By Hollie Grace James –
Food trucks are certainly a summertime staple – they’re a unique way to indulge in our favourite foods, they help entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams, and they foster a strong sense of community. The street food scene in Wellington Village is definitely bustling, and it’s growing again with the addition of two new food trucks. Filuccia Gelateria and Yakko Takko are happy to be in the neighbourhood and are excited for you to give them a try before the snow flies.
Filuccia Gelateria
In theory, the difference between gelato and ice cream is small – a slight variation in the quantities of milk, sugar, cream and serving temperature – but Cesare and Nina Agostini know that this slight shift makes all the difference in the tasting experience. Born and raised here in Ottawa, this brother and sister duo spent four years living and working in Italy (Cesare at a bakery and Nina making gelato) before deciding to open the only gelato food truck in the city with the help of their cousin (and third co-owner) Pompei Balestra. You won’t find any freezer burn around here – everything is made from scratch daily (sometimes twice a day) – so it’s always fresh. They offer seven flavours that are always changing, although you’re guaranteed to find a few staples like stracciatella (vanilla with little bits of dark chocolate), hazelnut, and sour cherry (their biggest seller).
They’ve also got you covered whether you prefer a cup or cone, if you want a little extra (warm Nutella), or something totally different, like an affogato (your choice of gelato with a hot shot of illy espresso), cookie sandwiches (Nina’s secret homemade recipe) and brioche bombs (freshly baked brioche dough stuffed with up to three different flavours of gelato and Nutella). With a patio of adirondack chairs and fairy lights, Cesare and Nina hope that local residents won’t need much of an excuse to drop by for dessert and make this place a prime local hang-out spot. They plan to stay open until the first weekend of November.
Find Filuccia Gelateria at 1213 Wellington St. W. and online at filucciagelateria.com. They’re also on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
Yakko Takko
After the municipal bylaw shut down his operation in the Glebe, Roberto Reyes decided to turn a setback into an opportunity and is loving the chance to introduce his Mexican fare to a brand new clientele in Wellington Village. After scouting out various possible locations, Reyes and his food truck Yakko Takko located the perfect spot to set down new roots at Wellington and Hamilton. A 2007 graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute in Sandy Hill, Reyes first opened his food truck last summer.
One year later he’s still serving seven kinds of tacos, all gluten-free, as well as burritos and quesadillas. At $4.99/taco you could very well try one of each, but there is a single important nutritional element that spans the entire menu: nothing here is fried, even his fish tacos are baked. Although fried food is common among food trucks, Reyes doesn’t even own a fryer. And that’s not the only original element here. If you’re wondering about his colourfully painted truck, it’s the work of four local artists who took the time to artistically design a scene of the Mexican desert landscape. Reyes also plans to stay open until the first weekend in November.
Find Yakko Takko at Wellington St. W. & Hamilton Avenue. Follow Yakko Takko on Instagram and Facebook.