Any fan of Mexican food should be eating in Modesto, a one-of-a-kind haven for food trucks in California’s Central Valley.
On a recent visit, I was astounded by the density of loncheras that dot the busy roads. Some were parked in front of auto repair shops, a few next to liquor stores and one by a tax office — in case you need to amortize tacos. But the most novel places I found were food truck parks, locally known as “grub hubs”: enclosed lots with multiple mobile restaurants, fully furnished with seating and parking. I watched a family of four debate the options as if it were the heyday of mall food courts. The youngest boy wanted churros. His older sister sought tamales, while the father, like me, came for the express purpose of tortas ahogadas — the magnificently messy drowned sandwich from Jalisco.
Trucks no longer dominate the Bay Area food scene, but they’re reaching newfound heights in Modesto…