San Francisco [Budget Travel]

Steven Gdula’s delicious gobs.

Thanks to the recession, a lot of people have been forced to reinvent themselves and try out new careers. In San Francisco, the profession of choice seems to be that of curbside chef as more and more folks in the Bay Area are hitting the streets with a pot of food in tow. I spent three very intense days in March chasing around food trucks, carts and tables in San Francisco via Twitter. I wrote about this little adventure for Budget Travel, and have included a few of the blurbs that didn’t make the cut below. Check it out!

Adobo Hobo
‘Hood: Mission District
Adobo Hobo is a lean operation: Founder Jason Rotairo invested in a folding table, a rice cooker, and a turkey fryer, then started serving his mom’s Filipino-style chicken adobo (drumsticks, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns, and onions in a hearty stew) at Dolores Park in August 2009. When the housing market slowed last year, Rotairo’s roommate—and now business partner—Edmund Choi suggested the licensed realtor hit the street. They recently expanded and occasionally include Sisig tacos, a take on another Pinoy staple made with marinated pork, onions, jalapeños, pork rinds, and sour cream scooped into a tortilla for easy handling.
Check twitter.com/Adobohobo for updates. $5. adobohobo.blogspot.com.

Gobba Gobba Hey
‘Hood: Mission District
When freelance writer Steven Gdula moved to San Francisco two years ago, he was out of work and missing his native Pennsylvania. In May 2009, he started pounding the pavement with a cooler full of gobs (a favorite childhood treat similar to a whoopie pie and made of two round cakes held together with a sweet cream filling) under the Ramones-inspired moniker Gobba Gobba Hey. So far, there are 36 rotating flavors on the menu—orange cardamom with ginger and saffron, and coco black cherry with lime are the most popular. Gdula also has a tasty book deal about his recession recovery story in the works. Various days and locations. Check twitter.com/gobbagobbahey for updates. $2. gobbagobbahey.com.