@spiceboyskitchen

“What do you want to eat?” is a deceptively dangerous question. What happens when everyone at the table wants something else. She wants Greek and he wants spicy and they want fried but then he also wants tacos. Finding a menu to tick everyone’s culinary checklist– that’s also delicious, fresh and made-to-order– is near impossible unless you’re ready to settle in one respect (I’m looking at you Cheesecake Factory - no menu should double as a chapter book).

For The Spice Boys Food Truck, however, a multicultural, eclectic and always changing atlas of menu items is the norm. Head Chef Steven Schmitt and manager Carl Kolber are dishing out plates of food with origins in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. The night I visited their colorful tropicana truck the menu had everything from fried chicken sandwiches to acorn squash hummus. A veritable smorgasbord for your tastebuds.

The Kerala Fried Chicken Sandwich featured thigh meat with a radish pickles, tangy slaw and a Japanese okonomi sauce. To call this sandwich flavorful would be the understatement of the century. Zesty, zingy, tangy and decadent; each component of construction sang in perfect harmony to balance every bite.

As Kolber explained of their inspiration and process, “We’re hard to define. We use techniques and ingredients from all around the world. But we would best be described as Modern American, in that we put a twist on everything.”

Take the Chicken Shawarma Pita Taco (say that three times fast). A lovechild of Mexico and Turkey with nods to Yemen (zhug sauce) and South America (banana peppers) this perfectly inventive mashup is another flavor-bomb for the senses. Topped with an interesting yet delicious addition of hard-boiled egg wedges, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more unique meal from your next week-night treat.

You can find The Spice Boys at Calusa Brewery Thursday nights from 5pm to 9pm and various locations around Sarasota. Follow them on Instagram @spiceboyskitchen for updates on their weekly locations and changing menu available for pre-order (highly recommended they sell out fast!)

@spiceboyskitchen

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