Good Eats

GOOD EATS: ‘Fabulous Food On Four Wheels‘

By Rick Allen • Photos By John Jernigan

One of Ocala’s hottest dining scenes is happening downtown, probably as you read this. No, it’s not one of the fancy barbecue/Asian/ New Orleans/French eateries that are dotting the square with increased frequency. No, this burgeoning scene idles up every day to a parking spot in the shadow of the Ocala Downtown Market. Four wheels at a time.

A decade ago, the Ocala area was bereft of most street food. Sure, we had some hot dog stands—Remember the downtown Hot Dog Lady, Judy Havican?—and the occasional food served from carnival-vintage trailers at special events like Light Up Ocala.

But we were the hinterlands when it came to the hottest trend in dining back then, food trucks—or so said John T. Edge, a New York Times food columnist who visited Marion County in 2010 as a guest lecturer at the Downtown-based Institute Of Human & Machine Cognition. “2009 was the year that American street food came out of the closet,” he told us one early spring evening. “Street food is hip.”

We had precious little here, he added, compared with meccas such as New York, Philadelphia, Portland, and even the once-a-month gatherings in Gainesville. But we’re catching up!

In the past lustrum there’s been steady growth in the number of food trucks in Marion County. Note: Whether it’s a true truck that moves under its own power or is a trailer pulled by another vehicle, it’s still called a “food truck.”

The main problem faced by operators was a “where” issue, as in, where to set up for the day? Permission was needed, and not always given, from property owners, so attempts were made to create a permanent home such as those described by Edge. But they never caught on for long.

That’s all changed today.

Not long ago, local entrepreneur Tito Comas, always thick in downtown-enhancement initiatives, stepped forward to meet this need. He didn’t have to go far. His perfect food truck spot? Just blocks south of the Downtown Square.

Welcome to the Downtown Market Food Truck Park.

“It was always in the city’s plan for them to be here,” Comas says. When Southeast Third Avenue fronting the marketplace was renovated, he explains, the city put in nine slots outfitted with power and water for trucks. Everything is American Disabilities Act compliant. There’s even a playground, plenty of parking, and real bathrooms nearby.

The slots are now used daily Tuesday through Saturday, from morning to early evening. So what’s been the key so far? “There’s always somebody here,” Tito answers. “For breakfast, for lunch, and for dinner. There’s no other place in Marion County like this.”

Dawn Bowman, director of the Downtown Market for the nearby award-winning Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, is thrilled with the addition.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship,” she says. “Folks coming to the market discover to their delight the food trucks, and those coming for the trucks on Saturdays are pleased to find the market in full swing. “We’re not just a market,” Bowman adds. “We’re an event.”

Kathy Klements, an administrator of the Ocala Food Truck Hub on Facebook, praises the park. (Full disclosure: I created this social media group in 2014 as a way for operators and patrons to find each other. It recently marked its 8,000th member.)

“It’s a permanent location, so people don’t have to go looking for them,” she says. And it works the other way, too. The truck operators “don’t have to scramble each week to find a place they won’t get kicked out of due to some regulation. It also brings people—and their money—downtown, boosting the economy.

“A food truck park to our city,” Klements adds as a final note,” is long overdue.” It’s also a welcome spot for some quality mother-daughter time. Kristi Martter and daughter Evelyn shared lunch and laughs on a recent Saturday under the shade of a spreading tree at Southeast Third Avenue and Third Street.

“We knew the market was here,” Martter says. She comments that the food trucks were “a pleasant surprise,” one that may prompt “more trips in the future.”

Comas and Bowman say there are four trucks here full time and two part time. Hours are 9am to 7pm Tuesday through Thursday and 8am to 8pm Friday and Saturday.

Comas and Bowman say they see more visitors to the Ocala Downtown Market and to the Downtown Market Food Truck Park every week. “It’s been tough with CO- VID-19,” Comas says. “But this is the answer. Everything is outside.”

WHY GO: For once the question is easy. Obviously, the food trucks—yes!— but more it’s the variety you can find there. You can stop week after week and not eat the same thing twice. And that’s on weekdays. Market Saturdays add a unique festival-like atmosphere.

So rather than the usual Good Eats headers such as “Friendly Staff,” “You Must Try” and such, this time let’s instead meet some of the operators who make up the Ocala Downtown Market Food Truck Park.

TOM’S TASTE OF CHICAGO Primary cuisine: The name says it all, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and Polish sausage.

Chicago has a cuisine as refined yet down-to-earth as the Windy City itself. Sure, who hasn’t heard of its famous deep-dish pizza? But Chicago expatriate Tom Diforti says he couldn’t find anywhere in Ocala a genuine Chicago dog or Italian beef the way they make ‘em back home. “No one was doing anything authentic,” he says. “And I’ve always liked cooking and I love Chicago food,” Diforti adds. “This is a great opportunity for all of us.” Days at the park: Tuesday through Saturday.

JIMMY’S PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS Primary cuisine: Cheesesteaks, cheesesteaks, and more cheesesteaks. In all, some 14 varieties, each one the way they make ‘em in the City of Brotherly Love.

Philly Cheesesteak from Jimmy’s Philly Cheesesteaks

Jimmy Bargeron says he spent a lot of time in Philadelphia. Upon arrival, he asked, “Where do I get a true Philly cheesesteak?” He was directed to—well, he wouldn’t identify the place—but beginning his first day, there he wound up, helping out in his off hours, cooking nightly until they closed. It’s that experience he brings to his truck now here in Ocala, though his bread and meat is from Philly. “I love it here,” Bargeron says. “And it’s only getting better.” Days at the park: Tuesday through Saturday.

MEXI-RICAN Primary cuisine: Mexican and Puerto Rican, tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

Owner Maria Elena Flores and her husband, Ramon Reyes, moved here from San Diego last August. She says they bought the food truck a couple months ago and have been a fixture at the park since. “We came to pay our [utility] bill, saw the food trucks, and here we are,” she says. “I’m excited for this. It’s a new adventure!” Days in the park: Tuesday through Saturday.

Maria Elena Flores and Ramon Reyes serving tacos at Mexi-Rican

THE SMOKED BISCUIT COMPANY Primary cuisine: Smoked brisket, pulled pork and burnt ends. Unfortunately, I was too late to try the recommended brisket biscuit (“We do that only for breakfast,” co-owner Brandon Bedard says), so instead I tried the sliced brisket sandwich, easily a half-pound of the tastiest brisket.

Brandon and co-owner/brother Corey Elkins have been in the food truck business only two months, although they’ve been in food service for 15 years. As new truck operators, they were looking for a spot to set up.

“We were lucky enough to find this opportunity,” Brandon says. “We have power here, so there’s no need for generators that make a lot of noise. That makes it nice for customers.” Days at the park: Tuesday through Saturday.

BUZZ & GRIND Primary cuisine: Hot and cold coffee beverages. Technically, Buzz & Grind isn’t a food truck—it’s more of a kiosk. The popular spot is anchored to the ground at Third and Third, where it’s been a lot longer than the trucks have.

“We don’t leave,” Proprietor Robbin Cruikshank says. “We’re trapped here—in a good way.” She and her son, Michael Mills, took over the spot in November. “He also owns Symmetry, so that’s how he fell in love with coffee, and now we’re glad to have the food trucks,” Robbin says. “We’re not out here by ourselves.” Days at the park: Wednesday through Saturday.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit ocaladowntownmartket.com or better yet, just drop by!