Last Friday I hitched a ride with Kathy (Kathy Eats Canada) and traveled to Montreal for the last session of First Fridays. Once we got through the treacherous long weekend traffic and found Esplanade Financière Sun Life at Parc Olympique we were greeted to 12 food trucks surrounded by stadium lights, a DJ churning out catchy electronic beats and truck-to-truck line ups.
First Fridays started in June of this year to promote Montreal's street food scene and to bring life back to Parc Olympique. In the past, events have not just included food vendors but entertainers, a segway obstacle course and airbrush tattoo artists.
This last session seemed to be a celebration of food trucks and organizers pulled together 12 of Montreal's finest. Maybe it was the lights, Olympic Stadium in the background or the variety of food available but it took me a few moments to get organized and decide what I wanted to try. Once I sampled my first few trucks though, I quickly wanted something from every one of them.
In a few short hours my wallet was considerably lighter but I had tried a duck confit poutine from Lucky's Truck, a lobster roll from Lucille's, oysters from Pas d'cochon dans mon salon, a speculoos stuffed waffle from Gaufrabec, beef and ancho tacos from Grumman '78 and a beef tartare 'hot dog' from Marché 27.
First Fridays is done for the season but will hopefully be back once the snow melts and there's a little warmth in the air. In the meantime, if you're planning a visit to Montreal I'd track down some of the trucks involved with First Fridays (particularly Grumman '78 and Marché 27) and enjoy the best of Montreal's unique street food scene.
