The Abasotas van will participate for the first time in the Leon gastronomic event.
The street food festival kicks off in ** Léon ** eat and street . From today until Sunday, October 7, the San Francisco park will host the eighth edition of this biannual event that brings together in this central enclave of the city the most modern, alternative and delicious food trucks in the country.
An event that will be seasoned with open-air concerts, DJ sessions, dance and cooking exhibitions and workshops aimed at both children and adolescents.
"The people of Leon pleasantly participate in this gastronomic alternative in which they can taste dishes from different parts of the world and that, perhaps, away from the tapas we are used to the rest of the year", comments Cristina Olea, promoter together with Beatriz Fernández and Jose Gago of this initiative in which "we all do a bit of everything, from the selection of food trucks to hiring bands or graphic design".
Jose tells that it was in 2015 when they discovered by chance on social networks this new format of street food on four wheels and decided that the best way to fit it in the city would be in the San Juan festivities held at the end of June.
After the success they added the dates corresponding to San Froilán, a very popular holiday in the city. "I think that after Barcelona and Madrid, León was the third city to jump on the food truck trend," explains the co-founder.
How many types of vermouth fit in a food truck? Find out in Eat and Street.
There were ten food trucks that participated in the first edition of Come y Calle, which this time will feature a total of 18 vans stationed on the San Francisco lawn ready to satisfy the appetite of the (gastro) visitors (more than 50,000 in the previous summer appointment).
"The event always exceeds our expectations", points out Cristina, who also reminds us that the choice of this park responds to practical issues.
"It is located in a privileged situation, it is easily accessible, it is included in an area with the potential to stimulate local commercial and hospitality activity, it has green areas for recreation and rest, which fit in with the careful aesthetics and the 'urban oasis' effect characteristic of this type of initiative".
However, first of all, the location has a lot to do with other types of reasons that are much more social, cultural and sentimental, since it is "a representative point of the city".
The San Francisco de León park is a perfect urban oasis for recreation and relaxation.
DISHES
Beatriz lists the wide variety of dishes that we can find from today in the Come y Calle vans: "from meat options such as gourmet burgers, hot dogs, cachopos and smoked meat, to Mexican and Italian dishes, bagels, sandwiches, crepes, croquettes, pizza... We will also have sweet options (American pastries, cakes, crepes, waffles and milkshakes) and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free".
And although "the hamburger is the queen of the party", in the words of Beatriz, this member also clarifies that in each edition they try to select food trucks with the street food dishes that are in fashion at that time (such as meatballs, waffles, Hawaiian poké...) .
"We always try to make a selection as varied as possible and bring gastronomic proposals closer to the city that may not be so common in local restaurants," says Beatriz.
American pastries will fill the Come y Calle de León gastronomic event with color.
For her part, Cristina tells us about how the only requirements to participate in Come y Calle are simply offer a good product, and that this is accompanied by a careful and beautiful aesthetic.
"We intend to bring visitors as much variety as possible, always having options for vegans, vegetarians and celiacs. It is really difficult to make this selection, since there are numerous food trucks that meet these requirements," she clarifies.
One of them will be Abasotas, which –although it is not new to festivals as it has 'parked', among other places, at the BBK Live in Bilbao, the Santander Music Festival or the Big Fest in Biarritz – will attend for the first time to the Leonese appointment with his sourdough loaf sandwiches handcrafted by your baker. Savory recipes that are complemented with desserts such as homemade brownies or cheesecakes.
Noah's Ark will offer Asturian-Leonese skewers and desserts, Peaky Truck will surprise with its gourmet hotdogs, La Tostoneta will satisfy vegan appetites with its organic toasts, Croquetruck will sell its gluten-free croquettes, Mr. Rick will add an exotic touch with his Colombian empanadas and El Chibiski del Chilito with its Mexican tacos... And so on until completing the 18 street food proposals of Come y Calle, among which the brutal hamburgers of The CarniVan Foodtruck stand out.
Vegan sourdough loaf sandwich from the Abasotas food truck.
PARALLEL ACTIVITIES
Around the food trucks a whole world of activities is generated: concerts, children's and youth workshops, dance exhibitions, magic, showcookings...
The smallest of the house will learn to make kites, articulated cardboard sculptures and candles, they will paint soap bubbles, they will get mud stained and they will learn to set up their own food truck; also everything related to pop art comics and even managing their own emotions thanks to the emotional intelligence workshop The Jedis of Emotions.
"In this edition we have concerts every day during the vermouth session and, at night, with local groups such as Esta noche no and Cosmética and other foreign groups, such as La Bien Querida, Floridablanca and Los Reyes Magos, Mad Martin Trio, Los Mecánicos and Nebraska. There is also a market with vintage products and local designers where you can find authentic jewels," adds Beatriz Fernández.
Come y Calle has nightly concerts and also at vermouth time.
Although Cristina Olea assures that they feel "more comfortable playing at home", they do not rule out cloning the idea in other cities as they did in their day in Galicia. Perhaps a Christmas event? Or just a daytime one?
Future ideas that are still up in the air, but that we are sure will be as popular as the original festival, which has become one of the most anticipated proposals at the León festivities edition after edition. It is impossible for something to go wrong with a name so short, sonorous, original and representative of the street food movement.
Try Mr. Rick's Colombian empanadas in León.
Address: Plaza Jardin de San Francisco, 1 See map
Schedule: From 12:00 to 01:00.