Mabel on the Move

Decided to give this food truck a try because it’s adorable. And I’m kind of shallow like that. It’s a tiny Airstream trailer hooked to the back of a van. The vintage, shiny, adorable trailer is white on the inside with red polka dots. As soon as I saw the polka dots I knew I’d made the right lunch decision.
I tried the chili cheese dog ($ 4) and the hamburger ($ 5). Overall I was happy with the food. The chili cheese dog was a heaping mess of goodness, but the paper it’s wrapped in doesn’t really do the job of holding that wonderful, tasty mess together. (Maybe aluminum foil would be a better choice? Jus’ sayin’.) The hamburger was alright, not amazing, but decent. Not very greasy (yay!) and served on a pretzel bun. Which MADE MY DAY. Plus they have lengthwise cut pickles. Score. My tummy is happy.
Bonus: They take Visa and Mastercard.

Had the buffalo mac and cheese at the First Friday Food Truck event and I gotta say I’m in love with Mabel. I wish she came out more as I haven’t seen her much since then and I’m jonesin for some mac and cheese. Please Mabel, move on over by me!

Good prices and «Mabel» is super friendly. The tomato caprese soup has fresh basil leaves and balls of fresh mozzarella. It has the consistency of pulpy orange juice. One of the best soups I’ve ever had. To get it out of an AirStream trailer is pretty surreal.
The buffalo mac and cheese has shredded chicken and blue cheese crumbles. Sooooo tasty.
The hot dogs are all beef and all organic. This was the one thing I didn’t care for. To be fair though, I had given up carbs (what an idiot) and had it without a bun and with only a smidge of ketchup. However, hubby finished it with the bun and stone ground mustard and proclaimed it fabulous.
I’ve always been too full to try one of her desserts. Next time!!!

Organic NY style hot dog with spicy brown mustard was pretty good. Was it worth this wait? You be the judge.
My first visit was this past weekend at Taste of the Trucks at the park at 61^st and Broadway. I stood in line for 40 mins in the direct, blazing hot sun, sweat rolling down my back and pooling at the waistband of my under-​roos. The loud group of 50 year old pretentious assholes behind me stayed so close to me I felt like a shark with one of those cleaner fish attached to my side. Every move I made, even transferring weight from one foot to then next, prompted a scuttle closer to me. Then there was 5. I ended up in their circle of conversation only with my back to the group. The little girl in front of me decided my toes and half my legs needed a mixture of street sand/​gravel tossed on them. Yet, I continued to stand there. The closer I got to the front of the line the more «Mabel» came out to wipe things off the chalkboard. *Swipe* there goes the ice tea. *Swoosh* no more cobbler for you, sucka! I had resigned myself to one hot dog and anything to drink as long as it was cold and wet. Once I finally made it to the glorious front of the line I wanted to kiss the Airstream. My order was placed with the friendly gentleman at the window just as «Mabel» came out again to inform the line she only had 10 hot dogs left. As that NY dog was placed in my jittery, sweaty palms I wanted to hoist it aloft and scream out, «Victory is mine!» Instead I covered it in mustard and found a shady spot to inhale it. I will come back for sure, but there are stipulations. No 40 min line, no small child wielding gasoline infused street sand/​gravel, and no group of snotty, old parasites.

Food Tried:
— Organic Turkey-​made Chicago Style Hot Dog ($ 4)
— Lemon Raspberry Tart ($ 3)
I remember when Mabel was just the new kid on the block, a few months ago. She gained a lot of street cred: the whole silver airstream look is really in right now. Then again, when has it ever not been in? And when has it ever been unfashionable to offer great, healthy, organic foods to the people of Indianapolis? Never, I say! Two fashionable things make a fashionable business, and certainly a fashionable meal. Colorful too.
Mabel provides a unique assortment of foods. Perusing her twitter, you find things like roasted red pepper mac n’ cheese, arugula, asparagus and white bean salad, and lemon ricotta cookies. Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure to try any of these things, but I did allow my palate and stomach and body to enjoy the flavors and nutrients of the Chicago Dog and a little Lemon Raspberry tart. FULL FLAVORED, certainly, and HOMEY. They are foods made the way my mom makes them: not to fancy, lots of different ingredients but nothing wild, and really midwesterny good. To pair my Chicago Dog at least, I’d go with the Sun King Brewing Popcorn Pilsner or 1887. Something very fitting for a day at the ballpark. What can I say-​I always eat dogs at Sox games in Chicago. It’s an association for me.
I was more than happy with the price of my dog, because you pay $ 6 for its equivalent in Chicago, and it was made right: pickles, pepper, salt, mustard, relish… the works, but no ketchup. My tart, at $ 3.50, was a bit more than I would have preferred to pay, but it was quite delicious. I have no idea what the intake costs are for food trucks like Mabel, so I feel bad saying things are too expensive, if that implies that the company should not make a profit. Anyway, I paid, and I’m sure others will too, so the market is clearly allowing $ 3.50 tarts. Keep using that opportunity, Mabel!
A suggestion or two, for the sake of always striving to improve satisfaction:
1. Wee to-​go boxes for things, when people have to dine and dash. I commend you for having all recyclable products for your food, so maybe a little cardboard box that closes up completely. I was terrified some fly would decide my tart was tasty before I got back to work and could enjoy it! At $ 3.50 a tart, it should be protected from wayward flies who love fresh raspberries as much as I do!
2. I am not sure if the variety of chips and other goodies stationed around the order-​placing area are local goodies, but I would hope that they are. And super healthy too. I just wasn’t sure, not recognizing them, if I wanted to take my amazing hand-​made meal, and add chips from Timbuktu to the mix… Can you clarify? Otherwise, I was really quite pleased with my meal and experience.

Her name can’t really be Mabel can it? Maybe it’s the name of the airstream? It just can’t be her name can it?
And, has anyone ever been to the Heinz museum in Pittsburgh? There’s an exhibit that shows a kitchen «the way it used to be» when Heinz Ketchup first reared its pasty head back in 40s or 50s… and I took a peak inside the airstream and it’s got some serious style. From the outside it has some serious style, too. Maybe that’s why I felt the bar was raised for substance? I think so…
Can you tell I’m waffling?
I’m not sure if I gave this place a fair shake or not. At Sun King’s A Few Hops More tapping… they parked and served. On the menu: salad, hot dog and cookies… anything else? I think there might have been one other thing but it wasn’t handheld enough for my «beer in the left, food in the right,» situation. So dog it was. I overheard Mabel say, «we just have to support local — from food to business owners.» Good deal Mabel. And so local, grass fed hot dog it is. It was mighty delicious.
But maybe my food truck standards are too high? With the bacon truck in LA… with the crazy foods Duos is slanging… etc. I just always expect something totally off the wall to come out of a food truck. So instead of a hot dog… how about a pineapple truffle dog? An apple bacon dog? Hmmm… a dog from a truck is good & all… but… droppin’ a five spot on a dog is a little too much for this cat.
Having said all that… thanks for being another food truck woven into the tapestry of it all! I totally look forward to see what kind of moves you’ll put on Indy Ms. Mabel!

LOVE, love, love! Combine vintage with pretty much anything, and it’s got a good chance of winning my heart. Make that ‘anything’ some awesome eats, and yes, indeed, we have found love! Had the BBQ chicken mac & cheese and a salad and both were divine! They also had fresh brewed iced tea, which is always another way to win my eternal devotion. They are friendly, they accept credit cards, the food is awesome. ‘Nuff said? Only drawback? Want Mabel moving it on it more often!