Food Truck Bazaar in Orlando brings more than just street food

The food truck trend that has been sweeping the nation has made a pit stop in the Central Florida area.

TheDailyCity.com put on its first food truck bazaar at the Food Truck Bazaar Summer Series this past Sunday at the Oviedo Mall.

For more photos, view the gallery here.

Foodies and families alike gathered in the parking lot of the Oviedo Mall to admire and demolish a diversity of delicious offerings.

The variety of attendees were able to pick and choose from the wide assortment of food options available.

For dinner, the bazaar offered everything from down-home barbecue at Firehouse BBQ to Spanish-style octopus skewers at Big Wheel.

Amanda DePreta, a master's student specializing in mechanical engineering at UCF, visited six trucks within the first two hours of the event. DePreta said that, in that span of time, she and her friends had managed to eat fried food, soul food and barbecue. They completed their cuisine quest by polishing off some cupcakes.

Unable to choose her favorite truck from the large selection, DePreta narrowed her favorites down to either Firehouse BBQ or The Tree House.

Croix Provence, senior theater major, traveled to the bazaar for just a single truck, The Crooked Spoon. Eyes nearly glazed over, Provence described her reasoning with one simple sentence.

"Macaroni and cheese with bacon, it's incredible," Provence said.

Those craving something sweet had the option of grabbing some delectable fare from The Tree House food truck, where deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies lured in sweet tooths. Attendees looking for something a little less likely to give them a heart attack before they reached their car could head over to the Yum Yum Cupcake truck for an assortment of mini-cupcakes.

Grace Cascone, junior psychology major, said that she came to the Food Truck Bazaar because she and her boyfriend absolutely love food trucks.

"I really like the arepa truck, I've been there when they're not here," Cascone said of the Colombian-themed truck. "I've been dying to try the Yum Yum Cupcake Truck, so I got my cupcakes."

Eating from a food truck does not come without its drawbacks. Individuals who attend the Food Truck Bazaar should expect long lines for nearly every truck. DePreta offered some words of wisdom for the food truck novice.

"Get here early. We got here at six and split up, so we divided and conquered," she said. "We got four trucks right off the bat."

So bring your friends, a wallet full of cash and an insatiable appetite to TheDailyCity.com's Food Truck Bazaar Summer Series and dig in.

The Bazaar will be held every Sunday until August 28, rotating between the Oviedo Mall, the Fashion Square Mall and the Parliament House Bar & Resort. For times, locations and tips for first time visitors to the Food Truck Bazaar, visit TheDailyCity.com.