we had missed the most important detail of the truck logo – Eggrolls. Sold.
Meet MOE Deli Chef Matthew Haney:
A former student at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, CA, Haney met MOE founder Michael Israel (another CIA graduate) and what followed was pure Eggroll magic. A few years ago Israel noticed that South of Montreal there really wasn’t anything like his beloved Quebec classic so he, his wife Emily, and Haney decided to bring this delicacy to the masses of Los Angeles. Originally called MOE Eggrolls, the truck recently underwent a name-change to participate in an up and coming Food Network show. Find MOE Deli right now using the map on our site .
Tell us your…
- Must try item: The Big Moe. It’s a Char-siu style beef brisket, with mango slaw, and served with Chinese aioli.
- Favorite part of First Fridays: Seeing this many people all in one place, it’s hard to do that in LA.
- Most delicious competition: Though there are a number of trucks we love, one favorite is Urban Kitchen.