Chow on gourmet grub in the park

Just think of it as a gigantic gourmet food court on wheels.

This weekend, 50 of L.A.’s best-known catering trucks will set up shop for a Food Truck Chow Down. Mobile eateries in attendance will include The Grilled Cheese Truck, Ludo Truck, Nom Nom Truck, Lobsta Truck and more, providing flavors from more than 25 different countries.

The event takes place this Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Los Angeles State Historic Park. Admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the event. Food from the trucks comes at an additional price. In addition to the trucks, there will be live music, carnival games, art exhibits, an antique car show and an electronic gaming trailer. Organizers are expecting about 10,000 mobile dining aficionados to attend.

The inaugural event also includes a “Mobile Food Business Symposium.” Speakers include truck owners and suppliers, who will teach potential enterpreneurs how to set up their own mobile food business. Additionally, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, who has appeared on such shows as Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America, will be in attendance from 11 a.m. to noon.

With gourmet food trucks increasing in popularity nationwide, Los Angeles is coming to be known as something of a food truck capital, with a fleet of around 7,000 now patrolling the greater metropolitan area.

If you go, you may notice that some of the trucks are starting to resemble brick-and-mortar restaurants in one important way.

Since January, Los Angeles County’s popular letter-grading system for restaurants has been in effect for food trucks as well, giving diners a visual signal of how their favorite mobile eatery fared in its public health inspection.

A portion of the proceeds from the Food Truck Chow Down goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the largest private funder of blood cancer research.

Los Angeles State Historic Park is located at 1245 North Spring Street near Chinatown. Avoid traffic, parking and pollution by planning your trip with Metro. Bon appétit!

Posted 6/8/11