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Toronto’s Best-Designed Food Trucks

Four fly restos-on-wheels that serve up great design by taking inspiration from the elements

By Eric Mutrie

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AIR: Hogtown Smoke
Hogtown’s recent rewrap comes courtesy of local design agency Idea Studio. Scott Fraser, who co-owns the Southern barbecue business, says the smoke billowing from his illustrated pig mascot’s nostrils reflects Hogtown’s style of cooking. It also speaks to the mysterious air associated with food trucks – having to check Twitter to find out their locations each day is part of the whole experience. hogtownsmoke.ca

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FIRE: Gourmet Gringos
For the look of his food truck, which turns out Argentine empanadas and tacos featuring ingredients like chorizo, Gringos co-owner Krystian Catala took cues from cognitive food science. “Red, orange and yellow stimulate people’s appetite,” he says of his truck’s hot hues. Set against the vehicle’s fiery background are images of cactuses and flamenco dancers, reflecting the Gringos menu’s blend of Latin cuisines. gourmetgringos.com

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WATER: Buster’s Sea Cove
Buster’s owner Tom Antonarakis wanted his seafood-truck customers to feel like they were off the coast of Nova Scotia, fishing for crustaceans on a cold, gusty day – not just waiting by the curb for gourmet lobster rolls and fish or shrimp tacos. He loves the wrap that designer Jackie Chow came up with. “When you see the truck coming, it just sends shivers up your spine,” he says of his vehicle’s stormy ocean imagery. busters-seacove.com

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EARTH: Food Share Mobile Good Food Market
People that live in neighbourhoods without grocery stores have limited access to fresh, affordable ingredients. Non-profit FoodShare’s solution: have LGA Architectural Partners convert a TTC Wheel-Trans vehicle into a mobile fruit and vegetable stand. One side of the van is cut into fold-out compartments: the top half lifts up into a canopy, while the bottom half folds down to display produce. foodshare.net

Visit Ontario Street Food’s Facebook page for daily updates on food truck locations.

Originally published in our Fall 2014 issue.


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