Paper Palate

Recently, the Hartford Courant wrote two stories about food carts in Hartford, Connecticut and New Haven, Connecticut. In case you aren’t in-the-know, a food truck is a truck or a cart where vendors prepare, serve and sell fast (but handmade) foods by the side of the street.

In New York, vendors like this are everywhere, selling everything from nuts to hot dogs to pretzels (lest I forget the falafel, kabobs or other unique roadside offerings).

In Connecticut, where there is less walking and more driving, there are still an array of roadside vendors like these, particularly in major cities. According to the Courant, Hartford has 110 registered vendors this year, a number that is down from last year. Officials say that isn’t necessarily the sign of a trend though.

Exact numbers aren’t available, and Pascucilla said the number fluctuates year to year, so the decline might not be an indication of a trend.

Layoffs at downtown businesses have contributed to the decline, Gochee said. Still, there are many offices near Elm Street that don’t have cafeterias, such as the Department of Environmental Protection.

In New Haven, the nature of the beast is a little different. Vendors are sponsored by local restaurants who use the carts as an innovative form of lunchtime advertising.

The carts also aim for a pleasant atmosphere. Customers at Lalibela will never get a scowl from Yusef Chatter, the purveyor of Mamoun’s Falafel on Wheels next door. Nor will Muzaleno crank up his Latin to drown out Jorge’s classic rock. They know that variety in one locale is the draw. They’re fine with helping each other spread the wealth.

However, they also know neither they nor their bosses - the restaurant owners who sponsor the carts - will make it big off the corner lunch business. “We come out two or three hours every day hoping to make a little money, and sometimes we make none,” Chatter said. “We’re largely here to publicize the name because we serve most of what we serve at the restaurant here.”

If you happen to be in the Hartford, Connecticut area, you can check out this brief guide to some of the city’s quick eats.