Downtown Dining A La Cart

For New York City moms and dads out for a day of adventure with their small children, looking for a place to eat can be a daunting affair. Unlike the suburbs, with their vast emporiums of family-friendly "fare" with names like Fudruckers, it is the rare Gotham eatery designed to indulge the screams, cries and various accoutrement (strollers, diaper bags, bottles, changes of clothes, etc) of your little angle. Thankfully, there is another option, particularly during the warmer months. Enter the upscale roach coach.


The latest to join the ranks of these gourmet food trucks is Le Gamin crêpe truck. It serves everything a downtown mama or papa could want--ratatouille crepe anyone?--and what preschooler doesn't love ham and butter on a baguette? My son Sebastien and I spotted the truck on Greene street, just below Prince in Soho last week. According to Maya, one of the truck's cooks, they move locations all the time. To keep up with them, follow them at TWITTER legamintruck, mais oui!

Then, follow up your crepes du jour with an artisinal ice cream from the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck with is also parked on Greene and Prince.


If you are going to Washington Sqaure Park, have a sleeping baby and the patience of Mother Teresa, you might want to attempt the lines for NY Dosa . A southern Indian specialty, dosas crepes made from lentil and rice flours then filled with everything from curried potatoes to fiery hot veggies. The Dosa Man serves only vegan dosas and a few other dishes, all of which are homemade, spicy and incredibly fresh. The food is outstanding; the service and wait-times make you want to kill yourself. Then you pay $6 for the best dosa of your life and you are back again next week.

For more info on street carts around New York City, check out New York Magazine.