From Street To Table

Stroll the streets of Athens, and you can't resist tasting the baklava. In Naples, it's imperative to stop for a slice of fresh-from-the-oven pizza, which tastes best folded. And you can't leave Mexico City without munching corn-husk-wrapped tamales stuffed with pork, chicken or cheese.

These are all examples of street food - inexpensive, portable, authentic eats that are typically prepared right in front of you. Although the cuisine has been around for centuries, it's one of the hottest culinary trends of 2018, according to the National Restaurant Association. More than 2 billion people consume it every day, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization.

"In many cultures, street food is a necessity for people who are displaced from their homes," says Lisabet Summa, a South Florida chef who co-owns Rocco's Tacos, Louie Bossi's, Big City Tavern, Grease Burger Bar and City Oyster - all part of Big Time Restaurant Group. "Historically, what happened with the proliferation of street foods - whether it's in Vietnam or Mexico or anywhere else - is that it created such a genre of great dishes. One reason is because they are so highly specialized. You have one person, it's their livelihood, and they can't do an entire menu, so they're going to specialize in one item. It created a genre of good foods known for being hearty, fast, economic and delicious."

In America, the most common street food vendors used to be hot dog and lemonade stands, according to Chef Summa, who grew up in Chicago.

"I didn't have all the diversity of food growing up that you see now," she says. "But I was a street food vendor at the age of 5. I had a lemonade stand that was bar none."

Her mother, an artist, made a sign for her stand. Chef Summa carried it - along with a card table, a chair and a tackle box for cash - to set up her lemonade stand at a busy intersection with a bus stop. That was her first entrepreneurial experience.

"I made something people wanted," she recalls. "It was delicious, affordable and they could take it with them."

Among the U.S. cities known for street food is New York, and Chef Summa is a big fan of the Big Apple.

"There's one certain cart where I like to get chicken," she says. "There's chicken on every corner, but I like this guy's chicken the best. I know where to go to find a taco truck that I like, too."

She says that - while people may no longer have to eat on the streets and are not packed in dense cities, miles from home and without kitchens - they want to eat street foods because they're so tasty.

"Something I see in this trend," Chef Summa explains, "is that it is not just along urban streets but congregating more in an organized market, like Grandview Public Market in West Palm Beach. That way, an environment has been created where you get 20 different food stalls and vendors in one area. People can go and get their empanadas in one corner, walk around and get their fresh-roasted coffee, then wind up getting their favorite ice cream in another area."

Vendors there are highly specialized, and the diversity makes it fun and freewheeling. Walking around, diners can socialize and experiment, and they aren't stuck in one restaurant.

"It's very communal, and it's very interactive with the people who are making the food," Chef Summa says. "I think it's that exchange that is so fun for people when they go out to eat. It could be so much more than just eating the food. It could be about entertainment for the evening and having fun with a group of people walking around and then meeting people who are making your food and then giving it to you."

Other good places to find street food locally are food truck gatherings; green markets; and restaurants, some with walk-up windows - like the 24-hour one at Havana Restaurant, which specializes in Cuban fare in West Palm Beach.

Thomas Op't Holt, the executive chef at Delray Beach's 50 Ocean, is a Havana devotee.

"I stop there a lot after work - probably more than I should," says Chef Holt, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens. "On my way home, I'll stop at Harry's Banana Farm [bar] for a drink real quick and then head over to Havana to get empanadas."

Chef John Noble Masi, a consultant and a culinary instructor at Florida International University, is a fan of Havana, too, and agrees that good street food can be enjoyed there 'round the clock. Another South Florida walk-up window famous for its street food is Pepito's Plaza, a filling station in Doral specializing in Venezuelan comfort food, he says. Yelp reviewers love the place, with one proclaiming that Pepito's serves the "best arepas in Miami by far."

So what's fueling the street food trend to such heights of popularity today? The proliferation of food trucks is one of the trend's drivers, Chef Masi believes: "Five or six years ago, people started to transition out of their current jobs because of the economy to start these food trucks, which have become all the rage. The ones that have survived have done very well."

Another factor is millennials' desire for food portability and convenience, he says.

Chef Summa adds: "Millennials especially are interested in the concept of something being handmade. When somebody's making something for you to eat - and you're watching it being made - you have the immediate gratification from maker to consumer. That's very intriguing for people, and it matters to people where their food comes from."

Chef Jessie Steele of Death or Glory Bar in Delray Beach says part of the appeal to millennials is that they don't necessarily want to sit down to a traditional dinner at a full-service restaurant. When enjoying street food from food trucks or markets, they don't need a waiter - and don't need to tip.

"A lot of people are drawn to that," he says. "You can just choose what you want, and you can take it with you. You can be on the move."

But, as much as food trucks and millennials feed the street food craze, so does culinary programming like the Food Network and Food TV, Steele maintains.

"Look at all the shows you watch, like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. All they're basically doing is going around and eating street food for the entire episode. People see that and want to go do that, too. I think that TV gives street food a big presence."

Street food does make its way into restaurants, Chef Summa says: "There's a back and forth of the street food trend and the popularity of certain dishes that young people, young chefs want to reproduce."

Chefs are integrating street foods into their menus more and more. Both Chef Summa at Rocco's Tacos and Chef Holt at 50 Ocean offer guests elotes, or Mexican street corn, served on a stick and slathered in mayonnaise and cotija cheese. Chef Steele puts his own spin on the dish at Death or Glory Bar.

"We serve a Mexican street corn salad," he says. "I shave the corn off the cob for the salad. I kind of take that street food idea and give it a twist."

Authentic Eats

Five Street Food Dishes To Try Locally

Bánh Mì, Basilic Vietnamese Grill, Boca Raton

This delicious sandwich begins with a French baguette. But what's inside is classic Vietnamese: fresh vegetables; cilantro; hot peppers; a sweet fish sauce; and a choice of grilled meat, including beef, chicken and pork. Try it with a side of crispy shrimp chips.

Elotes, Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar, Five area locations

One of the most popular street foods - elotes, or Mexican street corn - is made on a stick so it can be enjoyed on the go. Cobs are grilled, slathered in chipotle mayonnaise, cotija cheese, Rocco's spice and cilantro. The resulting dish is a-maize-ing!

Burgers, Burgerim, Boca Raton

These 3-ounce gourmet patties are bigger than sliders; smaller than traditional burgers; and customized with a variety of buns, sauces, toppings and meats. The Veggie (not pictured)is a fried house-made patty of lentils, tofu, carrots, grilled onions, spices and egg.

Tostones, Havana Restaurant, West Palm Beach

Havana's tostones, or Cuban fried green plantains, are a hit both inside the eatery and at its 24-hour walk-up window. They're deep fried until golden and transferred to a paper towel to dry. Served with garlic dipping sauce, these snacks are hard to resist.

Rolled Ice Cream, Crema, Grandview Public Market, West Palm Beach

Rolled ice cream, or stir-fried ice cream, is an international sensation. It's made by pouring a liquid base onto a frozen pan; the solidifying cream is then chopped, mixed, spread and rolled. Crema's Raven Claw flavor (pictured here) includes chocolate ice cream, cookies and a caramel drizzle.