AZ Canteen – Food Truck

This was my favorite savory food truck when it existed. He cracks a runny egg on the pork and uses the meats which befit the AZ name. Too bad they left town

So I’m at the Miramar GTE last night and having the normal food truck roundup experience where I wander down the alley and get to choose from either a burger, hot dog, taco, cupcake, burger, pizza, pulled pork, taco, or burger ad museum. But then I see the AZ Canteen. Granted, they do have a burger but its goat! And they also have oyster and crab gumbo, griddled veal tongue and crispy pork belly with green papaya and a fried egg! (which is what I had and loved!) I’m so excited to finally have something different from the usual fare and truly gourmet. You gotta try their stuff!

Knowing this is Andrew Z’s mean machine I expected to give it five stars but I can’t and it pains me but I just can’t. The servers were nothing if not nice; but their prep time was a little too long and that cost a point (I’m not talking usual Miami-​ass impatience here; I’m talking about taking a 15 minute stroll through Bayfront Park then returning and still waiting an additional 20 minutes). And when I finally got one of their signature items; the pork belly with the egg — I just wasn’t all too wowed — in the end it was just fatty bacon on top of green papaya with an egg — maybe I’m just too keen on thinking since it was a Zimmern-​mobile it shoulda had a bug or two in it — but it was just OK not mouth watering orgasmic life changing — which is not to say I don’t believe he’s not capable of such cuisine so when the AZC Truck rolls around again — I’ll be in line — just don’t make me wait too long.. .

So the wife invited me to young circle on food truck night, i was excited honestly to just have a BoBa drink but i was looking for something in the protein section of my food selection process, maybe some ribs, tacos but as the walked thru the vast selection of food that could kill u but taste so good i see something called AZ Canteen, i figured it was Mr. Zimmerman ‘s by the corny episodes on the truck flat screen. But lets get to the real reason. I ordered a porkbelly dish and i gotta say you’re boy is hooked. Tender Fried pork belly on a bed of spicy green Papaya finished with spices and one beautiful fried egg… lord have mercy sounds crazy but the group of textures will rock your socks… im guaranteeing… try it and tell me about it. #Fatboyfoodieagreed #fatheroffeedback

After hearing about Andrew Zimmern’s (the Travel Channel Bizarre Foods) epic rant against Unilocal in his podcast, I decided to check out AZ Canteen, his new Food Truck that was at the Art Basel Biergarten in Wynwood. As a member of the Unilocal Community being stereotyped by Andrew as a «moron» and being told to «find something else to do» and by Molly Mogren (his Podcast sidekick) from the «weird little pool of people», I finally found his food truck. So after studying the menu and asking some questions as a Flat Screen TV played on the Food Truck with Andrew Zimmern’s promo video, I ordered up the Jamaica Hibiscus Punch on Ice and the Cabrito Butter Burger with Roasted Tomatoes, Charred Onions and Pickles. Well, I really wanted to hate that juicy, perfectly cooked Cabrito Butter Burger but after one bite, I could not. It was like nothing I’ve ever tasted before and since it’s «goat burger», it was. The Hibiscus Punch was also something I had never tasted, very sour (the way I like it) and the deepest red color liquid that has ever entered my body.
The AZ Canteen Food Truck was run by Rich and Mateo. They were friendly and provided detailed information and recommendations about each dish. It appears that this Celebrity TV Chef cares about his brand in his new venture into the Food Truck Scene.
As consumers these days, thanks to the Social Media Review sites, we no longer have to rely on the restaurant critics to tell us where to eat. As we navigate through the myriad of of sources and testimonials which includes old school Newspaper Reviews, TV Shows, Podcasts, Social Media Sites — we now see Celebrity Chefs with Food Trucks with Flat Screen TVs. That said, the food I tasted at Andrew Zimmern’s AZ Canteen was very good but it would have been so much of a better eating experience knowing that as his customers, we were appreciated and not stereotyped for our commitment to Real People, Real Reviews.
The AZ Canteen Food Truck has been in the South Florida for the last several months. Its next stop is Food Trucks at Arts Park in Hollywood, Florida on Monday Nights.