If, for some reason, you haven’t heard of Tasty Takeover, let me reacquaint you.
Formerly known as Tasty Tuesday in the Milk District (it took me at least a couple of years to quit calling it that), it is a weekly food truck event with roughly a dozen trucks that happens every Tuesday behind a charming row of local businesses in Orlando’s Milk District neighborhood, just across the street, in fact, from the T.G. Lee dairy plant.
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There are regulars here, like Baba Yaga, where fried chicken sandwiches are the central focus but where creativity (these are the same guys who do Red Panda Noodle, after all) reigns. On my most recent visit, I noted they’d added “Public subs,” an homage to a certain Florida grocery store’s iconic sandwiches and though I’d happily crush the original, I’m certain Baba’s versions are better. There was also fried chicken skin. And a poutine that seemed like something KFC might proffer if the Colonel hit the dispensary.
Mohawk Smokehouse, another favorite and a former Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards Critic’s Pick, was around on my last visit, too.
Both are solid choices. But I never come for the things I’ve already had. I come for The New.
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And, on this week, The New I happened to check out was a winning combination.
From my quiet table at The Nook, a cozy little craft beer bar I’ve loved since it opened, I ventured out back to the parking lots where trucks and people and not infrequently dogs in costumes congregate during the happy hour/dinner/post-happy hour dinner hour, as the event runs 6:30-10 p..m. One could also set up shop at the Bull & Bush. Or Sportstown. Or one of the tables outside.
Here is what ended up crowding mine.
Nimbuya
This compact food trailer packs a serious wallop in the form of Homer Simpson-level burgers that are simple but seriously decadent and crafted with quality ingredients. There are four on the menu, including the American, the Oklahoma (a smashie), the Breakfast (featuring a fried egg) and the one I came for: the Juicy Lucy.
I am not overly familiar with this Minneapolis-born classic, so I can’t speak to its authenticity regarding Matt’s Bar and The 5-8 Club (both of which claim to be the cheese-stuffed burger’s birthplace). What I can tell you, however, is that Nimbuya’s, which goes for $16, is hellaciously good.
All the burgers here come loaded. That means garlic aioli, mustard, cheese and bacon. The Juicy Lucy, of course, comes with additional cheese on the inside. They’ll also give you a side of sauce. I didn’t get fries. I had a lot to eat. But presumably, one could dip. I took the extra aioli, though, because the burger, which is cut in half and then griddled, tasted amazing in the sauce, as well.
The griddling puzzled me at first, because most places set you up to take a ridiculous food porn pic wherein the towering burger glistens as the cheese oozes out, but it’s actually a brilliant move. Here, the cross-section not only makes eating this thing much friendlier, it effectively “cauterizes” the cut, leaving you enough time to find a place to sit and then have a delightful and comfortable cheese-ooze moment once you’re in a position to really enjoy it.
It also makes the thing shareable, which I’d recommend, anyway. No one should eat this whole thing themselves. And in my case, it allowed extra room for continued consumption. Burger fans, put Nimbuya on your list, whether you find them here or elsewhere.
Nimbuya: nimbuya.com; instagram.com/nimbuyatastyasf
The Lollipop Coop
“Not wings. Better.”
It’s their own genius marketing phrase, and I really can’t argue. The star here is lollipop-style chicken drumsticks.
If you’re unfamiliar, lollipop drumsticks are prepared by trimming the ends and pushing both meat and skin down to expose the bone, which then serves as a handle. Neat. And neat to eat. Which is way more than you can say for traditional chicken wings.
Keto people. Atkins people. Protein people. This is your truck. Your chosen sauce will determine the level of diet-friendliness, but we went with three spices, and none disappointed. The mango habanero, billed as the hottest, had nice fire, but it wasn’t a hardcore barn burner. The basic Buffalo was tangy and enjoyable (and likely sugar-low or -free), and the garlicky version was delish, as well.
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The menu also includes bites such as mini-empanadas, tostones, mozzarella sticks, fries and the seemingly popular mac and cheese balls. I saw lots of takers as I waited for my trio, $13 for three fat lollies.
The Lollipop Coop rolls all over town and breweries, including Windermere, Toll Road and Rock Pit, which are regular stops. Being at The Nook meant I had a nice Florida local beverage to pair with my drums, and I can’t imagine there’s a better combination.
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The Lollipop Coop: thelollipopcoop.com; instagram.com/the_lollipop_coop
Cakehaus
Wilda Casado likes to joke that she is Cakehaus’ Chief Eldest Daughter.
“It’s a play on CEO, because I handle most of our branding, marketing, business strategy, etc. But my mom, Awilda, is the real mastermind behind the cakes themselves.”
Casado is a Cakehaus cofounder, though, along with her brother, William and her father, Wilmag. Originally from the Dominican Republic, they landed in St. Cloud in 2022, but the beautiful scratch-made desserts at their pop-up lie in the heart of their Caribbean homeland.
“Dominican cake is different from traditional American cake,” Casado tells me. “It’s lighter, fluffier and moist, with a texture that’s somewhere between a sponge cake and a pound cake. It’s traditionally topped with Dominican suspiro, which is essentially a Dominican-style Italian meringue.”
The dessert evolved to hold up in warm climates, travel well and prioritize flavor over decoration.
“It’s the kind of cake that’s meant to be shared, enjoyed and brought to gatherings, whether you’re celebrating something special or just because. You don’t need to save it for a special occasion.”
And yet, these beautiful desserts, each in its own lidded, compostable cup, made our time at The Nook feel quite special. To be honest, even before I absconded with my Red Velvet and Coconut Cream. Because right at the table, there are loads of free samples, 2-3 bites that allow exploration of eight flavors that fall into two categories: traditional Dominican flavors and playful twists on American classics.
In the former group: Coconut Cream, Dulce de Leche, Pineapple Jam and Guava.
“These are inspired by the flavors you’ll commonly find in Dominican cake,” says Casado, whose family makes everything, including the fillings and jams. “Every cake jar is built with two layers of cake, a thick layer of filling, and topped with Dominican suspiro (Dominican-style Italian meringue).”
Suspiro (derived from the Spanish word for sigh) is aptly named. It is sweet and cloud-like. And it is liberally layered into each cup.
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On the other side of the menu: Red Velvet with white chocolate ganache. Chocolate Fudge with fudge ganache filling, Carrot Cake with pineapple jam and Tres Leches.
All feature the suspiro, as well. The cakes are light, which makes them a wonderful choice after throwing down at a food truck event, but the lid makes them even better, because they are super easy to tote home for later. Or tomorrow. Or a couple of tomorrows. Which is how long our two-for-$20 cups lasted, allowing the rest of the family to taste, as well.
The Red Velvet: airy with crushable cocoa flavor, marshmallowy cream. The Coconut Cream: moist and wonderful with beautiful flaked coconut. They made a nice complement, in fact, but next time, because Cakehaus is now trusted and verified, I would stray to try every single one. Perhaps all.
Maybe next time, I’ll just go right for dessert.
Cakehaus: instagram.com/cakehausfl; weekly preorders through Hotplate — hotplate.com/cakehaus, orders open noon Monday and close Thursday; customers can choose from weekend pickup locations
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: [email protected], For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.