The name itself already makes me want to jump with joy: I want goodies! And treats! And frozen custard! Today, after many months of twitter and facebook stalking, I finally managed to catch this 1950s-style food truck on the streets of DC. And since I had already done my homework (read: informed myself about all the menu options and what the truck is known for) the experience was all I could have hoped for.
The owners lovingly call their baby-blue vehicle "Gigi". It is, in fact, a 1952 Metro van, which perfectly aligns with Goodies' retro concept. The music blasting from its speakers, the vintage ice cream parlor uniforms (complete with bow ties and hats), and the menu consisting of frozen and baked old-school comfort food work beautifully together. Waiting in line - and it was quite a long line - I felt like a time traveler.
I
particular liked that one of the guys was standing outside to interact
with the customers, instead of taking orders through a window as is the
case with most other food trucks. That made it more personal, and was a reminder of the basic idea of hospitality.
Goodies specializes in sundaes, shakes and root beer floats prepared with fresh frozen custard. Yes, apparently the custard is made from scratch every morning. In a world where I usually see frozen treats come out of factory-style machines, or sold in supermarkets where they have been sitting in the fridge for days, this truly makes an impression. Apart from frozen desserts, the truck offers daily specials that include bundt cakes, banana pudding, cookies and doughnuts. As for the prices, I
believe that most of the items will set you back $6-$8.
One of their signature items is the red velvet doughnut sandwich. I have been drooling over pictures of this sandwich ever since I discovered that Gigi even existed, and knew that I had to order it should I be so lucky to find the truck on a day when it's on the menu. And... today it was. I certainly took the other treats into consideration - for maybe a second - but couldn't resist the dream of frozen custard between two doughnut halves and the sugary, chocolatey taste of red velvet.
Ok. Let's face it. What could have possibly been wrong with this dessert? Nothing. It was rich, creamy, and yet refreshing. And even though it looked huge and came in a takeout box, it didn't weigh me down. The texture of the custard was unexpectedly smooth. You could, I guess, compare it to softened ice cream. That worked well together with the doughnut, but I really do prefer the Shake Shack density. And the doughnut... Oh! the doughnut. The top half was sugar glazed, which added a little crunch, and everything about it - taste, bite, size - was just right. A drizzle of chocolate sauce added that extra bit of flavor. That is what lunch on cloud 9 must taste like.
Unfortunately, this dessert is not very photogenic. When I received it the doughnut was not even visible, nestled inside the takeout box, covered with lots and lots of custard. Still, I caught almost everyone's attention as I walked past the line. A group of women even stopped me to inspect it up close and find out what it was. I tried my best to take a few pictures but apologize if they are not the most appetizing.
Just yesterday, the popular local blog DCist published a list of the 14 best food trucks in the city, and Goodies was crowned one of them. That is especially remarkable since only two dessert trucks made it on the list. I am a big fan of Captain Cookie & The Milkman, and I know that there are several other sweets-treats-on-wheels roaming around, so I was surprised but very happy for Gigi's team.
Due to the truck's busy schedule and the fact that it often makes several stops per day, Gigi is not easy to track down. Following Goodies on twitter will help though, and the "stalker activity" is absolutely worth it.
Brownie Points for the red velvet doughnut sandwich: 3 out of 3
No comments:
Post a Comment