The Taste of Eastern Europe

The real kufte and the real lutenitza! I hope they post locations more frequently on facebook as I can’t find them in downtown sometimes! Nazdrave!

Why do these guys get no love? I’m constantly dismayed when I queue up to the food truck options parked out in front of 20 Mass, and I see these guys get passed up. I think I know what it is. When people think of Eastern Europe, generally they don’t think YUM! They think bleak winters and commie oppression, I get it; but when you’re faced with bleak grey skies and brutalist architecture what do you have to fall back on? That’s right, food! I’ve lived and traveled extensively across the FSB (Former Soviet Block), and have been pleasantly surprised at how awesome the food is.
Alright, «Taste of Eastern Europe,» that’s a huge swath of land, I was curious WHERE exactly these guys are from. Turns out my suspicions were confirmed when they said they were from Bulgaria. The shopska salata was a dead giveaway. Bulgarians LOVE salad, just trust me on this. Whenever you go to a Bulgarian restaurant they’ll be at least a page just devoted to salad options. (Of course it’s a bit misleading because one salad may differ from another by just one ingredient.)
So, what did I have? I ordered the kufte platter with bean and shopska salata as my sides. My suspicion is that the bean salad is fasoul jahnia mixed with lyutenitsa, I could be mistaken (I’m pretty sure that I’m not.) The whole order consists of two HONKING pork patties (one would be a sufficient meal), a roll, and generous dollops of both the bean and shopska salad, with a tiny cup of what is probably lyutenitsa. This is an amazing value for 10 bux! The pork patties are nicely spiced and juicy with great grill marking. With both sides complimenting the kufe well.
Seriously these guys need more love, they’re probably one of my favorite food truck options for lunch. Not to disparage the other food options but I feel like these guys offer what is distinctly lacking. Right now they don’t have insane lines forming in front of them (hopefully this B.S. changes with my review) yes, I’m sort of shooting myself in the foot if they get more popular, but I don’t want these guys to one day no longer be there. Their food tastes great and finally I think its a tremendous value! So next time you’re checking out the food trucks and you see these guys give them a try. It’s food that your Bulgarian baba would cook for you, who doesn’t love their baba?!

Until today, this is one truck that I had to see making the rounds in my area. I ordered the grill combo — chopped chicken and kufte, with shopska salad and tzaziki as sides. Everything was fresh and delicious. The menu indicates that their tomatoes are locally grown, and this was evident in their flavor. No tasteless supermarket tomatoes here. The marinated chopped chicken and kufte were both tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. I particularly liked the kufte — it was perfectly charred/​caramelized around the edges, with a tender center. This meal was a bit on the pricier side ($ 10), but well worth it. I will certainly be back.

more like 3.5 stars, but I’m erring on the side of 4 stars due the proportionality of pork in their burger.
After passing by this truck numerous times before, I decided to give them a try today. I went with their kufte (pork burger) which was generous in its spiced ground pork and was topped with cucumbers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and Russian dressing. It wasn’t really exceptional in taste, but it was a nice pork burger and considering its size combined with its $ 7 price — it has a high cost/​value rating.
I added a «shopska» salad as a side for a paltry $ 2. For educational purposes, a shopska salad is a mix of chopped up tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and Bulgarian feta cheese. Exotic, I know. Actually, the Bulgarian feta tasted more like Romanian feta cheese to me, but my taste buds might be mistaken. Either way, it is still a fine mix of vegetables, which are all locally grown (according to their sign). I don’t know if that applies to the Bulgarian cheese, too. Unless they make the cheese in Bulgaria and then fly it to a local farmer here…
never mind.
Ummmm. That’s about it.
Go get yourself a kufte (pork burger)!!
errrrr.
ahhhhhh. yeah.
*whistles Ride of the Valkyrie*
Uhh. I know. This all seems a little… brief, shall we say?
Incomplete, almost.
*taps fingers nervously*
Oh, jeez. This kind of reminds me of that time, way back in high school, when I was with B_​_​_​_​_​_​M_​_​_​_​_​_​_​in the back of her parent’s station wagon on a Friday night, and we just kind of sat there staring at the ceiling while not saying a word for what seemed like hours, until…
«Well. That didn’t take as long as I thought it would.»
Quick. Think of something funny to write.
Look — Bulgarian women!!!
What’s that?
Errrr. Hey look — Ascii art!!!
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