Truckin’

On a recent Thursday evening, I found myself stuffing my face with a gyro, a chicken wrap, carne asada fries and a pesto chicken crepe and washing it all down with a mango margarita underneath the stars. No, I didn’t eat it all myself—I had a little help from my boyfriend, Chuck, and our friend Mandy. When we were sufficiently full, we tried our hand at a giant-size game of Jenga while a group of college-age revelers did acrobatics in the grass before we were all asked to leave because, well, the park was closing.

This scene could have played out in Chico. In fact, the whole thing felt very Chico indeed. The gated park we were in with about a hundred other kindred spirits was about the size of two downtown blocks and felt much like the patio at Parkside Tap House or The Commons. Along the perimeter were food trucks—about half a dozen of them—and a snack shack in the center was serving up a variety of craft beers, wine and flavored margaritas, plus a few food options like nachos. A sprawling lawn offered cornhole and picnic possibilities, while tables and chairs provided ample seating. Where were we, you ask? In Redding.

That’s right, this lively scene—opening night at The Park—was in the middle of our Nor-Cal neighbor’s downtown. And unlike Chico’s favorite monthly food truck rally, Fork in the Road, this one’s open nearly every day (Wed.-Sat., 5-9 p.m.).

I’d heard about The Park via a Facebook post by one of my favorite food trucks, The Lamb & The Wolf, which got its start in Oroville and now travels the North State. I’d been missing their gyros since the truck was taken out of the Thursday Night Market rotation a few months ago, so a road trip was in order. Turns out a couple other local trucks—Crispy Eggroll and Slyderz Grill—are also in the lineup for The Park, though they weren’t there opening night.

Nestled comfortably downtown a couple blocks from the Cascade Theatre, The Park is a nice accompaniment to the permanently placed restaurants and nightlife scene. With a rotating cast of food trucks—those interested can sign up for a time slot online—the ambiance will be ever-changing. Since it was opening night when we went, it was especially busy. By the time we got there (Google had a hard time finding the place!), a few of the trucks were already sold out. Thankfully, The Lamb & The Wolf was not. The line was long, so we split up to maximize our time.

The Holy Crepe truck, whose home base is Redding, handed me a buzzer after ordering so we didn’t have to linger. It was a good thing, too, because it took a full half hour to complete our carne asada fries and pesto chicken crepe. The crepe was pretty awesome; the fries not so much, as the meat was virtually flavorless. From The Lamb & The Wolf, the O.G. Gyro was predictably delicious, overflowing with seasoned, spit-fired beef and lamb. The Chicken Italiano was also good—the chicken was particularly juicy—but nothing beats the gyro.

While ordering a round of drinks, I met the owner/developer, Todd Franklin. Turns out he has another, similar venture in Anderson dubbed The River Front. The Redding location was much delayed—due to complications getting a liquor license and then by the Carr Fire—but I’d say it was worth the wait. It was also worth the drive, as it made for a fun evening. If there’d been live music on the stage, it would have been even better. And permanent bathrooms would be nice—nobody likes using a port-a-potty, even the nice ones.

Now if we can just get one of these in Chico …