First Fridays: Montreal’s Food Truck Festival

A new kind of relay race is being held at Montreal’s Olympic Park: one that’s attracting a different breed of participants. You see, like the 1976 Summer Olympics, those flocking to the stadium are arriving hungry. But these days it’s not for a gold medal. Instead, they come in pursuit of a culinary journey. One that requires agility, endurance, patience and teamwork (which turns out to be the key to success — something their relay athlete predecessors can attest to). With long lineups of hungry festival-goers, those who develop a team strategy at First Fridays are the ones who get ahead. It is Quebec’s largest gathering of food trucks after all…

Having never attended First Fridays (which has exponentially grown over the past five years), I took some time to observe the crowd when I entered the park. I quickly discovered that the regulars all arrived in large groups. Even more fascinating, each member seemed to play a very specific role as “teams” split up and scattered across the grounds: the drinks rep (alcohol is permitted and sold onsite), the food gatherer, the communal table/picnic spot holder etc. etc. With phones in hand, everyone shared ETAs and GPS coordinates to ensure a smooth experience — an intricate and well-timed execution that resulted in big smiles and good times…

With so many food and drink options (there are 50+ trucks), the biggest challenge is deciding what to devour! But don’t worry, I’m here to help…

You’ll have between 4-11 pm to taste your way around the festival with your “team” aka friends/family. But stomach real estate is valuable so I did my part and tried as many goodies as possible so I could report back with the seven must-eats…

1. Grumman78 – Ah yes, the taco food truck that started it all. A leader in the street food movement (which was legalized in Montreal in 2013), these guys have a huge and devout following in the city. The owner, Gaëlle Cerf, is incredibly passionate and heads up First Fridays with Guy-Vincent Melo (both founders of Quebec’s Food Truck Association). Order their Banh Mi Taco – tender pulled pork, fresh daikon and carrot pickle, rich sauce and nicely toasted corn tortilla shell. Olé!

2. Camion Au Pied de Cochon – I almost lost it when I discovered that Au Pied de Cochon (one of my fave Montreal restos) has a food truck! Although in retrospect it makes perfect sense given Martin Picard’s high-low culinary style. Helmed by the king of all carnivores, it’s not surprising to find people inhaling mouthwatering meat sandwiches and duck drumsticks around the truck. We decided to try the Croquettes de Poulet & Sirop D’erable (chicken which I dipped numerous times in thick maple syrup) and Fois Gras Poutine. Yes, yes, YES! This food truck is not to be missed.

3. Landry & Filles – Ok, so I rarely rave about salad but this Asparagus Caesar Salad may have been the best thing I ate at First Fridays. I know, I know. How exciting could it really be? But I’m telling you: this little number blew my MIND. So simple, so fresh and coated with just the right amount of dressing (which was not overpowering and let the local asparagus shine through). Don’t leave the park without trying it: it’s the perfect summer dish.

4. La Cabane à Crêpes – Warm, deep-fried batter dusted with sugar. Could there be anything better? Well yes, the Crêpes Soufflées de Cabane à Sucre are drizzled with sirop d’érable (maple syrup) to make the delectable dessert even more Québécois. The heavenly balls are light, not overly sweet and absolutely addictive. I’m obsessed with sugar shacks so this was my fave sweet treat at First Fridays — something I had a difficult time sharing…

5. Europea Mobile – With lobster and truffle cappuccino and maple-lacquered pork on the menu, this is certainly the most upscale food truck at Olympic Park. I’d expect nothing less with chef Jérôme Ferrer in the kitchen (he holds the prestigious title of Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef and his resto, Europea, is ranked as one of the best in Canada). For those who want to enjoy his gourmet culinary creations without the fine-dining frills, you can ditch the white tablecloths and devour these dishes curbside at First Fridays. Woot!

6. 1642 Cola – Did you know that Montreal has it’s own cola? Yup, made with local ingredients from Quebec (like maple from the Laurentians), it is a homegrown drink created by local entrepreneurs. These guys are proud of their city — so much so that they named their product after the year it was founded. They also brew and bottle the cola locally! Their traditional craft recipe is delicious and served up at First Fridays on its own or in a cocktail. I had a few of the latter and really liked the taste. Cheers to you Montreal!

7. Lucille’s Food Truck – I love me a good lobster roll so I was super excited to try out Lucille’s version. As a seafood importer and distributor, these guys use only the finest ingredients — something I could definitely taste at first bite. Clean flavour profiles (you can actually taste the sweet lobster), a buttery bun and a generous portion. It is what every lobster roll should be: simple and delicious.

Admission to First Fridays is free and dishes average around $10-12 each. All of the food featured in this post was complimentary as part of a press trip to Montreal. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.