Off the Grid UN Plaza Debuts Quietly

Luis Chong

The Thursday street-food market represents the fifth Off the Grid pod.

​The fifth location of Matt Cohen's Off the Grid street-food gathering made a quiet debut yesterday at United Nations Plaza. Four food trucks (El Tonayense, IZ-IT, Le Truc, and Senor Sisig) made the trip to the open plaza, home of the Heart of the City farmers' market on Wednesdays and Sundays.

This is a much-needed partnership with Arts Market, a two-month-old city-sponsored event that so far has struggled to get public attention. Local artists pay a $45 fee for a spot to showcase ― and sell ― their artwork.

Luis Chong

OTG UN Plaza happens in conjunction with the little-known Arts Market.

​There were hardly any customers for OTG's 11 a.m. start time yesterday; two of the vendors needed an additional 30 minutes to do prep work. But by 12:30, the trucks had caught the attention of pedestrians, who began to place orders. We took advantage of the lack of large crowds to enjoy our $3 taco while listening to the lively jazz music nearby. Our advice: Get to OTG UN Plaza soon before it becomes as popular as the Friday OTG in Civic Center.

Off the Grid: UN Plaza: Market Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, Thu. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.