Vesta Flatbread

I really enjoyed the chicken sandwich and the cardamom cookie. It is not what I expected from a flatbread but was more like a pocket. The sandwich was loaded and yummy. I will be back!

As a mother, baker, Roman + Greek mythology junkie and ever in the pursuit of delicious food, the time has come to bust a move and tell you Vesta is sacred scrumptiousness.
At their Grand Lake Farmers Market Food Truck, Cadet and I each chose the pork sammich, sans red onion; I added a locavoracious farm egg. Bookman opted for the Carrot pâté sammie, sans onions; two juicy limeades and a Vesta Punch for good measure.
I did specify that I wanted my Farm Egg «Runny» — since all the Goddessmobile sammies are made to order. The first attempt resulted in an over-​easy egg with a yolk that was set, not free-​running, which I discovered upon the second bite.
I returned to the window and mentioned the state of my egg. Yes, I realize that’s a bit ‘specific’ BUT I did emphasize that I wanted my egg add-​on to be runny, so that’s fair. A $ 9.50 sammich is also not something I am willing to just write-​off, either.
To their credit, the good folks at Vesta re-​fired my order, and did explain that the egg will continue to cook once it’s plated and nestled into the hot-​off-​the-​grill filings for my sammie. Understood. My first sammich did not languish at the window — I was hovering and walked all of five feet before plunking down and taking a bite.
My first order was definitely overdone. The second was perfect. As has been every order after that!!! The citrus marinade used for the pork does have a bit of heat to it, which slowed me down a bit and made my lips tingle… But I popped an antihistamine and spent the next 24 hours with a slight case of trout-​pout. *shrug*
I really dig this sammich because of the flatbread to filling ratio; I like a sammie that is big on bidness, and the bread is just there to keep things manageable. Note that I did not say, «tidy» because you will definitely need some handi-​wipes and perhaps a fork when you delve in; these are some serious sammiches!
I even got excited about the vegetarian version, which doesn’t happen often. Do they had a second surface in the truck to avoid mingling with meat products? They’re pretty conscientious, so I wouldn’t be surprised. I didn’t think about it at the time, since I’m an omnivore and I couldn’t see from the window.
Bookman ate half of his, and pronounced it, «Good. Interesting.» Cadet and I were flabbergasted — the lone vegetarian in our midst, who eats purely for nutritional value, has the most uninformed palate among my known associates — wasn’t doing the Happy Dance for a vegetarian sammich that piqued MY interest?
Crizz-​ay-​zee.
They also offer a breadless plate that’s GF — though I would miss the chewy but light pocket of dough that holds everything together; it’s very much part of the appeal. I was able to make a dent in the generous portion — I managed ¾ of my sammich; the Cadet killed the last portion after disappearing the entirety of his own. Then he laid back on the blanket and lapsed into a food coma.
I carried the remaining half-​sammie to Casa D. and let it rest for a few hours, and devoured it for first dinner.
Food Baby, fait accompli!

Had the chicken flatbread sandwich. Tender, juicy flavorful chicken. Very nice vinegar, onion, herb sauce mixture to compliment the chicken, but watch out! It is a bit watery so halfway through the sandwich, it will start leaking.
Just mind the juice/​sauce leaking out and you are good to enjoy an awesome chicken flatbread sandwich.
P. S. the flatbread pita pocket is amazing. A bit chewy, just the way I like it.

The food truck was at the TruckStop in Soma today and we decided we need a treat for lunch on a Friday. I convinced 2 co-​workers to go along (but one made the last minute decision to eat from the Japanese food truck next to this one — Rookie mistake). I ordered the Chicken and feta sandwich. As others have stated it is not a flatbread, but a pita sandwich, and deceivingly large. The pickled zucchini was amazing and the pesto sauce also very good. I really enjoyed my sandwich (though I didn’t taste any feta — which I was looking forward to).
My co-​worker (the smart one who stuck to the plan!) got the pork sando — which I almost got, but I was having pork for dinner AND I am on Weight Watchers, so got the «healthier» chicken. She Said the pork was delish and — who am I kidding? — I’m going for it with the pork sando next time! While it was a good-​sized portion, it did indeed seem healthy and a fantastic «Weight Watcher treat» Friday sandwich — I’m going to call it 11 PointsPlus points — who knows I could be way off.
HEY Vespa Truck menu planners — have you considered doing grilled halumi cheese with tomatoes picked veg, and pesto? I bet it would be amazing!

Freakin’ fantastic. I had the carrot pâté flatbread with chicken – a deliciously fluffy pocket pita stuffed with root veggies, feta, chicken, and other random stuff. I tried to order the roasted potatoes with harissa, but they ran out right before I ordered :/
I did also try the cardamom cookie, which was okay, but not really my think (it was a rectangular sugar cookie with almonds and whole cardamom seeds).
Definitely a great healthy food truck!

Almost forgot to finish my review for this East Bay artisan flatbread sandwiches food truck.
The chef-​owners are 3 former Arizmendi bakers, who started the business selling their grilled flatbreads at farmers markets. The food truck launched in August 2011.
It’s one of the few Biodiesel powered food trucks in the Bay Area (good for the environment, yay! Liba Falafel is another one), and the first to install a custom gas fired hearth oven and a rotisserie inside their truck. So far, no other truck can claim that they bake their own bread inside the truck. It’s better than any regular pita bread u might have tasted.
To explain the mystery of the different flatbread pictures. When they grilled the flatbread, the toppings were placed on top, like a taco. Once they had a truck with a hearth oven, the flatbread would puff, so they became pocket sandwiches. They don’t stock 2 types of breads like a confused Unilocaler mentioned.
The food I tried so far has been delicious (5 stars), and healthy too. But the prices are steep (3 stars) for the amount of food u get. For example, their best seller: a spit roasted citrus pork pocket sandwich topped with a cabbage & fennel slaw and pickled red onion,
is tasty, but a bit pricey at $ 9 (was $ 8.50).

I tried the $ 9 pork shoulder flatbread. I would describe this as a «pita pocket» rather than a «flatbread» to avoid confusion.
When i saw that the portions were snack-​sized rather than lunch-​sized, I hesitated and considered hitting up another food truck. However, the rave reviews made me decide to give Vesta a chance.
It tasted fine but not as amazing as reviews led me to believe, and I was famished two hours later. Lesson learned!

When these folks handed me my citrus pork flatbread, I was expecting something very different; I have low expectations when I heard «flatbread,» since I immediately think of wraps with too many spreads on them, for whatever reason. Vesta greatly exceeded those expectations, and by that, I mean that… damn. Tasty flatbread.
The meal you get here is more of a half-​stuffed-​pita situation, but it’s more food than it appears to be. I kept eating, and the flatbread didn’t seem to be getting any smaller. This is a great optical illusion, especially when you are enjoying what you’re eating (though, thanks to science, it did disappear eventually). The flavors combined really well, a unique balance of hearty and refreshing, probably because the flatbread itself was fluffy but not soggy. I imagine that’s a tough thing to accomplish in the baking world. Props.
I’d definitely go back to this truck once in awhile, though it’s a bit pricey to justify regular visits. it’s also a bit difficult to eat the flatbread – it’s practically overstuffed (and the ratios are a little off… meat gathers on the bottom, veggies float on top) so you end up having surrender a good portion of your dignity to really enjoy yourself. But hey, maybe it’s worth it. You be the judge.

Beware: The deliciousness of this sandwich is addictive! Is there already a Vesta Twelve-​step program? I caught up with them at the Truck Stop SF today and tried the citrus pork. Best. Sandwich. Ever. And I am a bit of a jaded tough customer.

was at the farmers market in Oakland and saw a line to this truck.
Love food trucks so I went to check it out. I was in line and asked the lady next to me if the food is great. She said it’s good and recommended a sandwich. The other lady next to me, recommended the same thing.
So, I ordered their chicken sandwich and was glad I did!
The sandwich was a good portion, lots of tasty chicken and I specially loved the pickled veggies in it.
can’t wait to bring my husband to check this out!

Don’t screw with Vesta Flatbread. They know what they hell they’re doing. After trying just about the entire menu on several visits, I feel I can safely say they deserve a 5 star rating from us amateur food peons.
Carrot-​hazelnut Paté Sandwich: slays!
Chicken Sandwich: kills!
Citrus Pork Sandwich: vanquishes.
Use whatever violent metaphor you want, the quality, balance of taste, and service are all well worth the time and money.
A famous French fat man named Fernand Point (maybe you’ve heard of him) said «Success is the sum of a lot of small things correctly done.» I think Vesta gets this. Small menu, no substitutions, amazing ingredients, perfectly combined. Now, stop reading the reviews and hunt them down.
Note: they take cash and use Square

I was surprised to get a pita pocket when they said flatbread, but it was okay since the meal was so good. I got the chicken which was deliciously smokey and flavorful. The pita was bursting with meat-​all good quality. I would highly recommend, although I wish there were more veggies. The carrot was good, but the ginger was rather tough and some shredded lettuce or cabbage would be a great compliment to the dish. I will definitely be back again!
My veggie friend got the carrot pâté pita and was disappointed with the price for what he got. He would not go back again.

What I ate: Carrot hazelnut pâté flatbread
Visit date: November 19, 2011
First time? Yes.
Carrot hazelnut pâté, fresh beet salad, yogurt and feta stuffed in flatbread. YUM! The word pâté scares me, but Vesta made me unscared. The carrot hazelnut pâté was rich in flavor and surprisingly hearty. The flatbread was pretty tasty, too; as well as warm and fluffy. Beets are another thing that occasionally scare me, but again Vesta served them up nicely and they paired well with the yogurt. Yay Vesta! I’d like to try their other menu items the next time they roll around.
I also love their truck design!

Love this food truck! I’ve eaten here a few times at the Oakland Grand Lake Farmer’s Market and it’s always good. Delicious, fluffy flatbread with tasty fillings wrapped inside. The chicken is good, but you will like the pork more. Excellent balance of flavors and textures. The crunchy fennel slaw goes so well with the juicy pork and soft, warm bread.
It is a bit expensive. The drinks weren’t anything special… the ginger limeade was not very sweet at all.
It’s a bit pricey (around $ 8.50 per flatbread), so they get dinged a star. I’d eat here again!

Wholesome, organic, veggie-​packed sandwiches smashed between fresh baked flatbread? YES PLEASE. When this truck parked at 5^th and Minna in San Francisco on a Friday I made my way over to try one. I chose the carrot hazelnut pâté, fresh beet salad, yogurt, housemade feta sandwich and the ginger mint limeade and I was in heaven. The meal was filling and I felt energized after eating it. I wish this truck would leave the East Bay more often so I can get my fix.

Vesta Flatbread is one of my favorite Bay Area food stands/​trucks. I’ve had their grilled chicken flatbread twice now, and it’s fantastic. They make their own pitas and flatbreads, which are quite fluffy and fresh (though I will note that the bread was tastier the time I had it from a stand at Grand Lake FM, compared to when I had it at Eat Real from their truck). The grilled chicken is excellent as well; it tastes incredibly, well, chicken-​y, and makes me want to stop buying crappy chicken from Safeway. The harissa sauce adds a bit of heat (but not too much), and the carrots and jicama provide crunch.
Vesta would make a great work lunch… please start coming to the Downtown Oakland area? I’d make all of my coworkers come!

Vesta Flatbread just got their food truck recently, before they were just at farmer’s markets like alameda.
locale, 64^th & hollis, emeryville (⁹⁄₂₂)
menu: flatbread with either vegan (7), pork or grilled chicken (8.5), salads, limeade, turkish coffee, lemonade
sampling: grilled chicken flatbread (8.50)
–with harissa sauce, carrots, jicama, pickles. a little tasty
–pita pockets organically made
–half pocket filled mostly with carrot schredds and some tender grilled chicken. chicken not so noteworthy. carrot and pickle had crunch.
–still hungry after finishing flatbread. not an hour later like chinese food but right away.
foodnotes:
–very friendly service
–orders made to order.
–flatbread seem pricey.

The flatbread pork sandwich had cabbage and purple cabbage mix with flat-​leaf parsley. I came here today for their farmer’s market near Grand Lakes theater. The pork was warm, not hot. It was a bit on the dry side for the pulled pork. Call me spoiled since I grow up with excellent BBQ. Aside from that, the sandwich is good with their garlic aioli and homemade hot sauce. It’s light on flavor so if you like heavier food with more spice and flavor… this is not it.

Wet, cold & dirty from the rain, I popped in at the farmer’s market to seek out a vegan charity bakesale… and was sorely disappointed that nobody had labeled for allergens and an enthusiastic volunteer started preaching to me about how «vegans use legumes instead of eggs» … ugh, spare me, right?
Still in need of sustenance, I walked across the market and saw the ladies at the Vesta tent… a flatbread sandwich with some sort of hazelnut-​orange pâté and beet salad — without the feta & cheese, they assured me, it was soy-​free and vegan. They wrapped it tightly, warned me of leaking beet juice and off I went. I ate my sandwich just before going into the gym — the bread was moist & chewy but not too squishy, the pâté was amazing — with just enough chunks of hazelnut in there and a delicious orange flavor blending nicely with the tender-​crisp and perfectly dressed beet salad. I’m very impressed and will look for Vesta again!

Mythology Lesson #1:
In Roman mythology, Vesta is known as the goddess of the hearth. She was worshiped in homes all over the Roman Empire by women that prepared food by the fire. In temples, her fire was guarded by her virgin priestesses, called the Vestales, or Vestal Virgins. Another of the vestals duties was to make the mola salsa, a dough made of flour, water and salt that was spread over sacrificial animals. The vestals were often burned alive if they failed in these duties.
Luckily for the two ladies of Vesta Flatbread, burning people alive has become taboo in the last couple of centuries, the worst thing that could happen to them is that they might not get a lot of customers in one day– but that’s a very slim chance because they make the tastiest flatbread sandwiches imaginable.
They start with soft, chewy (and sometimes warm) flatbread and fill it with your choice of grilled short ribs, grilled Fulton Valley Farms chicken, organic seasonal vegetables or for breakfast you can get two fried farm eggs. With meat they’re $ 8.50 or if you want a veggie version, it’ll run you $ 7.00. Almost all of their food is sourced locally and is 95% organic.
Every time I go, I get the grilled chicken which comes with spiced carrot hazelnut pâté, savoy cabbage slaw and feta. Eating one of these sandwiches is an other-​worldly experience. Throw in a freshly made Ginger Limeade or a Cold Turkish Coffee and you have a meal worth driving miles for. I would drive miles for this sandwich, it is that good… luckily, I live just around the corner.
In fact, I would probably do anything for one of these lovely sandwiches… I might even consider having the flatbread dough spread all over my body by Vestal Virgins, but I draw the line at blood sacrifice.
It just ain’t gonna happen.