Have Wheels, Will Travel — and Bring Food
Four food trucks to put on your radar
Girls From Brazil
If the bright yellow truck painted with vibrant flora and fauna doesn’t catch your attention, the savory and sweet scents wafting from it definitely will. Lais Trombetta and Alessandra Tuasco have been cooking since they were young girls living in Brazil. Yet, it wasn’t until January 2024 that they took their skills from their own kitchens to the streets of Tallahassee.
“What inspired us to start a food truck was the lack of options for Brazilians in Tallahassee to find homemade foods and also our love for our culture and tradition,” says Trombetta.
Trombetta learned to cook from her Aunt Marisa, who had a catering business back in Brazil. She took guidance from her aunt, starting both a catering company and mobile food company that specializes in authenticity, creativity, and integrity.
Lines wrap around the block for savory, hearty options that include feijoada (a Brazilian pork and bean stew with rice, yuca flour, vinaigrette, and an orange slice) and Brazilian chicken strognoff. Fun and flavorful snacks include coxinha (Brazilian chicken croquetes), espetinho de queijo coalho (grilled cheese on a stick), and cachorro quente (a Brazilian-style hot dog). There’s plenty to satisfy the sweet tooth with a vast selection of Brazilian desserts.
Find Girls from Brazil: The parking lot of Zone 7 Smoke Shop, at local breweries, and special events in Tallahassee and Northwest Florida. Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 5–8 p.m. girlsfrombr.com
Photo courtesy MAAD GOAT
MAAD GOAT
Austin Davis, the owner of MAAD Goat food truck, admits that his current culinary endeavor began modestly,
as a pizza-making experiment during the pandemic. His test subjects were his family and friends, who helped him tweak recipes and then encouraged him to start selling his creations.
In March 2022, he began selling his pizzas from a tent at farmers markets and craft festivals, eventually earning the money to purchase a food truck.
When speaking about the menu, Davis says, “Some items are the product of random thoughts, while others are just what people seem to enjoy. I try to pay attention to online murmurs and discussions when coming up with menu items. Sometimes I just look up recipes and adjust as much as needed.”
Davis claims his best pizzas are the Screamin’ Goat and the Margi Goat. The Screamin’ Goat is topped with cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeño, and bacon; the Margi Goat is a variation of a margherita pizza with ricotta and balsamic reduction.
“Am I striving to ruin other pizza for people?” Davis asks. “Maybe. At the very least, I want people to eat good food that makes [them] happy. Maybe people will try something they haven’t tried, and that’s the most I can ask for.”
Find MAAD Goat: Facebook, @maadgoat; Instagram, @maadgoat; and the truck’s online calendar: maadgoat.com
Photo by Dave Barfield
Pineappétit
If you can’t be in the Caribbean, the next best thing is a taste of it. Sam Burgess of Pineappétit has been cooking since the age of 8. When he started his catering and private chef company, he knew he wanted to have a food truck one day. He’s known around town as the man who serves up Caribbean-inspired dishes in pineapple bowls, always with a smile on the side.
Burgess takes traditional Caribbean concepts and puts his own spin on them, with oxtail nachos and the salmon and shrimp pineapple bowl being two of his most popular menu items. While the iconic pineapple bowls are not only tasty but photo-worthy, other options include gourmet wings, Caribbean patties, and “rasta pasta.”
Burgess and his food truck have garnered much success over the years. Pineappétit was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in April, and his cookbook, titled Legendary Classics Remixed for the Masses, was released in 2021.
“I hope customers get a paradise experience in the palm of their hands,” says Burgess, “giving [them] a positive reason to not only come back but bring a friend or two to join them.”
Find Pineappétit: Follow along on social media, @Pineappetit, for the food truck’s weekly schedule, or visit its stationary location at 626-2A in Railroad Square. The food truck can also be booked for corporate and special events. pineappetit.com
Photo courtesy of Kebabas
Kebabas Grill
Feeling burnt out on the family gas station business, Seff Nabulsi decided to venture out on his own, purchasing a trailer in which to cook and sell the food he grew up eating in Beirut, Lebanon.
Influenced by his father, who was always cooking to connect people, Nabulsi decided to name the business Kebabas because “baba” means “father” in Arabic, and the specialty cuisine served is shish kebabs—a food tied to fond memories for Nabulsi.
“Shish kebabs became a symbol of unity, enjoyment of life, and family,” says Nabulsi. “Our menu is influenced by our family and the foods we shared together in Lebanon and in America.”
Customers come again and again for the steak or mixed kebab meals, which include two perfectly cooked meat skewers and a choice of one of four sides, grilled vegetables, warmed pita bread, and homemade tzatziki sauce. The kafta beef (which is ground and seasoned with several Mediterranean spices, parsley, fresh onion, and tomato) is also popular and hard to find elsewhere in Tallahassee.
