Friendly, enjoyable meals vans of Mercer Island/ Meanderings by Mindy Stern

Friendly, enjoyable meals vans of Mercer Island/ Meanderings by Mindy Stern

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, September 9, 2026

On an overcast August morning, the Mercer Island Sunday Farmers Market was hopping with households pushing strollers, grandparents, teenagers and {couples}. They purchased cherries, corn, pastries and ice cream, principally from distributors shaded by tents. Food vans lined either side of 77th Avenue Southeast. A protracted line of individuals stretched approach, well beyond the market’s boundary. What had been they doing? Mike’s Shave Ice meals truck is so in style, individuals waited 40 minutes to be served.

I beelined previous them to Wise Guy Italian Food Truck. Two weeks earlier, I’d found their meatball hero. A quote from the memoir, “I Regret Almost Everything,” by legendary restaurateur Keith McNally captured my emotions. “Where food is concerned, the past is a 4-star country.” Three beef meatballs on a crusty baguette coated in marinara sauce and topped with melted provolone and mozzarella transported me to my Brooklyn childhood. Yum.

Wise Guy Brandon Salmeri grew up on Staten Island, New York, and couldn’t discover a good sausage, peppers and onions (SPO) hero when he moved to the Pacific Northwest, so he created one. He’s operated meals vans for 16 years and has 5 completely different ones that includes panini, quesadillas, salmon, barbecue and Wise Guy, whose solely two menu objects are the meatball sub and an SPO stuffed right into a hollowed-out baguette.

We mentioned the enterprise finish of meals vans. “On a good day,” he stated, “Wise Guy fills 300 orders.” He purchased his panini truck from a faculty district’s hearth division for $10,000 and constructed out his kitchen for $20,000. “To hire someone else to do it, you’d easily pay $60,000, but you can make that back in a year.”

Nico and Yeni Morales are the husband and spouse behind Las Bugambilias, a Mexican-fusion truck within the Chevron fuel station in Mercer Island’s Town Center. People come from each the east and west sides for his or her generously portioned burritos and tacos crammed with succulent camarones (shrimp), melt-in-your-mouth arrachera (skirt steak) butter-soft lengua (tongue) and their latest providing: fish and chips. Every chew tastes of Jalisco and Hidalgo kitchens. “We make it with love,” they stated, smiling. They work Monday to Friday on Mercer Island, and are booked stable doing occasions on Saturdays via November.

Just a few blocks away, the Shell fuel station on the nook of 78th Avenue Southeast and Southeast twenty eighth Steet is residence to Ali’s Foodies, an Indian and Pakistani meals truck with Zabiha Halal certification. Majid Ali, the proprietor and single operator of the truck, is in his first summer season on Mercer Island. The Peshawar native got here to the US 13 years in the past and was impressed by household recipes to create distinctive dishes like his Zinger burger, a crisp hen burger (no beef is served right here) with simply the correct amount of spice on a delicate bun. Open from 11 a.m. to eight:30 p.m., he enjoys being his personal boss. “Serving people good food makes me happy,” he stated, including that Zabiha Halal follows strict pointers, making it spiritually lawful for Muslims to eat. Ali aspires to someday franchise his recipes. His arduous work is paying off — patrons come from all around the area for his distinctive meals.

I had yet one more truck to go to, however Baitong on Wheels, behind the north finish QFC was closed. Next door, Mercer Islander Mia Vorkoper, a rising faculty junior, labored the counter at Hub Boba. “Come back for Baitong’s crispy chicken and Pad Thai,” she prompt, whereas getting ready the store’s “Limited Offer” Dubai Chocolate and Whipped Cream: mini pancakes with pistachio cream, Kadaifa threads (angel hair pastry) whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Some brick-and-mortar eating places resent meals vans. A brewery proprietor informed me, “They have much lower overhead, furniture, fixture and equipment costs, payrolls, and don’t pay commercial rent.” With apologies to Dr Suess, he added, “I do not like them with a float. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere.” But the general public can’t get sufficient of them. Food vans are a part of a rising pattern that’s right here to remain.

Mercer Island has lunch and dinner meals truck choices on daily basis of the week. Which one will develop into your favourite?

Meanderings is an award-winning journey column by Mercer Island resident, Mindy Stern. For extra essays, or to remark, go to her web site www.mindysternauthor.com