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Food Truck Owners Pave the Way for Renegade Dining

Could food trucks carry hub diners towards a new dining trend?
Could food trucks carry hub diners towards a new dining trend? Photo: Papercraft: Big Plastic Head

Food Truck Nation is a food truck leasing company with a vision. Beyond their own line of branded trucks — they debuted their first brand concept, Grilled Cheese Nation (unlike the Globe, they see a future in grilled cheese) at the First Annual Food Truck Festival this summer and entered it in the Boston Food Truck Challenge — they envision a Boston truck fleet with established chefs at the helm. And it sounds as though they’re getting a move on.

In an interview, Food Truck Nation owners assured the Globe that “top-name chefs want trucks.” When asked if they have leasers lined up, they named Garden at the Cellar chef Will Gilson.

Gilson confirmed the collaboration and said that he wants to “work in conjunction with what food trucks are doing [in Boston], but to do something unique and pioneering.” Partnering with Aaron Cohen of Eat Boston to throw a pop-up restaurant in the mix at this past weekend’s Wine Riot was a pretty good start. The Eat truck took reservations online prior to the event, and those in the know dined on three-course meals (at tables) in the middle of the Riot for $20. Although the pop-up restaurant trend has taken off in cities like San Francisco, Portland, LA and London, Boston hasn’t really gotten in on the action.

Now Gilson is talking about using their leased kitchen-on-wheels to turn unconventional dining settings (a furniture store, museum or gallery) into one night venues for multi-course affairs. If their brand of pop-ups, a kind of gypsy kitchen that is part underground supper club and part food truck, takes off, then we may have a new trend on our hands. While Gilson was not at liberty to divulge all the details, we’ll keep you up to speed on the developments. Promise.

Food Truck Owners Pave the Way for Renegade Dining