Here, the markets are meant to showcase a neighborhood (previously ones this year were in East Passyunk, University City, and Mount Airy) bringing together people who might not ordinarily mingle.
The focus is on food (with some arts and crafts and bands) because food is what brings people together the world over, says April White of the Food Trust.
Folks crowded 10th Street, which was closed to traffic, to browse before ordering from the array of trendy food trucks, many of them new businesses, that lined the street selling good eats priced at $5 or less.
Vernalicious, a vendor usually parked on the Temple University campus, offered German sausage and chicken bahn mi; GiGi & Big R served up Low Country soul food, and Hardena Resto made spicy collards stewed in coconut milk.
Still, there were plenty of Chinese offerings. The Chinatown Cafe, whose home base is in Langhorne, sold Beijing noodles, and Hong Kong Bakery of Chinatown made sweet buns and curry fishballs.
For those in the mood for a basic egg roll or wonton soup, almost all the restaurants were open for business as usual.
Yummy Yummy, which has a store on 10th Street, set up shop outside with its (yummy) Chinese egg waffles, bite-size, crispy, round cakes of sugar, flour, evaporated milk, and eggs, of course. The aroma alone was intoxicating.
These trucks have to pass muster with the Food Trust staff (not to mention the Department of Public Health) before gaining one of the 40 coveted spots at a night market.
Foo Truck made its debut selling Asian-inspired wraps filled with flank steak or honey-glazed pork. Owner George Pan, an area native, has traveled and cooked widely in South Asia.
