by K.C. Friese
A restaurant on wheels would seem a decidedly West Coast concept – that area having perfected the drive-thru eatery, or at least the sixty mile-per-hour drive-thru. But if the RELISH FOOD TRUCK were in California, the hill behind it would very possibly be on fire.
My wife, the lovely Princess Gwen, and I recently visited RELISH, which is open for breakfast and lunch Wed. thru Sat. Although the Princess prefers to think of lunch as a more fashionably elegant late brunch, we both were delighted to discover a wonderful assortment of south-of-the-border dishes so enticing we were tempted to order one of each – a feat once accomplished by the talented golf professional at the Rumbling Bald resort, now affectionately known as Big Gassy Greg.
The vast array of entrees included The Bagelicious (spinach/fried egg/bacon/on a bagel), The Goober (runny fried egg on a French roll) and Hair of the Dog (scrambled egg/chorizo/taters on a tortilla). There are also burgers and sandwiches, and, like I said, you want one of each. I ordered the Green Eggs and Ham – a delicate croissant (ham/spinach/egg), and was very proud of The Princess when she went old school barrio and ordered The Original Taco (egg/sausage/grilled onions) – hardly the taco with the bell on TV. The menu also includes a number of daily specials, which change – umm – daily, and all the food was prepared by a pleasant and attentive group, who I can only guess own the establishment, and must know how to back a trailer into a small parking space better than any of us.
I should warn that RELISH is, in a word, very, very, popular, both as a lunch spot and a takeout opportunity, so expect to wait in a bit of a line. Gwen and I didn’t mind, however, as the day was lovely, and while perusing the enticing menu I began to rhapsodize aloud about trying more such food trucks – the menu was great, and I was hungry. I even suggested the possibility of a road trip – A Journey of Food Truck Discovery. The Princess was immediately excited by the prospect of travel and began a phone search for appropriate five-star accommodations. Fortunately, our food was ready.
Dining was al fresco (as one might expect when ordering from an eatery with axles) which added a charming picnic flair with just the right number of unfettered children running around just like in a “real” restaurant. I myself studied the handsome moveable feast of a restaurant and was reminded of a Lucy/Desi movie called “The Long Long Trailer”. If you remember the film, you’re probably reading this column just before or after a nice nap, but my point is, it wasn’t easy for Lucy and Desi to coexist in a travel trailer, no matter how much Desi loved Lucy. And I wondered, for one thing, where do the RELISH folks keep all that food? I suspect trailer life teaches excellent storage habits. And cooking in a trailer? It must be like dancing in a rowboat; not impossible, but requiring efficiency of movement and more than a dash of cooperation. Whatever the necessary skills, the bunch at THE RELISH TRUCK have obviously mastered them, and I relaxed in the sunshine and enjoyed their success while watching The Princess wave regally to the passing motorists, much like the enchanting homecoming queen she once was.
In case you haven’t noticed, Gwen and I thoroughly enjoyed our lunch/elegant brunch at RELISH which is located at 7227 Imperial Highway, Lake Lure. Its menu and hours of operation are available at therelishfoodtruck.com, and I guarantee we will return enough times to sample every one of the offerings, even if it doesn’t help me hit a golf ball as far as Big Gassy.
When not eating, k.c. Friese wrote for a number of television shows, and authored the novel STATE OF DISARRAY, which is available via Amazon.com. Got a suggestion for a restaurant to review? Email editor@mountainbreeze.online.
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