DINE BY DESIGN: Paris’ Food Truck Fascination

The Cali Classic from Cantine California, one of Paris’ new food trucks

Food trucks have become all the rage now with Parisians finally discovering the joys of gourmet food outside of the confines of high end bistros and Michelin starred restaurants. The first truck, Le Camion Qui Fume (which translates to the “Truck Who Smokes”), opened in November 2011 serving up gourmet burgers to immediate and unparalleled success. The second, Cantine California, hit the streets at the end of March 2012 offering up some of my favorite standbys: tacos, burgers, brunch, and cupcakes. Besides a different menu, Cantine California also uses organic quality ingredients. Both have regular spots they park at and long waiting times — often an hour or so – proof that Parisians are shedding their image as haute cuisine snobs and enthusiastically embracing the casualness of street food.

Le Camion Qui Fume launched in November 2011

The food truck concept, however, is not entirely new to France. In the suburbs of Paris and other parts of the country, many grew up with “les camions” which sold pizza. (Think of the Mister Softee trucks in the US.) Though the food was often solid, no one ever thought to put a gourmet spin on the idea until now. Both chefs for Le Camion Qui Fume and Cantine California trained at the prestigious Ferrandi cooking school in Paris and both trucks are headed by Americans, where gourmet street food is part of the culinary fabric.

Burgers are offered by both Cantine California and Le Camion Qui Fume

It’s only in France where the trend towards casual, less stuffy dining has been a slow and steady evolution that started roughly twelve years ago. That’s when Le Fooding was born. Le Fooding, a term coined by its founders to join “food” and “feeling” is mostly known for its restaurant guide and food festivals, but eventually grew into a cultural movement. (Similar to Slow Food and other trends that have changed our approach to eating.) Le Fooding challenged the traditionally conservative French food culture with its youthful enthusiasm, throwing mass picnics with three star Michelin chefs. This break from what used to define France — the temple of high end dining – has now created a more open and casual yet serious approach to food. Perfect timing for the food trucks.

The future of food trucks in Paris still remains a question. Due to the city receiving hundreds of applications after the success of Le Camion Qui Fume, they are still determining how to regulate the types of cuisine they will allow as well as the number of trucks they want to flood Paris’ streets. Either way, I know where I can get a good burger now.

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